Transportation

Smiths Detection to unveil new millimeter-wave scanner
The company’s new eqo scanner increases throughput and occupies only a fraction of the floor space of conventional scanners
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Judge allows E-Verify rule to go into effect
The U.S. District Court for Maryland denied an injunction for another delay to five industry groups that are appealing the court’s earlier decision to allow implementation of the rule to go forward
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Improving inspections of agricultural products
Agricultural goods crossing into the United States are subject to Agricultural Quarantine Inspection (AQI) by DHS’s Customs and Border Protection (CBP); current practices call for inspecting 2 percent of the items in a container; a new study says that applying decision-making theory to inspections would improve them and make them more effective
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GAO: More technology can improve security along Southwest border
New GAO report notes that whenever a specific checkpoint received additional resources or personnel, officials typically would see a spike in the number of seizures and apprehensions, followed by a gradual decline as smugglers and criminals looked for a less secure point of entry into the United States
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Businesses seek to delay implementation of E-Verify
A business coalition files suit to prevent DHS from implementing E-verify as of next Tuesday; E-Verify would require federal contractors to verify the legal status of their workers
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U.S., Mexico in public security communications network agreement
U.S. and Mexico sign agreement to build public security communications network; the new network will allow participating public safety organizations to coordinate incident response
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Immigration reform without Kennedy
Kennedy dramatically changed the U.S. immigration system with the Immigration Act of 1965, which eliminated the quota system and allowed immigration from Latin America and Asia to increase substantially
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Mexico's Ciudad Juarez is the world's most violent city
With 130 murders for every 100,000 residents per year on average last year, Ciudad Juarez, a manufacturing city of 1.6 million people across from El Paso, Texas, is more violent than any other city in the world
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Hutchison skeptical of U.S.-Mexico border fence
Growing debate in Republican Party circles about the fence along the U.S.-Mexico border; in addition to the effectiveness of a fence in stopping illegal immigration, many point to the cost: the project could cost up to $60 billion over the next 25 years, and involve government seizure of private property
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How effective is CBP in keeping U.S. borders safe?
According to DHS, the vast majority — more than 70 percent — of illegal aliens and contraband attempting to move across our border through official ports of entry will succeed
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Protecting information at border crossings
DHS reasserted its right to search, even without a cause, laptops at border crossings; travelers may want to make sure their data are safe
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Pilot argues TSA is needlessly obsessive with airline security
A pilot argues that TSA’s obsession with the improbable repetition of a 9/11-like attack has left the U.S. commercial aviation more vulnerable to terrorism; rather than worry about box cutters, he says, TSA should scan more baggage for explosives
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Laptops at border crossings may be searched without probable cause
DHS formalized policy regarding searches of electronic devices and media at border crossings; such searches may be conducted without suspicion or probable cause
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TSA awards private screening contract airports in Montana
TSA has selected Trinity Technology Group of Fairfax, Virginia., as the private screening contractor for seven airports in Montana under the Screening Partnership Program (SPP); the 5-year contract is worth $10,947,820
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Earmarks work their way into the stimulus package budget
Whitetail, Montana, an unincorporated town with a population of 71, sits on the U.S.-Canada border; the Whitetail border checkpoint sees about three travelers a day; still, the sleepy checkpoint received $15 million under President Barack Obama’s economic stimulus plan; critics wants to know why
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