Peter T. Leach, Senior Editor | Jun 05, 2012 12:18PM EDT
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday released its Northern Border Strategy, which provides a framework for DHS security procedures along the U.S. border with Canada.
“The Northern Border Strategy provides a unifying framework for the Department’s work focused on enhancing the security and resiliency along our northern border while expediting legitimate travel and trade with Canada,” said DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano.
The Northern Border Strategy is the first department-wide strategy designed to guide policy and operations at the Canadian border. The NBS said the strategy identifies three key goals:
- deterring and preventing terrorism and smuggling, trafficking, and illegal immigration;
- safeguarding and encouraging the efficient flow of lawful trade, travel, and immigration; and
- ensuring community resiliency before, during, and after terrorist attacks and other disasters.
DHS said the strategy will use advance information and inspecting people and goods bound for the shared borders at the earliest opportunity to enable 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.
To accomplish these goals, DHS 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.
Contact Peter T. Leach at pleach@joc.com. Follow him on Twitter @petertleach.
