DHS Outlines Northern Border Strategy

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released its Northern Border Strategy (NBS), described as" the first unified strategy to guide the Department’s policies and operations along the U.S.-Canada border." DHS said the strategy will work closely in conjunction with the "Beyond the Border" plan released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in February.

(See ITT's Online Archives 12032620 for a detailed summary of the "Beyond the Border" plan)

DHS said its strategy for the Northern border is built on the "premise that security and lawful trade and travel are mutually reinforcing." DHS will work toward separating higher-risk traffic from lower-risk traffic, utilizing advance information, and inspecting people and goods bound for shared borders at the earliest opportunity enables officials on both sides to expedite the processing of lawful travel and trade while preventing illegal crossings and activities, as well as diseases and dangerous goods from entering either country, it said.

The NBS outlines three goals for DHS at the northern border:

• Deter and prevent terrorism and other illegal activity;
• Safeguard and facilitate the secure flow of lawful trade and travel; and
• Ensure community resilience to natural and man-made disasters.

To accomplish these goals, DHS said it will leverage resources to improve information sharing and analysis within DHS, as well as with key partners. The Department will also enhance coordination of U.S.-Canada joint interdictions and investigations, deploy technologies to aid joint security efforts along the border, and continue to update infrastructure to facilitate travel and trade.

DHS will continue to work closely with federal, state, local, tribal, private sector, and Canadian partners that are critical to the security, resiliency, and management of the Northern border. The NBS is consistent with the vision articulated by President Obama and Prime Minister Harper in Beyond the Border: A Shared Vision for Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness, said DHS.

The NBS doesn't provide many specific plans but points to existing programs, such as Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) and Partners in Protection (PIP) programs, as recent efforts.

NBS Methods

Methods toward achieving the strategy will include:

Partnerships- Coordination with Federal, state, local, territorial, tribal, and Canadian counterparts, the public, and the private sector, are essential for DHS to achieve its goals, it said. This coordination is critical at the operational, tactical, strategic, and policy levels to ensure adherence to governing laws, regulations, treaties, and domestic and international agreements.

• Effective partnerships help DHS identify, understand, secure, and efficiently manage the flows of goods and people within and between the U.S. and Canada.
• DHS can further strengthen law enforcement and security partnerships along the northern border by identifying opportunities to co-locate and integrate assets and personnel with those in Canada, and offering reciprocal opportunities, consistent with applicable laws and authorities. The nature of shared communities, infrastructure, and interests requires that the approach involve steps to achieve more unity of effort both within DHS and among all partners on both sides of the border.
• Partnerships with Native American tribes across the U.S. and First Nations in Canada are critical in strengthening land and maritime domain border security. By working together, DHS can develop documents -- including Enhanced Tribal Identification Cards and Indian Northern Affairs Canada status cards -- that satisfy the WHTI requirements.

Personnel

DHS personnel are critical to securing the northern border. DHS has personnel stationed in Canada at the land, air, or maritime ports of entry and between them. DHS has a vital presence at the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa, as well as in consulates across the country. DHS has increased the number of U.S. Border Patrol Agents along the northern border from 340 agents in 2001 to over 2,200 agents in 2012. The number of CBP Officers at ports of entry increased from 2,721 officers in 2003 to approximately 3,700 officers in 2012. The expertise, judgment, and adaptability of these DHS personnel, as well as those DHS and partner personnel that support them from around the world, are essential to achieving the goals.

The DHS press release on the NBS is (here). A fact sheet on the strategy is (here).