Written by Strengthening the Canada-U.S. border has become one of Janet Napolitano’s first initiatives in her new role as the United States’ secretary of homeland security.
Napolitano, a former Arizona governor, is the first woman and third person to take on the job.
Mere days after taking office, she has asked for a comprehensive review of the 4,000-mile-long border between Canada and the contiguous United States.
“The northern border of the United States has become, since 9/11, important to our national security,” read a press release issued on January 23 by the Department of Homeland Security.
Reports that examine the vulnerability of the border, as well as what programs and funding are required to improve security, will be released on February 10 and 17.
A November 2008 report by the United States Government Accountability Office concluded that a “large expanse of areas with limited law enforcement presence provide potential for terrorists and other criminal elements to enter the United States undetected at or between the northern ports of entry”.
