jeh johnson

A federal judge has refused to dismiss a lawsuit that accuses two white U.S. Park Police officers of unlawfully detaining a black Secret Service agent.

After weeks of mounting pressure, the Trump administration finally reversed course on its cruel and unnecessary family separation practice. It’s important for us to keep in mind, however, just how low the bar has been set. We will still indefinitely be detaining families.

Baltimore's State's Attorney's Office now has two sets of rules: one for citizens and legal immigrants, and one for illegal immigrants. In an April 27 memorandum, Marilyn Mosby's office "instructed prosecutors to think twice before charging illegal immigrants with minor, non-violent crimes in response to stepped up immigration enforcement by the Trump administration."

Before the Department of Homeland Security presented Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski with an award Wednesday, the Secret Service put on a quick show for the outgoing lawmaker at its training campus in Beltsville.

By Ian Duncan

Oct 26, 2016

In Baltimore, a few days after the first reports of the increased enforcement around the U.S. started occurring on Jan. 6, Esperanza Center held a Know Your Rights event at St. Michael and Patrick's Church in collaboration with the ACLU of Maryland. The church was standing room only, with over 200 attendees. The tension and fear was palpable. Mothers held their children tightly. Everyone listened intently to try to grasp what was happening and what they should do.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to decide the legal fate of President Barack Obama's sweeping immigration program and rule on whether he has the power to offer "lawful presence" and a work permit to more than 4 million people living here illegally.

A state of unease approaching panic has set in for Central Americans living in the country illegally after the Obama administration announced this month it is targeting recent border crossers under a stepped up enforcement effort.

WASHINGTON -- Refugees from Syria undergo an "extraordinary thorough and comprehensive" screening process that is "multi-layered and intensive" senior officials in the Obama administration wrote to Gov. Larry Hogan in a letter this week.

By John Fritze

Nov 21, 2015

Tapping into heightened security fears after the Paris terror attacks, House Republicans — joined by Democrats — rebuffed President Obama on Thursday and overwhelmingly approved legislation that would effectively halt the resettlement of refugees from Syria and Iraq to the U.S.

With morale at the Department of Homeland Security continuing to fall in an annual survey of government workers, Secretary Jeh Johnson is vowing to improve the situation at the 240,000-person agency.

By Alison Knezevich

Oct 19, 2015

Maryland's largest jails are wrestling with a new Obama administration program to deport undocumented immigrants with criminal records, embracing some provisions but rejecting a central component that has drawn ire from immigration advocates.

By John Fritze

Aug 11, 2015

U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer said Friday that thorny questions need to be worked out for how to help federal workers affected by a data breach -- including what it will cost to provide credit monitoring and to fix the government's computer systems.

By Pamela Wood

Jul 24, 2015

City officials and police are gearing up for large downtown celebrations on July 4 that come amid a federal terror warning and increased violence in the city since the death of Freddie Gray.

A crucial labor pipeline for Maryland seafood businesses reopened Friday just in time for crab season, when the Department of Homeland Security promised as many as 6,000 more visas for foreign workers

By Lorraine Mirabella

Jun 5, 2015

As the Obama administration prepares to change the way it enforces immigration laws, top officials have been conducting weeks of shuttle diplomacy, touring the country to try to re-enlist police chiefs and mayors in the cause of deporting people convicted of crimes.

A pair of Cabinet secretaries made a pilgrimage to Silicon Valley last week, looking for insight and inspiration at the home of America's technology industry about how they can attract skilled youngsters to come and work at their departments.

By Ian Duncan

Apr 29, 2015

It will be the first major update to the Defense Department's strategy for cyber operations in four years, in which time computer security has become a more visible issue after major attacks on American businesses including Sony Picture Entertainment late last year.

By Ian Duncan

Apr 23, 2015

It's long past time to seal the border and to cease allowing immigrants from nations where terrorism thrives, says Cal Thomas.

Congress approved a one-week extension of funding for the Department of Homeland Security late Friday night, narrowly avoiding a midnight shutdown while setting up the possibility of another battle over immigration in coming days.

By John Fritze

Feb 27, 2015

WASHINGTON -- As the Department of Homeland Security braces for the possibility of a shutdown at the end of the week, Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin introduced legislation on Tuesday that would provide retroactive pay for any workers furloughed because of a lapse in funding.

Thousands of immigrants in Maryland will have to wait to apply for relief from deportation under the Obama administration's new executive actions after a federal court ruled that the president exceeded his authority, an outcome that is likely to lead to more court battles and partisan rancor on Capitol Hill.

A political brawl over funding the Department of Homeland Security is troubling local officials in Maryland, who rely on millions of dollars in grants from the agency to pay for firefighter gear, emergency planning and training.

By John Fritze

Feb 14, 2015

President Obama is due to roll out one of the most ambitious and controversial programs of his presidency: an effort to grant a reprieve from deportation for millions of adult immigrants living in the country illegally

WASHINGTON — Federal health officials told Congress on Wednesday that the Obama administration's request for $6.2 billion in emergency funding is critical to fighting the spread of Ebola in West Africa and there were indications the proposal could win broad bipartisan support.

By John Fritze

Nov 12, 2014

The federal government will run out of money to deal with the influx of Central American children crossing the U.S. border illegally this summer if lawmakers fail to approve $3.7 billion in emergency funds, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson told a Senate panel Thursday.

WASHINGTON — A policy unveiled by Gov. Martin O'Malley that was intended to reduce the number of non-criminal immigrants deported from the Baltimore jail is facing scrutiny from advocates who say it contains loopholes so large it will inevitably fall short of that goal.

Gov. Martin O'Malley announced today that the Baltimore City Detention Center will no longer automatically honor requests from the federal government to hold immigrants for deportation — making it one of a handful of jurisdictions in the country to take a more discerning approach on the issue.

Gov. Martin O'Malley said he intends to speak with the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security about a controversial federal program that appears to be deporting a high-share of immigrants without criminal records from Maryland.

Why is the agency so intent on going after undocumented immigrants who pose no threat to public safety or national security?

Gov. Martin O'Malley raised questions Tuesday about a controversial immigration program called Secure Communities and demanded the U.S. Department of Homeland Security explain why officials are deporting a higher share of non-criminals from Maryland than most other states.