Homeland Security: Three policy actions for the Trump administration

Few policy positions taken by President-elect Trump have excited his base and perturbed Progressives more than ‘Build the Wall.’ Progressives touted the policy’s divisiveness. Conservatives believe that illegal immigration undermines U.S. sovereignty, and believe you don’t have an effective country if you do not control your borders.

The Democratic party further irritated a millions of Americans by pushing sanctuary cities. When Trump made these issues central to his campaign and then won election, they became policy objectives with a popular mandate.

{mosads}Progressives should lose the rhetoric: walls are not new to countries who seek to improve their security or preserve their sovereignty. China built a 3,000 mile long wall to protect against tribal incursions from the North.

The Romans built Hadrian’s Wall along the empire’s northern border, all in an effort to keep the barbarian’s out. For those Americans living along the Southwest border, they suffer the consequences of a porous border — and have for years. Squatters, vandalism, crime are commonplace.

Trump is right to secure the border. Congress tried to build a 700 mile fence, but it was too impermanent and fragile. A wall would be more effective. Until the wall can be built, Trump should triple the Army National Guard deployments under Operation Phalanx.

Under Operation Phalanx, the Army National Guard provides critical helicopter surveillance and intelligence support to the Border Patrol and serves as a force multiplier to Customs and Border Protection.

Where the Army Guard has deployed with helicopter surveillance, Border Patrol effectiveness and apprehensions have dramatically increased. This is an easy and immediate action the President-elect can take to improve security now.

No money for Sanctuary Cities. No city has the right under the Constitution to undermine America’s national sovereignty — and their effort to harbor undocumented criminals violates the law and undermines American sovereignty.

If Chicago wants to harbor criminals here illegally, don’t give Chicago federal money. Given Chicago’s murder rate, you would think the Mayor would want to get rid of criminal elements. And before progressives on the left cry foul, remember Jimmy Carter mandating the 55 MPH speed limit? States that disagreed faced the loss of federal funding.

Building a wall and deporting criminals here illegally are legitimate policy objectives for a Trump administration, but it is only a start. The only way to achieve broad reform of immigration, legal and illegal — something long promised — is to secure the border first. So, the wall is essential to future progress.

In addition to securing the border and getting rid of the criminals, there are three other policy actions President-elect Trump should undertake right away to improve our security at home:

Improve congressional oversight. Post-9/11, twenty-two federal agencies were consolidated into the new Department of Homeland Security. It was done fast and dirty. But, Congress did not fully embrace the change.

While the House created an authorizing committee to provide oversight of the new Department, the Senate did not. Congress, specifically the Senate, can do their part by realigning their committees of jurisdiction. DHS needs effective oversight — but they do not get it by answering to more than 80 Committees and subcommittees. It’s a waste of time and money. DHS should be focused on keeping us safe, not running to Congress every day to scratch some random subcommittee’s itch. Fix it and our security will improve.

DHS needs to mature and become better managed and more efficient. Their internal processes and structure are legacies from the past. Acquisition decisions are ad hoc and inconsistent. These are process and structure failures, not people failures.

Remember the airport scanners? It was flavor of the month. One scanner in vogue this month and six months later there was a new gizmo. DHS needs a more mature acquisition process. Use the Pentagon model. DoD has a rigorous definition of requirements, followed by a competitive, detailed and largely fair acquisition process. DHS needs and deserves the same. Our security would benefit from it.

Elevate Customs and Border Protection. The last eight years have eroded the morale and effectiveness of Customs and Border Protection. CBP was the Obama scapegoat. Mr. Trump should reorganize DHS with an eye toward elevating the visibility of the CBP mission. 

It is a simple management rule: visibility improves performance and accountability. CBP is on the frontline of our battle with keeping bad people out of the United States. Organize accordingly.

Mr. Trump is a businessman. He is not a politician. He understands the value proposition. Each of these ideas will deliver value to the nation. They will save money and improve our security. Those are worthwhile and significant objectives.

Adcock is a Senior Policy Advisor in the Public Policy Group at Squire Patton Boggs. He has 30 years’ experience in the defense and security policy arena of Washington, DC. with twenty of those years in senior executive positions in the aerospace industry.