Statement by Secretary Napolitano on Shooting in Wisconsin

"Yesterday's tragedy in Wisconsin is deeply saddening.  The Department of Homeland Security will continue to provide any support necessary to the ongoing investigation.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to those impacted by this tragedy, the Sikh community, and especially the family and friends of those killed or wounded."

Secretary Napolitano Announces Deferred Action Process for Young People Who Are Low Enforcement Priorities

WASHINGTON— Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano today announced that effective immediately, certain young people who were brought to the United States as young children, do not present a risk to national security or public safety, and meet several key criteria will be considered for relief from removal from the country or from entering into removal proceedings. Those who demonstrate that they meet the criteria will be eligible to receive deferred action for a period of two years, subject to renewal, and will be eligible to apply for work authorization.

“Our nation’s immigration laws must be enforced in a firm and sensible manner,” said Secretary Napolitano. “But they are not designed to be blindly enforced without consideration given to the individual circumstances of each case. Nor are they designed to remove productive young people to countries where they may not have lived or even speak the language. Discretion, which is used in so many other areas, is especially justified here.”

DHS continues to focus its enforcement resources on the removal of individuals who pose a national security or public safety risk, including immigrants convicted of crimes, violent criminals, felons, and repeat immigration law offenders. Today’s action further enhances the Department’s ability to focus on these priority removals.

Under this directive, individuals who demonstrate that they meet the following criteria will be eligible for an exercise of discretion, specifically deferred action, on a case by case basis:

1.Came to the United States under the age of sixteen;

2.Have continuously resided in the United States for a least five years preceding the date of this memorandum and are present in the United States on the date of this memorandum;

3.Are currently in school, have graduated from high school, have obtained a general education development certificate, or are honorably discharged veterans of the Coast Guard or Armed Forces of the United States;

4.Have not been convicted of a felony offense, a significant misdemeanor offense, multiple misdemeanor offenses, or otherwise pose a threat to national security or public safety;

5.Are not above the age of thirty.

Only those individuals who can prove through verifiable documentation that they meet these criteria will be eligible for deferred action. Individuals will not be eligible if they are not currently in the United States and cannot prove that they have been physically present in the United States for a period of not less than 5 years immediately preceding today’s date. Deferred action requests are decided on a case-by-case basis. DHS cannot provide any assurance that all such requests will be granted. The use of prosecutorial discretion confers no substantive right, immigration status, or pathway to citizenship. Only the Congress, acting through its legislative authority, can confer these rights.

While this guidance takes effect immediately, USCIS and ICE expect to begin implementation of the application processes within sixty days. In the meantime, individuals seeking more information on the new policy should visit USCIS’s website (at www.uscis.gov), ICE’s website (at www.ice.gov), or DHS’s website (at www.dhs.gov). Beginning Monday, individuals can also call USCIS’ hotline at 1-800-375-5283 or ICE’s hotline at 1-888-351-4024 during business hours with questions or to request more information on the forthcoming process.

For individuals who are in removal proceedings and have already been identified as meeting the eligibility criteria and have been offered an exercise of discretion as part of ICE’s ongoing case-by-case review, ICE will immediately begin to offer them deferred action for a period of two years, subject to renewal.

Secretary Napolitano and Korean Minister of Justice Jae-Jin Kwon Announce Global Entry Agreement

Washington— Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano today joined U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Acting Commissioner David V. Aguilar and Republic of Korea Minster of Justice Jae-Jin Kwon at the Washington Dulles International Airport to announce a reciprocal agreement for each nation’s trusted traveler programs—the U.S. Global Entry program and Korea Smart Entry Service.

“I am proud of the extraordinary bond between the United States and the Republic of Korea, and today’s agreement marks another major step forward in our partnership,” said Secretary Napolitano. “Global Entry and Korea’s Smart Entry Service are not just quick, easy, and efficient for travelers; they also help our customs authorities focus on those travelers we know less about, so that we can more effectively identify potential threats and keep our borders and our countries secure.”

