DHS Secretary Discusses Northern and Southern Border Strategy, Trade Facilitation

Administration Has Focused on Border Issues During First 90 Days

During its first 90 days, the Administration has been focused on the border, from both a security standpoint and a trade standpoint.

N/S border differences/parity.One step in protecting against unlawful trade is to respect the differences between the Northern and Southern borders. What DHS does to protect the Southern border will not be the same, in all cases, as what it does protect the Northern border, noting that the two borders are very different in terms of climate, geography, topography, et cetera, and DHS wants to align itself, proportional to the threats it sees, while building appropriate mechanisms to facilitate trade. There also needs to be some level of parity between the two borders and that DHS does not want to appear to go heavy on the southern border and light on the northern border.

Guns and bulk cash. Another step is to deal with circumstances on the ground. DHS has already put more personnel and technology on the Southern border and has created a southbound strategy to stop the flow of guns and bulk cash into Mexico. She also notes that DHS has deployed assets and technology on the Northern border.

WHTI land/sea portion is on track for June 1, 2009. DHS is on track for the June 1, 2009 implementation of the land and sea portion of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. (Effective June 1, 2009, U.S. citizens and nonimmigrant citizens of Canada, Bermuda, and Mexico will be required to present a government-approved document that denotes both citizenship and identity when entering the U.S. from within the Western Hemisphere at sea and land ports of entry.) The U.S. government is conducting an aggressive outreach effort for the WHTI deadline.

(CBP has issued a CSMS message stating that as of June 1, 2009 electronic truck manifests submitted via the Automated Commercial Environment without approved WHTI documents for drivers will be rejected. See ITT's Online Archives or 03/31/09 news, 09033105, for BP summary.)

DHS' Trade Facilitation Efforts

DHS is facilitating trade at the border by:

Port infrastructure. The recently enacted economic stimulus bill contained $720 million in infrastructure improvements for land border ports of entry. Of that, a little over $400 million will go to the Southwest border. DHS is doing a major overhaul of the Nogales port of entry for about $200 million and is installing improvements at Otay Mesa, redesigning Columbus, NM, and some of the smaller land ports.

ACE, FAST, NEXUS.DHS is also continuing to invest in technology such as the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) and e-Manifest filing. DHS has expanded trusted traveler programs and Free and Secure Trade program (FAST) and NEXUS.

DHS Will Work With Mexico to Share Southbound Inspections with Mexican Customs

The DHS Secretary responded to a question as to whether Mexico would be assisting DHS with southbound inspection by stating that the idea is for the U.S. to share the southbound inspections with Mexico (i.e., Mexico will do some and the U.S. will do some). According to the Secretary, DHS is looking for guns and bulk cash. DHS is working with Mexico to share responsibility along the border.

(See ITT's Online Archives or 04/17/09 news, 09041715, for BP summary on DHS' operational plan for SW border security enhancements.

See ITT's Online Archives or 03/25/09 news, 09032510, for BP summary of DHS' previously announced southwest border security enhancement initiatives.

See 04/16/09 news, 09041699 1, for BP summary on DHS' announcement of a new border "czar.")

DHS Secretary's remarks available at http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/speeches/sp_1240361190144.shtm.