Latest news and press releases.
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DHS Issues A New Memo to Terminate MPP
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas issued a new memorandum announcing and explaining his decision to terminate the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) program.
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Secretary Mayorkas Issues New Guidance for Enforcement Action at Protected Areas
Continuing with a series of enforcement reforms, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas issued a new, comprehensive policy to guide Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) enforcement actions in or near protected areas, replacing previous sensitive locations guidance. The first-ever policy for both ICE and CBP provides an expanded and non-exhaustive list of protected areas, including new designations such as places where children gather, disaster or emergency relief sites, and social services establishments.
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DHS Releases New Strategic Framework for Addressing Climate Change
DHS released its first Strategic Framework for Addressing Climate Change to govern the Department’s efforts to combat the climate crisis.
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DHS Takes Victim-Centered Approach on First Anniversary of Center for Countering Human Trafficking
Today marks the first anniversary of the creation of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Center for Countering Human Trafficking (CCHT). The CCHT, led by ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), is a DHS-wide effort dedicated to bringing human traffickers to justice, protecting victims of sex trafficking and forced labor, and preventing these terrible crimes from occurring.
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Secretary Mayorkas to Allow Fully Vaccinated Travelers from Canada and Mexico to Enter U.S. at Land Borders and Ferry Crossings
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas announced that, following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other public health experts, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will amend Title 19 regulations to allow non-essential travelers who have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and have appropriate documentation to enter the United States via land and ferry ports of entry (POEs) across the U.S. border.
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DHS CWMD Awards Two Contracts for $60.8M to Equip DHS Partners with Radiological and Nuclear Detection Equipment
The Department of Homeland Security’s Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office (CWMD) awarded a $34M delivery order to Smiths Detection Incorporated, and a second award of $26.8M to Leidos Security Detection & Automation, Inc. (formerly L-3 Communications Corporation), under existing Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity contracts.
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DHS Releases Worksite Enforcement Strategy to Protect the American Labor Market, Workers, and Worksite Conditions
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas directed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to take actions to promote a fair labor market by supporting more effective enforcement of wage protections, workplace safety, labor rights, and other employment laws and standards.
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DHS to Terminate Border Barrier Contracts in Laredo and Rio Grande Valley
Consistent with the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) border barrier plan, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), in coordination with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), intends to cancel the remaining border barrier contracts located within U.S. Border Patrol’s (USBP) Laredo Sector and all border barrier contracts located in the Rio Grande Valley Sector.
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DHS Releases New Climate Action Plan to Address the Impacts of Climate Change and Ensure the Department’s Climate Resilience
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a new Climate Action Plan outlining the steps the Department is taking to tackle the climate crisis, including bolstering the Department’s ability to adapt to climate change, building national resilience, undertaking mitigation measures, and addressing key vulnerabilities. This plan is part of President Biden’s whole-of-government approach to confronting the climate crisis.
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Operation Allies Welcome Completes Vaccination Campaign for Measles and Varicella for Afghan Evacuees
Operation Allies Welcome (OAW) has completed a historic and nationwide vaccination campaign for measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), and varicella (chickenpox) to Afghan evacuees who are temporarily staying at eight military installations in the United States.
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DHS Releases Guidance to Mitigate Security Risks with the Advancement of Quantum Computing
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in partnership with the Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), released a roadmap to help organizations protect their data and systems and to reduce risks related to the advancement of quantum computing technology.
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Secretary Mayorkas Announces New Immigration Enforcement Priorities
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas announced new Guidelines for the Enforcement of Civil Immigration Law to better focus the Department’s resources on the apprehension and removal of noncitizens who are a threat to our national security, public safety, and border security and advance the interests of justice by ensuring a case-by-case assessment of whether an individual poses a threat.
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DHS Announces Intention to Issue New Memo Terminating MPP
The Department of Homeland Security intends to issue in the coming weeks a new memorandum terminating the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP). Although the Department issued a June 2021 memorandum that terminated MPP, a Texas district court vacated that prior termination determination and issued an injunction that requires the Department to work in good faith to re-start MPP. The Department has appealed that injunction.
