Subcommittee Chairmen Guest, Pfluger Open Joint Hearing on Northern Border Security

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement Chairman Michael Guest (R-MS) and Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence Chairman August Pfluger (R-TX) delivered the following opening statements in a hearing on the unique security challenges posed by the Northern border, including its vast geography, remote terrain, and persistent personnel, technology, and infrastructure gaps.

Watch Subcommittee Chairman Guest's opening statement.

As prepared for delivery:

As one of the largest land border in the world, spanning nearly 4,000 contiguous miles, the U.S. border with Canada stretches across dense forests, rugged mountains, and more than 2,000 miles of waterways, including the Great Lakes. Naturally, this diverse terrain provides unique security challenges for the Department of Homeland Security.

Some of the trends we will discuss today can in part be attributed to the level of security President Trump and his administration have achieved at the Southwest border.

The sustained decline in illegal crossings and apprehensions over the past year and a half are unlike anything we have seen in three decades. In May, the U.S. Border Patrol apprehensions along the Southwest Border were 94% lower than the monthly average of the Biden-Harris administration.

But, as illegal crossings have declined, transnational criminal organizations have been forced to shift away from their traditional smuggling routes. The cartels exploit vulnerabilities wherever they may exist. They take advantage of potential security gaps that allow them to traffic illegal drugs, and smuggle humans, weapons, or other contraband. We cannot allow the Northern border to become the next preferred corridor for these criminal networks. And yet, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data has shown that over the last year, illegal crossings have begun to shift north.

While overall encounters at the Northern border have dropped, when compared with overall nationwide encounters--the percent of encounters at the Northern border have more than doubled since FY23. Likewise, drug seizures at the Northern border have steadily increased, reaching record levels this year.

Over the last five fiscal years, CBP has also encountered over 1,500 individuals on the Terrorist Screening Dataset (TSDS). These individuals have attempted to cross the Northern border at and between ports of entry. These trends underscore an important reality: Although the Northern border presents a different threat profile than the Southwest border, it remains a national security concern.

As such, security along the Northern border has improved considerably over the past decade. The Department of Homeland Security has deployed additional surveillance capabilities, strengthened Air and Marine Operations, enhanced intelligence gathering and sharing, and increased coordination with Homeland Security Investigations and other federal, state, local, and tribal partners. These investments have improved situational awareness across one of the world's longest international borders.

Even with these investments significant challenges remain, and Congress has a continued responsibility to ensure that border security is guided by measurable performance, modern technology, and a comprehensive strategy that addresses threats across all domains.

Today's hearing provides an opportunity to examine where progress has been made, identify the gaps that remain, and determine what additional, authorities, resources, and oversight are necessary to continue securing the Northern border.

As criminal organizations adapt, so too must the United States government. Congress must ensure that federal law enforcement agencies and its partners have the personnel, infrastructure, and technology necessary to protect our Northern border and safeguard the American people.

Thank you to our witnesses for being here today and I look forward to our productive discussion and continued partnership.

Watch Subcommittee Chairman Pfluger's opening statement.

As prepared for delivery:

For those of us who come from border states, the consequences of insecure borders are not theoretical, they are a lived reality. In Texas, under the Biden administration, these consequences were unmistakable. When the federal government fails to uphold basic enforcement responsibilities, communities bear the brunt. That is exactly what happened in my state. Public safety deteriorates, law enforcement is pushed past operational limits, and national security vulnerabilities expand in ways Washington should never have allowed.

As we assess the challenges before us, Congress must broaden its focus to include the counterterrorism vulnerabilities emerging along the Northern border. For years, the Southwest border has demanded urgent attention--rightly so. But today, we are seeing a troubling shift: Individuals of concern, including those appearing on the Terrorist Watchlist, are increasingly attempting to reach the United States through Canada. This trend requires us to examine not only illegal crossings, but the broader counterterrorism landscape that dangerous actors may seek to exploit.

Amid major international events taking place this summer, including the World Cup happening right now, the stakes are even higher. Larger scale global gatherings--especially those with a cross-border nexus--create attractive targets for hostile actors. It is imperative that we strengthen our posture and close gaps that could be exploited during periods of heightened international attention and events.

We know that terrorist organizations rely on complex methods to move people, money, and prohibited materials across borders. Yet our current posture does not fully account for how these methods intersect with vulnerabilities along the Northern border.

We must deepen our understanding of the cross border facilitation networks that enable illicit movement--including those tied to criminal smuggling pipelines--and confront the online extremist ecosystems that fuel radicalization and recruitment. Combined with differing immigration postures between the U.S. and Canada, cross-border travel demonstrates increasing risk that we must be prepared to preempt at border crossings.

We must also strengthen defenses against prohibited materials, from chemical and biological attacks to radiological and nuclear. Although the White House's counterterrorism strategy prioritizes preventing terrorist access to such materials, Northern border interdiction remains uneven. Likewise, cross border financial flows--including illicit finance and money laundering--must be more rigorously monitored to prevent funds from supporting terrorism.

Today's hearing is about being proactive. It is about recognizing emerging threats, acknowledging where our defenses fall short, and ensuring that federal law enforcement has the support, coordination, and resources needed to keep our country safe. As cartels, transnational criminal organizations, and violent extremist groups look North for new pathways to exploit, we must ensure that the Northern border is prepared for the challenges ahead.

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