On February 15, Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen M. Nielsen released a statement on the signing of the legislation that funds the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and on the President’s declaration of a national emergency:

“The legislation passed by both chambers of Congress and signed today by the President gives the Department of Homeland Security critical funding to protect the homeland, including some resources to secure our borders and enforce our nation’s immigration laws. It increases the DHS overall budget by $1.7 billion, including $1.375 billion to build new border barriers where our frontline personnel need it most, and contains no restrictions on total barrier mileage.

The legislation also includes $415 million in humanitarian assistance to address the serious crisis at our southern border, 4,754 additional beds for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain illegal aliens humanely and keep our citizens safe, and $570 million for specialized screening equipment at our Ports of Entry to detect illegal drugs and human smuggling. Moreover, the bill provides additional resources to combat child exploitation, human trafficking, transnational criminal organizations, and other cross-border criminal activity. Read More

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