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Readout of Secretary Mayorkas’s Meeting with Haitian Ambassador to the United States Edmond
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas met with Haitian Ambassador to the United States Bocchit Edmond to discuss our nations’ continued cooperation.
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DHS Announces Continued Efforts, Outlines Steps Taken to Address Best Practices in Law Enforcement Efforts
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the formation of the Law Enforcement Coordination Council (LECC) – the Department’s first unified law enforcement coordination body – to comprehensively assess a broad range of law enforcement matters, including its law enforcement policies and training. The LECC, which will be chaired by Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas, will immediately begin comprehensive reviews that ensure more fair, equitable, and impartial policing, as well as officer and community safety. The LECC builds on several steps undertaken by DHS during the Biden-Harris Administration to promote best practices in its law enforcement activities.
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Secretary Mayorkas Announces Designation of Croatia as a New Participant in the Visa Waiver Program
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas, in coordination with Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, designated Croatia as a new participant in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Starting no later than December 1, 2021, the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) will be updated to allow citizens and nationals of Croatia to apply to travel to the United States for tourism or business for up to 90 days without obtaining a U.S. visa.
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DHS Provides $20 Million to Local Communities to Prevent Targeted Violence and Terrorism
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the awarding of 37 grants, totaling $20 million, under the Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention (TVTP) Grant Program. The TVTP Grant Program is managed by DHS’s Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3) and is the only federal grant program dedicated to enhancing the capabilities of local communities to prevent targeted violence and terrorism. This year’s grant program prioritized the prevention of domestic violent extremism, including through efforts to counter online radicalization and mobilization to violence.
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DHS to Publish Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on DACA
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that would preserve and fortify the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy. DHS will open a 60-day public comment period for the public to submit comments relevant to the proposed rule.
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DHS Launches National Climate Resilience Prize Competitions
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a new series of prize competitions focused on strengthening nationwide resilience to climate change. Through these competitions, American innovators are encouraged to develop groundbreaking solutions for climate change-related hazards facing communities across our country.
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Department of Homeland Security Partners with Environmental Protection Agency to Enforce Phasedown of Climate-Damaging HFCs
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a new interagency task force that will guard against the illegal importation of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). HFCs are potent greenhouse gases with global warming potential that can be thousands of times greater than carbon dioxide. A global phasedown of HFCs could meaningfully prevent the development of adverse global warming effects over the next century.
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Joint Statement by Secretaries Mayorkas and Raimondo on President Biden’s National Security Memorandum to Strengthen Nation’s Cybersecurity Infrastructure
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas and Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo released a joint statement on the issuance of preliminary cybersecurity performance goals as directed by President Biden’s National Security Memorandum, “Improving Cybersecurity for Critical Infrastructure Control Systems.”
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DHS Awards FY 2021 Citizenship and Integration Grants
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) awarded nearly $10 million in grants to 40 organizations in 25 states to help prepare lawful permanent residents (LPRs) for naturalization. The fiscal year (FY) 2021 grants will run through September 2023 and provide funding to organizations that prepare LPRs for naturalization and promote civic integration through increased knowledge of English, U.S. history, and civics.
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Secretary Mayorkas Participates in Roundtable with Members of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Community
On Friday, September 17, 2021, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas and members of the DHS Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Task Force met with leaders of the AANHPI community to reiterate the Department’s commitment to racial equity and civil rights and civil liberties.
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DHS Outlines Strategy to Address Increase in Migrants in Del Rio
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is immediately implementing a new, comprehensive strategy to address the increase in migrant encounters in the Del Rio sector of South Texas. It has six key components.
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DHS Statement on Safety and Immigration Enforcement During Tropical Storm Nicholas
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is closely monitoring the potential impact of Tropical Storm Nicholas. Our highest priority remains the preservation of life and safety.