Thread: Napolitano's Priority: CANADA'S Border!

Napolitano's priority: Canada border

Audrey Hudson (Contact)
Monday, January 26, 2009

Vulnerabilities along the Canadian border are one of more than a half-dozen priorities identified by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano during her first week, along with cybersecurity and ensuring that federal officials are properly communicating with state and local officials.

"The northern border of the United States has become, since 9/11, important to our national security," Miss Napolitano wrote in an action directive issued Friday.

"As we have designed programs to afford greater protection against unlawful entry, members of Congress and homeland security experts have called for increased attention to the Canadian border," the directive said.

Miss Napolitano asked for an oral report by Feb. 10 on current vulnerabilities, the overall strategy to reduce such, a budget and time frame for improving security, and the level of risk that will remain once the programs are completed.

Meanwhile, members of the National Latino Congreso are asking Miss Napolitano to use her position as the nation's leading immigration officer to emphasize immigrant rights and end the department's "immigration fear-mongering."

"Virtually every issue related to immigrants is now viewed as a 'security matter' while the positive and needed impact of immigrants on the nation's economy, society, families and communities is ignored," the group wrote in a Jan. 21 letter.

"We now have an outpouring of hatred and hostility against immigrants by elements of our society who take it out on anyone they believe is Latino or an immigrant," the letter said. "We hope you will help change the tone of the immigration debate by making the defense of due process and civil rights a DHS priority, and continually using your platform to affirm the enormous contributions immigrations are making to protect our quality of life."

During her confirmation hearing with the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Miss Napolitano said she would increase prosecutions of businesses that hire illegal workers.

But the Hispanic advocacy group is asking her to put an end to raids in schools, neighborhoods and workplaces. The organization said such raids have "destroyed families and spread terror through our communities."

Citing the increasingly sophisticated number of threats to cyberspace, Miss Napolitano asked Friday for a second oral report Feb. 3 on Homeland Security's responsibility for protecting government and private-sector domains, as well as the current relationships with the departments of Defense, Treasury and Energy, and the National Security Agency.


GETTY IMAGES Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano is being asked by Hispanic advocates to end raids in neighborhoods, schools and workplaces.


On her first day at the helm of the fledgling agency, less than 24 hours after Barack Obama took the presidential oath of office, the former Arizona governor issued directives to brief her in the coming weeks on state and local intelligence sharing, critical infrastructure protection, risk analysis, state, local and tribal integration, and transportation security.

"These action directives are designed to begin a review, evaluation and dialogue between the various functions of this department and me," Miss Napolitano said. "I look forward to receiving the information and to working with the offices and agencies involved to make DHS a more effective and a more efficient department."

Amy Kudwa, acting Homeland Security press secretary, said Miss Napolitano spent her first week meeting with top agency officials. She has asked some - including Deputy Secretary Paul A. Schneider and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner W. Ralph Basham - to stay on during the transition period. Coast Guard Commandant Thad Allen, a nonpolitical employee, will remain in his position.

Miss Napolitano announced that Mr. Obama will nominate U.N. Assistant Secretary-General Jane Holl Lute to serve as deputy secretary, and she has appointed two of her Arizona aides to Homeland Security posts - Noah Kroloff as chief of staff for policy and Jan Lesher as chief of staff for operations.

"I am confident that the counsel and leadership of my senior team will benefit this department greatly," Miss Napolitano said.


ASSOCIATED PRESS LOOKING NORTH: Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano is pursuing "programs to afford greater protection against unlawful entry."


"Jane's experience leading large operations with broad and challenging missions lends itself to the undertaking we have before us at Homeland Security. I look forward to working with these talented individuals as we work to further unify this department under our common mission."

Meanwhile, Colleen Kelley, president of the National Treasury Employees Union, has requested a meeting with the new secretary to make her case for allowing airport screeners and other employees of the Transportation Security Administration to bargain collectively. The union represents tens of thousands of key front-line Homeland Security employees.

"I look forward to speaking with you about these issues, among others, to foster needed positive change and improvements in the DHS workplace," Miss Kelley said.

http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/ja ... o-securit/

ALL our borders need to be secured!! but since mexico is working on getting a civil war started, maybe that border needs a little more attention.

Americans are NOT anti immigration, they are anti illegal immigration. When will these people stop their games!!!!!

ANTI ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION! When was that unjust, unethical, immoral etc?

She's scared of those 75 year old Albanians that are crossing the border from Canada!

But the Hispanic advocacy group is asking her to put an end to raids in schools, neighborhoods and workplaces. The organization said such raids have "destroyed families and spread terror through our communities."

Would someone tell me when and where schools have been raided. Just think of the empty classrooms if this were the case.

Originally Posted by BigLakeAK

But the Hispanic advocacy group is asking her to put an end to raids in schools, neighborhoods and workplaces. The organization said such raids have "destroyed families and spread terror through our communities."

Would someone tell me when and where schools have been raided. Just think of the empty classrooms if this were the case.

Welcome BigLake!

Napolatano sucks. Just think of whats more logical...and she'll do the opposite. No wonder AZ couldn't wait to get rid of her!

Would someone tell me when and where schools have been raided. Just think of the empty classrooms if this were the case.

Maybe they need a Spanish version of the "little Boy Who Cried Wolf".

Accuse people long enough and they just might do your bidding. Hit the schools, arrest the parents and charge them with abuse and neglect and everything else they do....put the kids who are supposidly citizens in foster homes and send the adults back. Give them something REAL to whine about.

Welcome, BigLake! And I honestly don't remember any school being raided. Napolitano is twisting facts for her personal view. There was a fuss a while back that immigration raids at the parent's workplace would leave children coming home from school to an empty house, but that does not become school raid. And Nappy now appoints two of her cohorts in AZ to federal position? Who are these people?

More Morons ... America cant handle any more of this GROSS Incompetance

Get out of office and save face you pathetic piece of Trailer Trash

Where do we find these people to run our government... the Gene Pool must really be hurting

The incident I believe was one illegal mother pulled over in front of a school and arrested....thus school raid!

Welcome to alipac "BigLakeAK"