Latest U.S. Department of Homeland Security News

Next year's Jan. 6 election certification will get extra security to prevent another riot

Sep. 12, 2024 14:24 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — In an effort to prevent another riot like the one on Jan. 6, 2021, the Homeland Security secretary has designated the congressional count and certification of the presidential election as a national special security event overseen by the Secret Service. Both...

Border arrests are expected to rise slightly in August but are hovering near 4-year lows

Aug. 31, 2024 15:33 PM EDT

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Arrests for illegal border crossings from Mexico during August are expected to rise slightly from July, officials said, possibly ending a streak of five straight monthly declines but the numbers are hovering near four-year lows. Authorities made about 54,000...

Biden restarts immigration program for 4 countries with more vetting for sponsors

Aug. 29, 2024 16:21 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is restarting an immigration program that allows migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela to come to the United States, and it is including “additional vetting” of their U.S.-based financial sponsors following fraud concerns. ...

Errol Morris examines migrant family separation with NBC News in ‘Separated’

Aug. 29, 2024 08:59 AM EDT

VENICE, Italy (AP) — Filmmaker Errol Morris turned his lens toward the U.S. government’s border policies and family separation in the documentary “Separated,” which premiered at Thursday at the Venice Film Festival. The Trump administration separated thousands of migrant...

How lessons learned from the 2016 campaign led US officials to be more open about Iran hack

Aug. 27, 2024 17:46 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The 2016 presidential campaign was entering its final months and seemingly all of Washington was abuzz with talk about how Russian hackers had penetrated the email accounts of Democrats, triggering the release of internal communications that seemed designed to boost Donald...

Alabama election officials make voter registration inactive for thousands of potential noncitizens

Aug. 15, 2024 18:06 PM EDT

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Thousands of registered voters in Alabama who have previously been identified as noncitizens by the federal government will have their registration status changed to inactive, the secretary of state announced this week in a move that prompted quick opposition from voter...

US Homeland Security halts immigration permits from 4 countries amid concern about sponsorship fraud

Aug. 02, 2024 18:11 PM EDT

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Biden administration has temporarily suspended permits for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans to enter the United States and stay up to two years amid concerns about fraud by their financial sponsors, officials said Friday. Nearly 500,000 people from...

Secret Service director steps down after assassination attempt against ex-President Trump at rally

Jul. 23, 2024 17:18 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The director of the Secret Service resigned Tuesday in the aftermath of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump that unleashed an outcry about how the agency failed in its core mission to protect current and former presidents. Kimberly Cheatle,...

Homeland Security secretary names independent panel to review Trump assassination attempt

Jul. 21, 2024 22:17 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has appointed a bipartisan, independent panel to review this month's assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, officials said Sunday. The panel members will have “extensive law enforcement and...

Secret Service chief noted a 'zero fail mission.' After Trump rally, she's facing calls to resign

Jul. 21, 2024 12:13 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — When Kimberly Cheatle led the Secret Service's operations to safeguard the American president and other dignitaries, she said she would talk to agents in training about the “awesome responsibility” of their job. “This agency and the Secret Service has a zero...