Michael Chertoff

9/1/2008 - BATON ROUGE, La. (AFPN) -- As Hurricane Gustav made landfall on the Gulf Coast, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security praised the men and women of the Air Force and the National Guard for their efforts during preparations for the storm.

Secretary Michael Chertoff said the services were especially useful to help evacuate people with medical needs, such as critical care patients, who would be unable to otherwise leave the area.

"It was really the Air National Guard and the Air Force who came to the rescue setting up an air bridge so we could fly people out on C-130s and C-17s," he said. "It was a real positive addition to the capabilities we have on the ground."    » read more »

August 4, 2008 -- "Today I congratulate the men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard on the 218th anniversary of the service. This year’s Coast Guard Day is a chance for me to join America’s Guardians in celebrating the service’s proud history and embracing its powerful future; I am honored to join Commandant Thad Allen today to commission the first national security cutter, the Bertholf, in its home port of Alameda, Calif.

The Bertholf is one of the most advanced military vessels in the world and will enable our response to America’s maritime needs well into the 21st century.    » read more »

House Homeland Security Committee must exercise oversight over DHS’s creation of militarized zones within the US

WASHINGTON, DC, 7/17/2008 – Today, when Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Michael Chertoff testifies before the House Homeland Security Committee, the American Civil Liberties Union calls on the committee to exercise vigorous oversight of the many DHS programs that endanger U.S. citizens’ privacy and civil liberties without increasing security. DHS’s unchecked detention and deportation powers have resulted in abusive interrogations of families with children at checkpoints, creation of militarized zones within the U.S. and widespread fear in immigrant communities facing natural disasters.    » read more »

June 25, 2008 -- "We are shocked and appalled to learn that Jesus Navarro Montes was recently released by a Mexican Judge. Navarro Montes is a suspect in the murder of Border Patrol Agent Luis Aguilar. Agent Aguilar was killed in a heinous act of violence on January 19 in the Yuma Sector, while attempting to stop two vehicles that illegally entered the country and were absconding into Mexico.

We are working with a determined Mexican Government, and our Department of Justice, to seek swift justice for the Aguilar murder. We have also assured Agent Aguilar’s family that every resource is being called upon in the relentless pursuit of justice.    » read more »

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 11, 2008 -- The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is working closely with states impacted from the recent severe storms and tornadoes as they assess damages. DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff has spoken with the governors of Oklahoma and Missouri, and both he and FEMA Administrator David Paulison are expected to travel to impacted areas on Tuesday, May 13. State and local resources currently are addressing the most immediate needs as federal resources support their efforts.    » read more »

April 11, 2008 -- (Remarks as Prepared) -- Chairman Leahy, Ranking Member Specter, and Members of the Committee:

Thank you for inviting me to appear before the Committee to discuss the Department's progress in securing our homeland and protecting the American people. At the outset, I'd like to thank the Committee for its past support of the Department and your continued guidance as we take aggressive steps to achieve our mission.

Michael Chertoff with George W. Bush: White House photo    » read more »

WASHINGTON (Wednesday, April 2, 2008) – The Senate Judiciary Committee today held a hearing on oversight of the Department of Homeland Security. Secretary Chertoff fielded questions from Senators about backlogs in naturalization applications at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the REAL ID Act, and immigration detention practices.

Senator Leahy and Secretary Chertoff are speaking before the oversight hearing: Photo courtesy Senator Leahy    » read more »

April 1, 2008 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced today its intent to issue two waivers of certain laws to expedite security improvements at the southwest border. Congress gave the Secretary of Homeland Security authority to waive all legal requirements necessary to expeditiously install additional physical barriers and roads at the border to deter illegal activity.

CBP Border Patrol agent does a pat down of a Mexican being returned to Mexico: Photo by Gerald L. Nino    » read more »

March 5, 2008 -- (Remarks as Prepared)

Chairman Conyers, Ranking Member Smith, and Members of the Committee:

Thank you for inviting me to appear before the Committee to discuss the Department’s progress in securing our homeland and protecting the American people. At the outset, I’d like to thank the Committee for its past support of the Department and your continued guidance as we take aggressive steps to achieve our mission.    » read more »

February 4, 2008, Washington, D.C. -- Remarks by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff at a Press Conference Regarding President Bush’s FY 2009 Budget for the Department of Homeland Security:

Secretary Chertoff: Well, good afternoon, everybody. Welcome. You know, we’re getting into the fourth and final year of the administration, but as those of us who remember last night recall, sometimes the most interesting stuff happens in the fourth quarter.    » read more »

Regional Cooperation Among Agencies Will Serve as National Model

February 1, 2008 -- New York Governor Eliot Spitzer and United States Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff today announced $153.3 million in federal transit funding for New York State, a 56 percent increase in funding from 2007 levels. The funding this year is provided to New York by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) as part of the federal Transit Security Grant Program.    » read more »

January 8, 2008 -- Reno, NV – U.S. Senator Harry Reid of Nevada issued the following statement after receiving a personal phone call from the Secretary of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff, promising that the people of Fernley will get everything they need.    » read more »

December 20, 2007 -- "I am pleased that the Senate moved to confirm four key leaders at the department last night. Each of them has contributed significantly to the safety and security of our homeland and is integral to the continued maturation of the department.    » read more »

December 13, 2007 -- "In September, we filed a lawsuit in federal court to declare invalid an Illinois statute that effectively forbids Illinois employers from enrolling in the department’s E-Verify system. The statute was to become effective on January 1, 2008, but in papers filed with the court yesterday, the state agreed not to enforce it until the department’s lawsuit against the state is resolved. It also disclosed that the Illinois legislature is considering a bill to address the legal issues raised in the suit.    » read more »

November 19, 2007 -- "Fran Townsend has been a remarkable public servant for the past two decades. And, as a former federal prosecutor, Coast Guard Assistant Commandant for Intelligence, and most recently as Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, she understands from the ground up the security challenges that the nation faces every day.    » read more »