Border Patrol headquarters officials stated that the 2012-2016 Strategic  Plan will rely on Border Patrol and federal, state, local, tribal, and  international partners working together to use a risk-based approach to  secure the border that uses the key elements of “Information, Integration,  and Rapid Response” to achieve Border Patrol strategic objectives. Obtaining Information Necessary for Border Security. Our prior work reviewing CBP’s efforts to deploy capabilities to,  among other things, provide situational awareness along U.S. borders  provides insights that could inform Border Patrol considerations in  implementing its new strategic plan. Our past work highlighted  the continuing challenges the agency faced implementing technology and  infrastructure at the U.S. land borders. DHS concurred with our  recommendation and reported that it planned to develop a set of  measures to assess the effectiveness and benefits of future  technology investments. In May 2010, we testified that CBP had not accounted  for the effect of its investment in border fencing and infrastructure on   Border fencing was designed to impede people on  border security. In a September 2009 report, we recommended  that CBP conduct an analysis of the effect of tactical infrastructure on  border security.with the Homeland Security Institute (HSI)—a federally funded  research and development center—to analyze the effect of tactical   CBP concurred and reported that it had contracted  infrastructure on the security of the border.had not provided an update on this effort. As of May 2012, CBP  Integrating Border Security Operations with Federal, State, Local,  Tribal, and International Partners. Leveraging the law enforcement  resources of federal, state, local, tribal, and international partners was a  key element of Border Patrol’s 2004 Strategy and Border Patrol’s  implementation of the strategy, on the northern and coastal borders  where Border Patrol had fewer resources relative to the size of the  geographic area, and on the southwest border where Border Patrol used  the assistance of law enforcement partners to conduct surge operations  in high-priority areas. Our prior work reviewing  coordination among various stakeholders with responsibilities for helping  to secure the border provides insights for consideration as Border Patrol  transitions to its new strategic plan. Further, we also reported that while Border Patrol and other  federal partners stated that federal agency coordination to secure the  northern border was improved, partners in all four sectors we visited cited  long-standing and ongoing challenges sharing information and resources  for daily border security related to operations and investigations. DHS officials stated that in January  2012 the department established an intercomponent Advisory Council to  address our recommendation that DHS provide oversight of compliance  with interagency agreements. DHS concurred with our recommendation  and has taken action to formulate new policy and guidance in associated  strategic planning efforts. Mobilizing a Rapid Response to Border Security Threats. Border Patrol Progress and Challenges in Achieving Its Strategic Goal for Border Security

The DHS goal and measure of operational control used in conjunction  with the 2004 Strategy provided oversight of five levels of border control  that were based on the increasing availability of information and  resources, which Border Patrol used to detect, respond, and interdict  illegal cross-border activity either at the border or after entry into the  United States (see table 1). DHS reported achieving operational control for 1,107 (13 percent) of  8,607 miles across U.S. northern, southwest, and coastal borders at the  time it discontinued use of this performance goal at the end of fiscal year  2010 (see fig. DHS transitioned from using operational control as its goal and outcome  measure for border security in its Fiscal Year 2010-2012 Annual  Performance Report, which since September 30, 2010, has reduced  information provided to Congress and the public on program results. Citing a need to establish a new border security goal and measure that  reflect a more quantitative methodology as well as the department’s  evolving vision for border control, DHS established an interim  performance measure until a new border control goal and measure could  be developed. As we previously testified, this interim GPRA measure— the number of apprehensions on the southwest border between the ports  of entry (POE)—is an output measure, which, while providing useful  information on activity levels, does not inform on program results and  therefore could reduce oversight and DHS accountability. However,  as these measures have not yet been implemented, it is too early to  assess them and determine how they will be used to provide oversight of  border security efforts. National Security: Key Challenges and Solutions to Strengthen  Interagency Collaboration.
Why GAO Did This Study

Border Patrol, within DHSs CBP, is the federal agency with primary responsibility for securing the national borders between the U.S. ports of entry (POE). DHS has completed a new 2012-2016 Border Patrol Strategic Plan (2012-2016 Strategic Plan) that Border Patrol officials stated will emphasize risk management instead of increased resources to achieve border security and continue to build on the foundation of the 2004 National Border Patrol Strategy (2004 Strategy). This statement highlights key issues from prior GAO reports that discuss Border Patrols progress and challenges in (1) implementing key elements of the 2004 Strategy and (2) achieving the 2004 strategic goal to gain operational control of the border. This statement is based on GAO reports issued since 2007 on border security, with selected updates from April and May 2012 on Border Patrol resource needs, actions taken to address prior GAO recommendations, and efforts to develop performance measures. To conduct these updates, GAO reviewed agency documents such as operational assessments and interviewed DHS officials.

What GAO Found

GAOs prior work has highlighted progress and challenges in various areas related to Border Patrols implementation of its 2004 National Strategy, which could provide insights as Border Patrol transitions to its 2012 Strategic Plan. Border Patrol officials stated that the 2012 Strategic Plan will rely on Border Patrol and federal, state, local, tribal, and international partners working together to use a risk-based approach to secure the border, and include the key elements of Information, Integration, and Rapid Response to achieve objectives. These elements were similar to those in the 2004 Strategy and GAOs past work highlighted the progress and challenges the agency faced obtaining information necessary for border security; integrating security operations with partners; and mobilizing a rapid response to security threats. Border Patrol successfully used interagency forums and joint operations to counter threats, but challenges included assessing the benefits of border technology and infrastructure to, among other things, provide information on situational awareness. For example, in May 2010 GAO reported that the Department of Homeland Securitys (DHS) U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) had not accounted for the effect of its investment in border fencing and infrastructure on security. GAO recommended that CBP conduct an analysis of the effect of tactical infrastructure on border security, with which CBP concurred. Further, GAO identified challenges in DHS efforts to coordinate with partners that help to secure the border. For example, in December 2010 GAO reported that various northern border security partners cited ongoing challenges sharing information and resources for border security operations and investigations, and that DHS did not have mechanisms for providing oversight. GAO recommended that DHS provide oversight, to which DHS concurred and stated that in January 2012 the department established an intercomponent Advisory Council to provide oversight of compliance with interagency agreements.
GAOs prior work showed that as of September 30, 2010, Border Patrol reported achieving its 2004 goal of operational controlwhere Border Patrol has the ability to detect and interdict illegal activityfor 1,107 (13 percent) of 8,607 miles across U.S. northern, southwest, and coastal borders. DHS transitioned at the end of fiscal year 2010 from using operational control as its goal and outcome measure for border security to using an interim measure of apprehensions on the southwest border. DHS reported that this interim measure would be used until such time as DHS developed a new goal and measure for border security that will reflect a more quantitative methodology across border locations and the agencys evolving view of border security. As GAO previously testified, this interim measure, while providing useful information on activity levels, is an output measure that does not inform on program results. Therefore, it limits oversight and accountability and has reduced information provided to Congress and the public on program results. DHS stated that it had several efforts underway to establish a new measure used to assess efforts to secure the border but as this measure is under development, it is too early to assess it.

What GAO Recommends

In prior reports, GAO made recommendations to, among other things, strengthen border security technology, infrastructure, and partnerships. DHS concurred with the recommendations and has reported actions planned or underway to address them. CBP reviewed a draft of information contained in this statement and provided comments that GAO incorporated as appropriate.