The United States has come a long way in securing its border, but the Department of Homeland Security needs guaranteed funding to increase measures, Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson said to a crowd at the Walter Cronkite School Wednesday.
Secret service guards stood by every entrance while members of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), press, students and even members of CBS’s “60 Minutes” crowded themselves into the lecture hall to hear Johnson speak.
He said there has recently been a decline in arrests of migrants entering the country and that technology and improved strategies have aided progress in security, but measures can still be taken to improve safety and effectiveness.
“There’s a lot more we can do and we should to get better,” Johnson said. “It’s an evolving world.”
Johnson said the DHS does not have an appropriation bill for 2015, and is operating under the spending level of last year. He said this expires Feb. 27, and he needs Congress’ help.
“I cannot print money, I cannot appropriate money.” He said. “I need congress to give us a full years appropriation bill to fund.”
Johnson has worked in both public service and private practice. Prior to being Secretary of Homeland Security, he was an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and General Counsel of the Department of the Air Force. He was appointed by President Barack Obama to his current position in 2014.
He said that as a country, the United States has come to face a new phase in counterterrorism threats.
“The use of the Internet, which is relatively new by terrorist organizations, some of them are pretty slick at their use of the Internet and the use of social media,” Johnson said. “That type of thing has the ability to reach into our homeland.”
He said despite only being around since 2003 in the wake of the events of 9/11, the DHS has become the third largest department in government, and the measures the country has taken to become secure have increased. During his Arizona visit, Johnson visited the DHS operations center for the Super Bowl to take a look at their use of security. He said more resources are needed at a larger scale.
“Almost all of the equipment, the communications equipment, the technology in that room was funded through grants from the Department of Homeland Security,” he said. “As long as we are on a continuing resolution, we cannot fund new grants for that kind of thing which a lot of state and local law enforcement depends on.”
ASU President Michael Crow said it’s valuable that students see who the people responsible for these organizations are.
“It’s important he sees this as a prominent place, the journalism school,” Crow said. “He’s come to the Cronkite School to give his speech. You’ve got great students here.”
Journalism student Tyler Petersen, said he was thankful to be able to witness Johnson speak at his school.
“I think it gave both students and the public a great forum to understand the processes and difficulties regarding national security policy,” Petersen said. “I was delighted to hear the secretary’s view of border security.”
Johnson said it was also important to him that he spoke at the Cronkite School.
“I’m of that generation where it wasn’t fact, it didn’t really happen until I watched the CBS evening news and Walter Cronkite told me it happened,” Johnson said. “When I telephoned John McCain and I said ‘I want to come to your state and talk about border security, where should I go?’ the first thing he said was ‘the Cronkite School at ASU.’”
Contact the reporter at hpflores@asu.edu
