Homeland Security Bill Signed into Law
Posted Dec 06, 2002

For the past six months, the MurthyBulletin has reported on the possibility of the creation of a Department of Homeland Security. Available on MurthyDotCom, our articles on this topic include Bush Proposes Department of Homeland Security from June 14, 2002 and from, October 8, 2002, What Happens if INS No Longer Exists?. On November 25, 2002, President Bush finally signed the Homeland Security Act of 2002 into law, ensuring that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will move from the realm of speculation into reality over the coming months and years.

Upon signing the Bill, President Bush remarked that DHS "will analyze threats, guard our borders and airports, protect our critical infrastructure, and coordinate the response of our nation for future emergencies. DHS will focus the full resources of the American government on the safety of the American people." To the union representatives in attendance, the President vowed that the new department will ensure unions are treated fairly and he praised the federal workers who will be "on the front line of protecting America."

DHS is anticipated to employ nearly 170,000 workers. As expected, Tom Ridge, former Governor of Pennsylvania and the Homeland Security Advisor for over a year, has been nominated as the first Secretary of Homeland Security. The current Secretary of the Navy, Gordon England, will be nominated as the Deputy Secretary of the new department. Asa Hutchinson, currently the Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration, will be nominated as the Under Secretary for Border and Transportation Security. These latter nominations show that the President considers defense the primary goal of DHS even though the new Department will also encompass the immigration services division.

More information on the President's Plan to implement the DHS is contained in our article, President Releases Reorganization Plan. Major changes are on the horizon for immigrants and their attorneys. Watch the MurthyBulletin and MurthyDotCom for reports on this developing area as information becomes available.