A joint report by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) details that as cases of domestic terrorism continue in the United States, lone offenders pose the greatest threat to national security.

During National Police Week, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed several law enforcement related bills. The full Senate also passed a resolution recognizing law enforcement and fallen officers introduced by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and cosponsored by all 99 other U.S. Senators. In both the House of Representatives and the Senate, law enforcement legislation was also introduced.

This week, from May 9-May 15, 2021, is National Police Week. National Police Week, along with Peace Officers Memorial Day, which is on May 15th every year, was started by President John F. Kennedy in 1962 and honors law enforcement officers who lost their lives or were disabled in the line of duty. President Joe Biden issued a proclamation on May 7, 2021 regarding Peace Officers Memorial Day and Police Week 2021.

President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Wednesday to improve national cybersecurity in an effort to combat future cyberattacks. The order follows the SolarWinds and Microsoft Exchange cyberattacks impacting federal agencies as well as the recent Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack that caused states of emergency in several states.

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas recently announced the creation of a new Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3) that aims to combat terrorism and other forms of targeted violence.

In a House Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation and Marine Security hearing on May 4, Democrats urged their colleagues to support legislation that would extend Title 5 employment protections to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screeners.

The Biden administration is launching a new inter-agency operation, dubbed Operation Sentinel, targeting transnational criminal human smuggling organizations against the backdrop of Border Patrol locating 250 migrants who died during their journey in Fiscal Year 2020.

In a May 5, 2021 letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, Senator Rob Portman (R-OH), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs, and Representative John Katko (R-NY), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, expressed their concerns with the increased number of targeted attacks on federal law enforcement officers and federal facilities.

Today, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued guidance to agencies on COVID-19 Emergency Paid Leave, which was authorized in March when Congress approved the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

All federal employee official travel, including for those who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, remains limited to travel that is mission critical, according to recently updated Safer Federal Workforce Task Force guidance.

Last week, a bipartisan group of Senators and House members unveiled The Bipartisan Border Solutions Act intended to “respond to the surge in migrants coming across our southern border.” The bill comes after Customs and Border Protection (CBP) apprehended more than 170,000 people at the U.S.-Mexico border in March, the highest number in at least 15 years.

U.S. Capitol Police Inspector General Michael Bolton testified before the House Administration Committee on the IG’s 104 page report, “Review of the Events Surrounding the January 6, 2021, Takeover of the U.S. Capitol.”

Public Service Recognition Week (PSRW) is coming up from May 2 to 8, 2021. The theme is #GovPossible to highlight the work of public servants across all levels of government.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is making changes to the Federal Flexible Spending Account Program (FSAFEDS) based on provisions in the FY 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), as well as Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Notice 2021-15.

On April 9, 2021, President Joe Biden released his administration’s FY 2022 budget proposal, which included the smallest funding increases for the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Justice.

On April 12, 2021, President Joe Biden announced his nominations to fill top posts in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The administration has also made changes to the DHS advisory board as pressure builds to handle the influx of migrants to the southern border.

On April 8, 2021, President Joe Biden announced six executive actions in an effort to curb gun violence. President Biden highlighted the urgency of this issue in a speech saying, “Today we're taking steps to confront not just the gun crisis but what is actually a public health crisis."

Secretary of Homeland Security Alexander Mayorkas recently announced the progress of Operation Vaccinate Our Workforce (VOW), which has vaccinated over 58,000 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employees.

A new report from the United States Sentencing Commission analyzes the 64,659 federal criminal cases in which the offender was sentenced in fiscal year 2020.

On March 25, 2021, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued an urgent memorandum for current GS-9 to GS-15 federal employees to volunteer for 120-day details to the southern border. The number of unaccompanied children at the southern border of the United States has increased significantly since the beginning of 2021, causing the Biden administration to request additional support to care for and place the unaccompanied children.