Homeland Security Gets Bad Progress Report

The massive federal agency created to protect the nation from another terrorist attack is poorly managed and has failed to adequately protect the U.S. border as well as remove dangerous criminal aliens from the country.

On the fourth anniversary of the Department of Homeland Security, the blanket agency in charge of preventing another terrorist attack, a lengthy Congressional investigative report details serious shortcomings that could easily leave the nation vulnerable to Islamic terrorists.

The 320-page â??Progress Reportâ? says the agency lacks a comprehensive strategy and integrated management system that limits its ability to carry out its responsibilitiesâ??such as reduce vulnerabilities and minimize damages from attacks–effectively.

Less than half of the departmentâ??s performance goals were met and many of the 180,000-member agencyâ??s problems involved illegal immigration. Among the agencyâ??s failures in this area is identifying border spots where people enter the country illegally, establishing an effective strategy to prevent human smuggling and removing illegal aliens with criminal records.

Just last month Homeland Securityâ??s Inspector General revealed that a power struggle between the two sub agenciesâ??the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)â??charged with intercepting terrorists in the U.S. has led to an appalling lack of cooperation that has left the country vulnerable to another deadly attack.

Cases and leads involving terrorist activities in the United States have actually been dropped because the FBI and ICE refuse to team up. Other domestic terrorism investigations have experienced major delays because the agencies wonâ??t cooperate with each other.

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