Korea is the third country to have a fully reciprocal, publicly available trusted traveler program with the United States, joining the Netherlands and Canada, and is the first permanent trusted traveler program the United States has in Asia. Global Entry kiosks and Smart Entry Service e-gates allow expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers.

“International travel is fundamental to our nations’ economies,” said Acting Commissioner Aguilar. “With this agreement, we are delighted to do our part in strengthening economic vitality between our two nations while strengthening national security.”

Currently available at 25 U.S. international airports, Global Entry streamlines the screening process at airports for trusted travelers through biometric identification and reduces average wait times by 70 percent, with more than 75 percent of travelers using Global Entry processed in under five minutes. More than a million trusted travelers now receive Global Entry benefits, and these travelers have used its automated kiosks to expedite their entry more than 2.3 million times since the program’s inception.

The Global Entry program became a permanent initiative in January when President Obama signed an Executive Order outlining new initiatives to increase travel and tourism in the United States while encouraging job creation. The Global Entry program is another way DHS and CBP are helping to promote these efforts and stimulate our economy, while maintaining the highest standards of security.

For more information, visit Global Entry.

* Editor's note: Still photos of today's event can be downloaded from CBP's Flickr page.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

Secretary Napolitano and Korean Minster of Justice Jaw-Jin Kwon Announce Global Entry Agreement

WASHINGTON—Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano today joined U.S. Customs and Border Protection Acting Commissioner David V. Aguilar and Republic of Korea Minster of Justice Jae-Jin Kwon at the Washington Dulles International Airport to announce a reciprocal agreement for each nation’s trusted traveler programs—the U.S. Global Entry program and Korea Smart Entry Service.

“I am proud of the extraordinary bond between the United States and the Republic of Korea, and today’s agreement marks another major step forward in our partnership,” said Secretary Napolitano. “Global Entry and Korea’s Smart Entry Service are not just quick, easy, and efficient for travelers; they also help our customs authorities focus on those travelers we know less about, so that we can more effectively identify potential threats and keep our borders and our countries secure.”

Korea is the third country to have a fully reciprocal, publicly available trusted traveler program with the United States, joining the Netherlands and Canada, and is the first permanent trusted traveler program the United States has in Asia. Global Entry kiosks and Smart Entry Service e-gates allow expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers.

“International travel is fundamental to our nations’ economies,” said Acting Commissioner Aguilar. “With this agreement, we are delighted to do our part in strengthening economic vitality between our two nations while strengthening national security.”

Currently available at 25 U.S. international airports, Global Entry streamlines the screening process at airports for trusted travelers through biometric identification and reduces average wait times by 70 percent, with more than 75 percent of travelers using Global Entry processed in under five minutes. More than a million trusted travelers now receive Global Entry benefits, and these travelers have used its automated kiosks to expedite their entry more than 2.3 million times since the program’s inception.

The Global Entry program became a permanent initiative in January when President Obama signed an Executive Order outlining new initiatives to increase travel and tourism in the United States while encouraging job creation. The Global Entry program is another way DHS and U.S. Customs and Border Protection are helping to promote these efforts and stimulate our economy, while maintaining the highest standards of security.

For more information, visit www.cbp.gov/globalentry.

U.S. And Canada To Consult On Facilitating Cross-Border Business

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and Canada's Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, Jason Kenney today announced joint consultations with stakeholders on cross-border business - increasing efforts to facilitate business travel between the United States and Canada.

As outlined in the United States-Canada Beyond the Border Action Plan, announced by President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Stephen Harper in December 2011, the goal of the joint consultations is to 1) receive comments on the implementation of commitments included in the Action Plan and 2) identify and assess new ways to facilitate cross-border business travel in the short and medium terms.

"DHS is committed to working with our Canadian partners to facilitate cross-border business, strengthening the economies of both our countries," said Secretary Napolitano. "Through these joint consultations, we will receive direct feedback from businesses on how we can improve travel and trade at the border."

"This Government's top priority remains jobs, growth and long-term prosperity," said Canada's Minister of Public Safety Vic Toews. "These consultations will help improve cross-border trade and bring greater economic benefits to both Canada and the United States."

