On January 26, 2012, I attended an exclusive, "off the record dinner for Florida business and community leaders to discuss the growing global national security and economic challenges our country faces today." The guest speaker was none other than the first Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Tom Ridge. I was fascinated by what I heard from Secretary Ridge.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a February 22, 2011 60-Day Notice and Request for Comments regarding its use of a "Notice of Detention". I know, a lot of you are saying to yourselves, "When did CBP starting using Notices of Detention," and my response to you is "That's a darn good question!"
Every year, the numerous agencies of the United States Government send out letters to companies putting them on notice that the company is suspected of committing some serious violation. Usually, the letter or notice demands a written response within 30 days or the company will be subject to a penalty or fine. Knowing how to handle such letters, notices, or subpoenas is critical in terminating the investigation successfully, not paying a huge penalty, and even avoiding criminal prosecution.
On February 1, 2010, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced that the Department's budget for fiscal year 2011 would be $56 billion. This was the first time for the Democratic Obama Administration to formally unveil its budget priorities after taking over from the Republican Bush Administration. Guess what - it's more of the same.