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DHS announces pilot projects using artificial intelligence to identify fentanyl, child exploitation

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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has a plan to utilize artificial intelligence (AI) in testing three pilot projects. Among them are for identifying fentanyl and addressing child sexual exploitation. Testing will be conducted in collaboration with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas made the announcement Monday. “The unprecedented speed and potential of AI’s development and adoption presents both enormous opportunities to advance our mission and risks we must mitigate” said the secretary.

“The use of AI to interdict narcotics and to combat child sex trafficking has merit, but it should used as a tool to augment efforts to secure our borders and prevent the cartels from bringing drugs into the country and exploiting children, said Ira Mehlman, media director at The Federation for American Immigration Reform. “It is not a substitute for real border enforcement,” he added.

The Foreign Desk reports:

The plan outlines that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) must guarantee that its implementation of AI prioritizes the full respect of privacy and civil rights. It emphasizes thorough testing to prevent bias, privacy violations, and other potential risks. Additionally, the roadmap encourages the agency to advance national AI safety and security efforts, such as safeguarding American cyber networks and critical infrastructure…

 …The plan outlines that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will lead in forming robust partnerships with the private sector, local governments, and research institutions. The AI strategy is an extension of DHS’s recent announcement to recruit 50 experts in AI technology. The department plans to employ AI models such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT to aid in implementing the new tests. Additionally, it has forged partnerships with Anthropic, Meta, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon as it initiates the pilot programs.

FEMA’s plans include using AI to assist communities in “strategizing and crafting mitigation plans to bolster resilience and reduce potential risks. Meanwhile, USCIS intends to employ AI to enhance the training of immigration officers.”

 

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Immigration

Morale Surges Among Border Authorities Following Trump’s Election, Tom Homan’s Appointment as ‘Border Czar’

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The election of President-elect Donald Trump has sparked a notable rise in morale among U.S. border authorities, who view Trump’s commitment to border security as a turning point after years of relaxed immigration policies. Following four years that saw record numbers of migrants entering the United States, Trump’s election on promises of border security and mass deportations has revived a sense of optimism within the ranks of Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

On Monday, Trump tapped Tom Homan, the former acting director of ICE and a respected figure among border authorities, as his administration’s “border czar.” Homan, who has been a vocal critic of the Biden administration’s immigration policies, expressed his determination to address the border crisis. Appearing on Fox & Friends, Homan said, “I’ve been on this network for years complaining about what this administration did to this border… So when the president asked me, ‘Would you come back and fix it?’ Of course, I’d be a hypocrite if I didn’t.”

Under President Biden, illegal border crossings surged to nearly 3 million in fiscal 2024, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Since fiscal 2021, there have been over 10.8 million encounters involving illegal immigrants at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Homan has publicly backed Trump’s plan for mass deportations, emphasizing that public safety and national security threats would be prioritized. When asked in a recent 60 Minutes interview if these deportations would lead to family separations, Homan responded that “families can be deported together.”

For many border officials, Homan’s appointment and Trump’s election represent a long-awaited return to policies they believe are essential to restoring border security. National Border Patrol Council President Paul Perez noted, “The morale is through the roof… We’ve received hundreds of calls, texts, emails just saying how happy the agents are.”

“Troops are finally feeling like the sun is coming out after a very long storm,” said one ICE officer in Massachusetts, while an ICE officer in New York described morale as “super high, especially with the Homan news.” An Arizona Border Patrol agent added, “Ecstatic to go to work! Morale is even higher than the first time he won.”

The morale boost has even impacted retirement plans for some border agents. “There are a lot of agents that had originally said that they would retire if President Trump did not win,” Perez said. “Now those same agents are saying they’re going to hold back on their retirement because they want to serve under this administration again.”

A California border agent shared that “nothing will change until Tom Homan takes the leash off us,” while a Texas border agent commented on the renewed enthusiasm: “People who were going to retire are not, and everyone is happy.” Another senior ICE official expressed satisfaction, saying, “People know now they will get to do the work they signed up to do… They know they can get the bad guys now. Public safety threats, national security threats, gang members—here we come.”

Officials also expressed relief at the prospect of no longer being required to use politically correct language, such as referring to illegal immigrants as “noncitizens.”

 

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