Southern West Virginia News

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Carol Miller (R-WV) joined Congressman Nick Langworthy (R-NY) and 15 of their colleagues in introducing the Northern Border Security Enhancement and Review Act to address escalating security concerns at the U.S.-Canada border, ensuring enhanced oversight and accountability from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

“The crisis at America’s borders has had a devastating effect on the United States. While the Department of Homeland Security ignores the obvious catastrophes, our northern border is seeing an unprecedented number of illegal crossings and thousands of pounds of fentanyl being trafficked. The Northern Border Security Enhancement and Review Act will produce a comprehensive threat analysis that will give Congress a better ability to protect the United States from outside threats,” said Congresswoman Miller.

“Our northern border, the world’s longest unsecured border, poses a major threat to our national security, with hundreds of thousands of unidentified individuals streaming into our communities every year. The Biden Administration’s neglect has left us completely vulnerable —that’s why I introduced the Northern Border Security Enhancement and Review Act to hold the Department of Homeland Security accountable and ensure they report to Congress. I've personally met with Border Patrol agents in New York and witnessed their struggle firsthand — they are severely under-supported and left to face this crisis with limited resources. This legislation is not just a necessity; it's a demand for more transparency from the Biden Administration as it comes to the safety and sovereignty of our nation,” said Congressman Langworthy.

The Northern Border Security Enhancement and Review Act will mandate DHS to conduct and submit a Northern Border Threat Analysis annually, ensuring up-to-date assessments of security risks. This bill will require DHS to update its Northern Border Strategy within 90 days following the annual threat analysis and submit a justification if no updates are needed. This bill will obligate DHS to provide classified briefings to Congress within 30 days after the threat analysis submission. This legislation will also instruct DHS to develop performance measures for assessing the effectiveness of Air and Marine Operations (AMO) in securing the northern border.

Background:

The border between the United States and Canada is the longest international border in the world, spanning 5,525 miles, 11 states with land borders, and two states with maritime borders. Through the first seven months of FY24:

- 9,460 individuals have been apprehended at the Northern border compared to 4,849 at the same time in FY23.

- 143 individuals on the Known or Suspected Terrorist list have been apprehended, almost double those apprehended on the Southern Border.

- 1,274 pounds of Fentanyl have been seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations—enough to kill over 270 million Americans.

The budding Northern Border crisis has received little attention from DHS. In recent years:

- Released one Congressionally mandated Threat Analysis in 2017.

- Updated its Northern Border Strategy one time in 2018.

- Failed to fulfill GAO report recommendations from 2019 requiring specific metrics for assessing security at this border.

Joining Representatives Miller and Langworthy are Representatives Mike Kelly (R-PA), Ryan Zinke (R-MT), Michelle Fischbach (R-MN), Kelly Armstrong (R-ND), Lisa McClain (R-MI), Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ), John Moolenaar (R-MI), Mike Lawler (R-NY), Pete Stauber (R-MN), Claudia Tenney (R-NY), Tom Tiffany (R-WI), Randy Weber (R-TX), Chris Smith (R-NJ), Dan Newhouse (R-WA), Elise Stefanik (R-NY).

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