	Background

The United States shares nearly 4,000 miles of border with Canada  stretching from the Pacific to the Atlantic coasts, and the U.S.-Canadian  border is considered to be the world’s longest open border between two  nations. In addition to the 9/11 Act, for example, the Consolidated  Appropriations Act, 2008, directs DHS to prepare and submit a biennial  National Land Border Security Plan. DHS Report Is Not Fully Responsive to Congress in Providing Information for Improving Northern Border Security

While the DHS report to Congress discusses northern border  vulnerabilities and ongoing initiatives in place as required in law,  information is missing that identifies the extent that various vulnerabilities  remain unaddressed, and recommendations and resources to address  these security gaps. Also not  mentioned in the report is the timeline DHS is using to request and deploy  resources necessary to increase the levels of control of the northern  border. The absence of such information makes it difficult for Congress to  consider future action and resources needed on the northern border in the  context of other areas of national security. At the ports of entry, CBP reports that much technology is in place  to address vulnerabilities related to the transport of illegal radiological and  nuclear materials, illegal contraband, and misrepresentation of identity  through the use of fraudulent documents. Officials from  DHS component agencies provided several reasons this information was  missing from the report. CBP  officials stated that they supported the President’s budget and had nothing  further to recommend or request in the report to Congress. DHS Is Taking Action to Improve Northern Border Security, and Implementing Past GAO Recommendations Would Also Provide Benefit

DHS is developing strategic plans, a risk-management process, and new  initiatives that could change the level and mix of resources needed to  protect the northern border; however, most efforts were incomplete and  unavailable for our review. DHS action to fully implement these  recommendations would provide benefit in addressing northern border  vulnerabilities. DHS Is Developing Strategic Plans and a Risk- Management Process

DHS and CBP have reported the need to provide a coherent framework to  coordinate federal, state, local, and tribal northern border security efforts,  and are developing northern border strategic plans, as well as a risk- management process to further these goals. DHS Action to Implement Past GAO Recommendations Would Strengthen Northern Border Security

DHS has an opportunity to address some northern border vulnerabilities  by fully implementing recommendations made in past evaluations of its  security efforts. However, 39 recommendations from the 11 GAO reports are still open. In regard to the remaining 21 recommendations, DHS and other  agencies agreed to take action, but at least 1 and, in some cases, over 3  years have passed without full implementation. We believe that these outstanding  recommendations continue to have merit and should be implemented. Recommendation for Executive Action

To provide Congress with information that will facilitate policy  discussions and resource decisions for northern border security, we  recommend that for future reporting requirements the Secretary of  Homeland Security include more specific information on the actions,  resources, and time frame needed to improve security of the northern  border along with any attendant uncertainties, and the basis used to  prioritize action and resources for northern border security relative to  other areas of national security. DOJ  did not provide formal comments. Border Security: Opportunities to Increase Coordination of Air and  Marine Assets.
Why GAO Did This Study

Covering nearly 4,000 miles of land and water from Washington to Maine, the U.S.-Canadian border is the longest undefended border in the world. Various Department of Homeland Security (DHS) component agencies share responsibility for northern border security, primarily U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), in collaboration with other federal, state, local, tribal, and Canadian entities. The Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Act of 2007 required the Secretary of Homeland Security to submit a report to Congress that addresses the vulnerabilities along the northern border, and provides recommendations and required resources to address them. The act also required GAO to review and comment on this report. In response to this mandate, GAO examined (1) the extent to which the DHS report to Congress is responsive to the legislative requirements and (2) actions that may be necessary to address northern border vulnerabilities in addition to the actions addressed in the report. To conduct this work, GAO reviewed DHS plans, reports, and other documents, and interviewed DHS officials.

What GAO Found

The DHS February 2008 report to Congress is not fully responsive to legislative requirements in providing information for improving northern border security. In particular, DHS provided a listing of northern border vulnerabilities and initiatives to address them, but did not include recommendations and additional resources that are needed to protect the northern border. DHS officials provided several reasons for the lack of specificity and gaps in reported information, including the fact that the component agencies' priorities for action and resources are reflected in the existing budget process, and that they had nothing further to recommend or request through this report. However, budget documents do not reflect the resources needed over time to achieve control of the northern border. The lack of this information makes it difficult for Congress to consider future actions and resources needed. DHS is developing northern border strategic plans and a risk-management process to help guide and prioritize action and resources, and fully implementing recommendations from past GAO evaluations would also provide benefit in addressing northern border security vulnerabilities. DHS is currently developing strategic plans that are intended to provide overall direction in addressing vulnerabilities in northern border security. DHS is also developing a risk-management process to assist in prioritizing efforts and resources that will provide greatest benefit to national security. DHS officials have said that the success of various pilot projects, such as DHS's testing of new technology, will likely change the level and mix of resources needed to protect the northern border. In the meantime, DHS could take action to reduce vulnerabilities by implementing recommendations made in past evaluations. DHS has implemented 11 GAO recommendations designed to improve border security, but 39 recommendations are yet to be fully addressed. Eighteen of these open recommendations were made within the last year. However, 21 recommendations for improving use of air and marine assets, improving screening processes at the ports of entry, and deploying nuclear detection equipment--which DHS and other agencies generally agreed to take action to implement--have remained open for at least 1 year and, in some cases, over 3 years. GAO believes these outstanding recommendations continue to have merit and should be implemented.