After six months as Acting Secretary of Homeland Security, Kevin McAleenan submitted his resignation. Photo courtesy of Associated Press
On October 11, Kevin McAleenan, the acting United States Secretary of Homeland Security, announced his intention to resign. After two of President Donald J. Trump P ’00’s top choices to fill the position were deemed unqualified, Trump and his administration have struggled to find an eligible candidate to replace McAleenan. Trump’s top picks lacked bipartisan support from the Senate for confirmation and are largely thought to have been chosen because of their loyalty to the president’s immigration policies.
To break the deadlock and make sure the Department of Homeland Security can efficiently and effectively carry out its task of protecting American citizens, Trump must nominate someone who is well-experienced and will have bipartisan support rather than play a political game that seeks only to ensure the continuation of his border patrol policies.
Trump’s next pick to be Secretary of Homeland Security must be able to autonomously operate the Department of Homeland Security without giving into Trump’s political and moral biases. The best candidate for this dynamic government position should be someone with a background in military operations, knowledge of the modern-day shift in technological warfare, a lack of political biases, and a set of morals that will push the Secretary to uphold the security and safety of our great nation.
The Department of Homeland Security was created by President George W. Bush in 2003, as a response to the attacks of 9/11, primarily to combat domestic terrorism and targeted violence on American soil. However, the department was recently scrutinized for the time and attention it has given to the strict border policies of President Trump rather than domestic terror threats.
While illegal immigration is an important issue, the rise in domestic terrorism and the lack of effective response has been alarming. For example, responses to the El Paso shooting and the Pittsburgh Tree of Life shooting were minimal, and these tragedies could have been prevented with better understanding of, and preparation against, these types of attacks.
Therefore, the Department of Homeland Security should initiate and develop stronger relationships with local and state authorities to enable more proactive targeting of domestic terror threats at their source.
Federal law enforcement officials have said that because committing acts of domestic terror lacks specific legal penalties, they do not have the tools and resources needed to stop domestic terror threats. Implementing and enforcing laws that specifically target domestic terrorism would enable local authorities to access and utilize the resources necessary to combat acts, or threats, of domestic terror.
The Department of Homeland Security’s recently announced Strategic Framework for Countering Terrorism and Targeted Violence is a step in the right direction, but appointing a Secretary who is committed to actively seeking and destroying all potential signs and threats of domestic terrorism is crucial to the protection of our country.
For example, capturing a lone domestic terrorist seeking to do harm independently and not as a part of an organization would be extremely difficult. However, with multi-departmental intelligence collection efforts and cooperation with local communities and governments to detect potential terror threats before they become operational, will serve as a much better plan for total prevention, not just minimization, of independent domestic terrorism.
While border patrol is crucial for homeland security, the department must not neglect its other duties to the American people. The coalition of our legal, administrative, and law enforcement systems that fight for national security must function together and execute plans to prevent formations of and attacks by domestic terrorists.