"Billions of dollars worth of goods and hundreds of thousands of people cross our shared border every day. We want to hear directly from businesses on both sides of the border about how cross-border business travel could improve. We especially want to hear fresh ideas," said Minister Kenney.

Secretary Napolitano today attended the first joint consultation between representatives from several major companies and industry associations in Washington. Minister Kenney will attend the joint consultation in Toronto on May 24. Consultations will be facilitated by the Migration Policy Institute - a non-profit, non-partisan think tank based in Washington, D.C. Stakeholder comments regarding Canadian and U.S. government commitments made in the Action Plan, as well as recommendations for additional improvements, will be accepted online starting today, until June 15, 2012.

A report on the outcomes of this process will be distributed to stakeholders and will be available on the DHS and Citizenship and Immigration Canada websites once consultations have been completed.

Supporting the Law Enforcement Officers and First Responders Who Keep Our Nation Safe

The following post appears courtesy of Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary Janet Napalitano.

Keeping our nation safe from evolving terrorist threats requires strong partnerships at all levels.  Nowhere are those partnerships more important than with our federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement officers who work on the frontlines every day to keep our cities and communities safe.

These courageous men and women, who put their lives on the line to protect others, must have the tools, training, and resources they need to do their jobs safely and effectively.

This week at the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) General Assembly in Chicago, we each had an opportunity to reiterate our support for police officers and first responders across our country, many of whom are struggling to hire or retain personnel in the face of tough economic challenges.

As part of ongoing work to better understand and overcome current fiscal challenges, this week, the Justice Department’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) office released a new report on how the economic downturn has impacted police departments nationwide.

According to the department’s research, we expect that, by the end of this year, nearly 12,000 police officers and sheriff’s deputies will have been laid off.  Already, law enforcement agencies nationwide currently have nearly 30,000 unfilled vacancies.  And an estimated 28,000 more officers and deputies experienced week-long furloughs last year. In 25 years of collecting data, this is the first national decrease in law enforcement positions ever recorded.

There is great demand for existing federal fire fighter hiring funding.  In FY10 alone there were $1.8 billion in applications for $420 million in  SAFER funds.

Especially in these difficult economic times, the tough choices we are all facing should not come at the expense of public safety and national security.  And, fortunately, they don’t have to. The American Jobs Act would provide $5 billion in assistance to states and local communities to create and save thousands of police and first responder jobs across the country.  These funds would not only help to safeguard our national security and bolster public safety – they would strengthen our economy.

Passage of the American Jobs Act also would ensure that many of the critical partnerships we have established with local law enforcement can continue – and improve our ability to share information, to train frontline officers to recognize indicators of terrorism and crime, and to encouraging the public to be vigilant in reporting suspicious activity to appropriate authorities.

These steps provide a strong foundation for law enforcement at all levels to protect communities from terrorism and other threats. They also help us better understand the risks confronting the homeland while protecting the privacy rights and civil liberties of all Americans, and foster a strong relationship with the international community.

When it comes to advancing our public safety efforts, we simply can’t afford to wait. We must take action now to combat the economic conditions that have affected – and, in some communities, devastated – law enforcement agencies nationwide. We urge Congress to pass the American Jobs Act so that we can protect the men and women on the frontlines who protect us and contribute to our nation’s safety and security every day.

Statement by Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano Urging Public Vigilance

See these 9/11 books written by NYPD officers who survived to tell you their story.

As we head into the 9/11 anniversary weekend, Secretary Napolitano issued the following statement urging public vigilance:

“As we head into the 9/11 anniversary weekend, we continue to urge the American public to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to law enforcement authorities. Simply put, if you see something, say something. We take all threat reporting, including the recent specific, credible but unconfirmed threat information, seriously. We continue to be in close contact with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to ensure that all steps necessary to mitigate any threats are taken. Our security posture includes a number of measures both seen and unseen and we will continue to respond appropriately to protect the American people from an evolving threat picture both in the coming days and beyond. Homeland security is a shared responsibility, and everyone plays an important role in helping to keep our communities safe and secure.”