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Securing and managing our borders have been priority mission areas for DHS since its creation. The United States shares 7,500 miles of land border with Canada and Mexico, as well as rivers, lakes and coastal waters along both borders.
In addition, our international airports receive international flights, serving as the primary entry point into the United States for large volumes of travelers and commercial goods. Land, sea, and air borders are important economic gateways that account for trillions of dollars in trade and travel each year and are found in many of our nation’s largest cities and are integral parts of many American communities.
Protecting our borders from the illicit movement of weapons, drugs, contraband, and people, while promoting lawful entry and exit, and lawful trade, is essential to homeland security, economic prosperity, and national sovereignty.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), a DHS component, is one of the world's largest law enforcement organizations and the United States’ first unified border agency. CBP applies a comprehensive approach to border management and control, combining customs, immigration, border security, and agricultural protection into one coordinated and supportive activity.
Other component agencies like U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Coast Guard protect our borders from the illicit movement of weapons, drugs, contraband, and people, while promoting lawful entry and exit, and lawful trade, is essential to homeland security, economic prosperity, and national sovereignty. The Federal Emergency Management Agency provides support for processing and provides resources to local governments.
In February 2022, the Department of Homeland Security announced the creation of the Southwest Border Coordination Center (SBCC), which leads the planning and coordinating of a whole-of-government response to the anticipated increase in border encounters.
Information on Immigration Laws, Lawful Pathways, and Border Enforcement can be
found here
and are detailed below.
Enabling fair, competitive and compliant trade and enforcing U.S. laws to ensure safety, prosperity and economic security for the American people are a priority for DHS.  On a typical day, DHS monitors and operates 328 U.S. ports of entry that screen cargo and passengers arriving by air, land, and sea; and vehicles entering the U.S. through our land ports of entry. In doing so, DHS every day will inspect and clear 91,065 truck, rail, and sea containers, and 10,572 shipments of goods, collecting more than $306 million in duty, taxes, and fees. On a daily basis, DHS seizes $8.2 million worth of goods for intellectual property rights violations.
More than a million times each day, DHS welcomes international travelers into the U.S. In screening foreign visitors, returning U.S. citizens, and Lawful Permanent Residents, DHS agencies use a variety of techniques to assure that global tourism remains safe and strong.  Among those, DHS pre-screens 263,000 passengers on international flights that fly into, out of, within, or over the United States.
Expanding Trusted Traveler Programs, like TSA Pre-Check, Global Entry, NEXUS, and SENTRI increases the ability to quickly facilitate known, low risk "trusted travelers" arriving in the United States. This makes it faster and easier for millions of visitors and business people to cross the border while allowing DHS Officers and Agents additional time to focus on higher risk, unknown travelers.
DHS makes our borders more secure through personnel, technology, and infrastructure. Using high-tech assets such as drones and manned aircraft for aerial surveillance, sensors on border barriers, radar, and autonomous surveillance towers allows DHS to increase capacity and effectiveness at the border.
U.S. Border Patrol agents, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and agriculture specialists, and Air and Marine Operations agents; along with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations Special Agents and Enforcement and Removal Operations personnel; and the U.S. Coast Guard protect America’s borders. These men and women prevent terrorists, drug traffickers, and illicit drugs from entering the United States while continuing their mission of seizing contraband and apprehending criminals and noncitizens who attempt to enter the United States without authorization or without documents sufficient for admission.
Through increases in staffing, including an additional 300 Border Patrol agents allocated for Fiscal Year 2023; construction of and continued investment in new technology and infrastructure, including autonomous surveillance towers, sensors, radar, and aerial assets; investments to modernize the ports of entry; and stronger partnerships and information sharing, we are creating a safer, more secure, and more efficient border environment.
Every day, DHS flies 225 hours and floats 79 hours in enforcement missions along our borders to disrupt the smuggling of weapons, drugs, and migrants.
Every day, DHS patrols more than 7,500 miles of our land borders with Canada and Mexico and more than 2,500 miles of coastal border.
Transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) continue to threaten the security of the homeland through illicit narcotics smuggling and other illegal activities. On a typical day, DHS seizes 1,797 pounds of illegal narcotics, which criminal networks primarily traffic through ports of entry. In Fiscal Year 2022, DHS seized more than 1.8 million pounds of narcotics and 14,700 pounds of fentanyl. In March 2023, DHS launched new operations for a coordinated surge effort to curtail the flow of illicit fentanyl smuggled into the United States, leading to 156 arrests and preventing over 5,600 pounds of fentanyl, over 3,500 pounds of methamphetamines, and nearly 1,000 pounds of cocaine from entering the United States in its first month. DHS counter-smuggling efforts leverage advanced analytics and intelligence capabilities at HSI and CBP, including investigative work and forward operating labs (FOL) at ports of entry.
Additional Information
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DHS measures the effectiveness of border security.
Measuring Effectiveness
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International commerce is critical to America’s economy, and the entire world.
Trade
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Trusted Traveler Programs provide modified screening for preapproved members and improves security by being more efficient during screenings at Ports of Entry.
Trusted Traveler Programs
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The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative requires all travelers to present a passport or other acceptable document that shows identity and citizenship when entering the United States.
Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative
April 10, 2026
Press Releases
PHOTO RELEASE: DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin Visits with Coast Guard Leadership and Personnel in Bipartisan Oregon Tour
April 9, 2026
Press Releases
Trump Administration Delivers 11 Straight Months of Zero Releases at the Border
April 8, 2026
Press Releases
CBP Arrests Five Fugitives in Five Days at Southern Border
Keywords
Border Security
02/19/2026