The House of Representatives passed bipartisan legislation Wednesday that would require the Department of Homeland Security to regularly assess threats along the U.S.-Canada border and update its northern border strategy when needed.
The Northern Border Security Enhancement and Review Act, sponsored by Rep. Nick Langworthy, passed by voice vote. The Western New York Republican's bill, H.R. 5517, now goes to the Senate for consideration.
The measure would require DHS to give Congress information needed to oversee the department's northern border strategy. It also would require U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Air and Marine Operations to establish performance measures for its work securing areas between ports of entry.
Langworthy said the northern border has not received sustained attention even as threats facing border communities have changed. He said recurring assessments and strategy updates would give Congress a clearer basis for holding DHS accountable.
“Protecting our northern border is just as important to our homeland security as the southern border, and we cannot afford to take it for granted,” Langworthy said in a statement announcing the House vote.
The United States shares more than 5,500 miles of border with Canada. According to figures cited in Langworthy's release, Border Patrol apprehensions between northern ports of entry increased from 916 in fiscal 2021 to more than 23,000 in fiscal 2024.
Langworthy also pointed to Government Accountability Office findings involving the Buffalo Sector. The congressman's office said Border Patrol participated in 170 drug-seizure events in that sector during fiscal 2024, nearly twice the number recorded a year earlier.
The provisions outlined by Langworthy focus on recurring threat reviews, updated planning, congressional oversight and measurable performance by the Air and Marine Operations unit.
The House Committee on Homeland Security considered H.R. 5517 in June, when it received bipartisan support. The legislation now awaits Senate consideration.
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