Collins, Peters Bipartisan Bill to Establish Center to Coordinate Northern Border Security Passes Senate

Washington, D.C. – Bipartisan legislation authored by U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Gary Peters (D-MI) to further expand the operations and duties of the Northern Border Coordination Center has passed the Senate. The Northern Border Coordination Act would require DHS to establish the Northern Border Coordination Center, to be collocated with an existing U.S. Border Patrol sector headquarters, the U.S. Border Patrol Northern Border Coordination Center, an Air and Marine Operations Branch, and a U.S. Coast Guard air station, and other existing DHS activities. The center will serve as a coordination mechanism for implementing, evaluating, and updating the Northern Border Strategy, and any successor strategy. The bill now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration.     

“The Northern Border Coordination Center established by this bipartisan bill will support border operations and enhance domain awareness with the shared goal of keeping Maine safe and secure,” said Senator Collins. “This legislation is a valuable step forward in assessing and prioritizing the efforts on the ground at our Northern Border.” 

“The Northern Border Coordination Center will ensure that the Department of Homeland Security remains focused on the unique security needs of our nation’s Northern Border in addition to their other critical national security missions,” said Senator Peters. “Along with the funding I secured to launch the center earlier this year, this legislation will further cement the center’s role in coordinating border security efforts, supporting personnel training and conducting testing for new border security technologies. Most importantly, the center builds on the vital role that Selfridge Air National Guard Base plays in protecting our nation and will help support the base’s success in the future.” 

The center, to be collocated with existing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) components at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Michigan, will help improve coordination across DHS and with state, local, and Tribal governments, and other key stakeholders, to ensure DHS and its operational components are able to fulfill their security mission at the Northern Border. The bill also requires the center to serve as a training location, act as a testing ground for border security technology, and support counter-unmanned aircraft systems along the Northern Border.

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