Sep 1, 2026 · 1 hr 10 min · 12 segments
Reacting in the middle of one nightmare, the U.S. government created another — an apparatus that in the wrong hands has become one of the most terrifying tools in the history of the country.
Garrett GraffHost
Michael ChertoffGuest
Deborah FlyshakerGuest
Gil KerlikowskeGuest
Sergio OlmosGuest
Ashley YoungGuest
In the wake of September 11th, Congress and the White House considered a large-scale reorganization of the government bureaucracy.
It was meant to better protect what people had started to call homeland security.
Chief among the targets for reform was how the government handled immigration and border security.
Particularly on the right, immigrants were seen as having a negative impact on the economy and American jobs.
Some Republican politicians seized the moment of fear after 9-11 to warn of how terrorists could flock across America's uncontrolled borders to attack us again.
We have porous borders through which people can come and do come who wish to do us harm.
This is absolutely critical that we reform the immigration laws of this country if we want to protect the national security of the American people.
I don't want them in this nation to begin with, the people who are here to do us harm.
I don't want them getting across the border.
Under pressure to control the border and centralize intelligence and security, George W. Bush signed the Homeland Security Act into law in November of 2002.
We're showing the resolve of this great nation to defend our freedom, our security, and our way of life.
The Department of Homeland Security consolidated 22 federal agencies under one cabinet-level banner.
It would prevent future terror attacks, secure the borders, manage immigration, and coordinate disaster response.
The bill replaced the Immigration and Naturalization Service, or INS, which had been seen as ineffective even before 9-11.
Contrary to political rhetoric at the time and since, all 19 9-11 hijackers had come to the U.S. legally, arriving at U.S. airports on commercial flights from overseas.
As part of the Homeland Security Act, INS was dismantled and its duties were shuffled into three new agencies.
Citizenship and Immigration Services, or USCIS, which would handle lawful immigration and naturalization.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection, or CBP, which would manage America's borders and enforce immigration laws.
And U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, which would conduct smuggling investigations and remove people who were in the country illegally.
No longer would we ask for the world's tired, huddled masses yearning to breathe free.
Amid the atmosphere of fear after 9-11, immigration would be viewed first and foremost as a security issue.
In the wake of September 11th, Congress and the White House considered a large-scale reorganization of the government bureaucracy.
It was meant to better protect what people had started to call homeland security.
Chief among the targets for reform was how the government handled immigration and border security.
Particularly on the right, immigrants were seen as having a negative impact on the economy and American jobs.
Some Republican politicians seized the moment of fear after 9-11 to warn of how terrorists could flock across America's uncontrolled borders to attack us again.
We have porous borders through which people can come and do come who wish to do us harm.
This is absolutely critical that we reform the immigration laws of this country if we want to protect the national security of the American people.
I don't want them in this nation to begin with, the people who are here to do us harm.
I don't want them getting across the border.
Under pressure to control the border and centralize intelligence and security, George W. Bush signed the Homeland Security Act into law in November of 2002.
We're showing the resolve of this great nation to defend our freedom, our security, and our way of life.
The Department of Homeland Security consolidated 22 federal agencies under one cabinet-level banner.
It would prevent future terror attacks, secure the borders, manage immigration, and coordinate disaster response.
The bill replaced the Immigration and Naturalization Service, or INS, which had been seen as ineffective even before 9-11.
Contrary to political rhetoric at the time and since, all 19 9-11 hijackers had come to the U.S. legally, arriving at U.S. airports on commercial flights from overseas.
As part of the Homeland Security Act, INS was dismantled and its duties were shuffled into three new agencies.
Citizenship and Immigration Services, or USCIS, which would handle lawful immigration and naturalization.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection, or CBP, which would manage America's borders and enforce immigration laws.
And U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, which would conduct smuggling investigations and remove people who were in the country illegally.
No longer would we ask for the world's tired, huddled masses yearning to breathe free.
Amid the atmosphere of fear after 9-11, immigration would be viewed first and foremost as a security issue.
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