Homeland Security Secretary in Little Rock
katv.com
Posted: Aug 22, 2011 10:23 PM EDT
Updated: Aug 22, 2011 10:28 PM EDT
By Katherina Yancy

(KATV) Little Rock - From terrorism to natural disasters, the U.S. faces its own share of challenges. In the state to talk about it Monday was U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.

As the Nation's third secretary of Homeland Security, Napolitano has initiated new approaches to enforcing immigration laws, build our international relationships as well as improve our nation's ability to prepare for and recover from disasters.

She says above all, public service plays a key and important role in our country's success through troubling times. "In a crisis local communities are the first to feel the impact; individuals are the first ones on the scenes. The more we equip our communities to effectively respond, the better we will be at saving lives and accelerating our recovers."

Napolitano was in Little Rock as a part of the Frank and Kula Kumpuris distinguished lecture series presented by the Clinton Foundation.

In a letter dated Aug. 18, Napolitano wrote that her department and the U.S. Department of Justice are jointly doing a case-by-case review of about 300,000 individuals currently in deportation proceedings and they aim of give criminal cases top priority, expelling them from the country and enhancing public safety.

Republicans have argued the policy goes around Congressional lawmakers.

The legislation would go on to give illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children a chance at legal status if they go to college or take up military service. Advocates with the Dream Act applaud the measure.

READOUT OF SECRETARY NAPOLITANO'S VISIT TO ALABAMA AND ARKANSAS

Press Release from the U.S. Department of Homeland Secretary —Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano today visited Anniston, Ala. where she joined Congressman Mike Rogers at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) to tour operations and watch a Vapor Wake demonstration at Auburn University's Canine Detection Training Center. Secretary Napolitano then traveled to Little Rock, Ark. to deliver remarks at the Clinton Center, home to the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service, as part of the Frank and Kula Kumpuris Distinguished Lecture Series—highlighting the importance of public service as we approach the tenth anniversary of 9/11.

"DHS and its partners across the federal, state and local government have worked since 9/11 to build a new homeland security enterprise to better mitigate and defend against dynamic threats, minimize risks, and maximize our ability to respond to and recover from attacks and disasters of all kinds," said Secretary Napolitano. "Our challenge, looking forward, is to continue to engage the public in our shared security and build strong and resilient communities throughout our country."

The Center for Domestic Preparedness provides advanced training for emergency responders and other state, local and tribal government officials. It is the only facility where civilian responders can train using actual nerve agents and the nation's only hospital training facility dedicated solely to preparing the healthcare, public health, and environmental health communities for mass casualty events related to terrorism or natural disasters.

Auburn University's Canine Detection Training Center is a training facility for bomb detection canines used by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and has trained a select number of canine teams in the Vapor Wake technique. The TSA National Explosive Detection Canine Team Program has grown from 200 teams in 2001 to over 800 teams in 2011.

On Tuesday, August 23, Secretary Napolitano will travel to Glynco, Ga. to join Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) Director Connie Patrick and TSA Administrator John Pistole to open the new FLETC Intermodal Training Facility—a first of its kind facility enhancing FLETC's ability to provide frontline law enforcement personnel with advanced, realistic and scenario-based training to better deter and combat evolving threats across major transportation modes.

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