Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano will travel to Toledo, Spain, on Jan. 21, at the invitation of her Spanish colleague, Interior Minister Alfredo Rubalcaba, to meet with her European counterparts to discuss ways to bolster international security measures and standards for aviation security. She will then travel to Geneva, Switzerland, on Jan. 22 to meet with members of the International Air Transport Association.

New Zealand and the United States signed an agreement on January 8, 2010 to enhance cooperation in science and technology research to improve the shared capabilities of both nations to protect against acts of terrorism and other threats to domestic and external security.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today joined White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs and Assistant to the President for Counterterrorism and Homeland Security John Brennan to announce several recommendations DHS has made to the President for improving the technology and procedures used to protect air travel from acts of terrorism. Secretary Napolitano outlined five recommendations DHS will pursue to enhance the safety of the traveling public—developed as a result of the security reviews ordered by President Obama following the attempted terrorist attack on Dec. 25, 2009.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced that she is dispatching Deputy Secretary Jane Holl Lute, Assistant Secretary for Policy David Heyman and other senior Department officials on a broad international outreach effort to meet with leaders from major international airports in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and South America to review security procedures and technology being used to screen passengers on flights bound for the United States.

Statement by Department of Homeland Security Press Secretary Sara Kuban on the incident aboard today's Northwest flight 253 from Amsterdam to Detroit.

Statement of Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano on the Northwest Flight 253 incident.

Statement by Department of Homeland Security Press Secretary Sara Kuban on the incident aboard Northwest Airlines flight #253.

Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano applauded President Obama’s intent to nominate Vice Admiral Robert J. Papp, Jr., as Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Vice Admiral Papp would relieve Admiral Thad Allen in May 2010.

In order to ensure that the millions of Americans traveling this holiday season are not disrupted, DHS is extending the Dec. 31 REAL ID material compliance deadline

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano today highlighted the Department’s 2009 accomplishments in an address to employees—emphasizing the major steps the Department has taken this year to enhance America’s capabilities to guard against terrorism; secure the nation’s borders; engage in smart enforcement of our immigration laws; prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters; and unify and mature the Department and its 230,000-employee global workforce.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm today announced a first-of-its-kind federal-state cybersecurity partnership—deploying the federally-developed cybersecurity technology EINSTEIN 1 to Michigan's cyber networks.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Attorney General Eric Holder today announced two major steps in their efforts to implement reforms to enhance information sharing among federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies and safeguard sensitive information used by the government—designed to expand joint capabilities to protect the United States from terrorist activity, violent crime and other threats to the homeland.

The Department of Homeland Security has fully implemented recent legislation allowing USCIS to approve immigrant petitions for permanent resident status in the United States filed by or on behalf of widows and widowers of U.S. citizens and their unmarried children under 21 years old.

Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano announced the release of application guidance for the Transit Security Grant Program (TSGP) totaling an estimated $253 million—funds for state, local and territorial governments and private sector entities to strengthen the nation’s transportation infrastructure and protect the traveling public from acts of terrorism and other major disasters.

Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano announced the launch of a virtual job fair at www.dhs.gov/cyberjobfair to recruit cybersecurity experts—capitalizing on DHS’ recently acquired authority to recruit and hire up to 1,000 cybersecurity professionals across the Department over the next three years.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today officially launched Virtual USA, an innovative information-sharing initiative—developed in collaboration with the emergency response community and state and local governments across the nation—that helps federal, state, local and tribal first responders communicate during emergencies.

Secretary Janet Napolitano announced the creation of the Import Safety Commercial Targeting and Analysis Center (CTAC)—a new U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facility designed to streamline and enhance federal efforts to address import safety issues.

Secretary Napolitano announced the release of fiscal year 2010 grant application guidance kits for 13 DHS grant programs totaling more than $2.7 billion—funds for state, local, tribal and territorial governments and private sector entities to strengthen our nation’s ability to prevent, protect, respond to and recover from terrorist attacks, major disasters and other emergencies.

Secretary Napolitano and Mexican Secretary of Finance and Public Credit (SHCP) Agustín Carstens signed an updated and enhanced Declaration of Principles (DOP)—accomplishing the goals they outlined to create a joint United States-Mexico framework to improve security along the Southwest border and facilitate the flow of legitimate travel and trade.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano met with private sector leaders in the real estate, professional sports, media and financial industries during her visit to New York City this week to discuss the importance of protecting the nation's critical infrastructure and the shared responsibility of building a national culture of readiness and resiliency.