WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) are expressing concern over the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) lack of progress on the Northern Border Mission Center. The Center, which was created by bipartisan legislation authored by Peters, will ensure that DHS and its operational components can effectively carry out their security responsibilities along the Northern Border. Peters also secured $3 million to establish and operate the Center at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Michigan. In a letter, the senators urge Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to prioritize the Center and ensure it is fully utilized to strengthen Northern Border security.
“We write to you as Senators representing Northern Border states to discuss the importance of the Department of Homeland Security Northern Border Mission Center,” wrote the senators. “While we appreciate your commitments to working on building out the Center, we fear that the Department has not provided adequate attention to this requirement and ask that you direct DHS and its components to fully build out the Center to help secure our Northern Border.”
The senators continued: “As you are well aware, DHS and its components face evolving challenges along our borders, from illicit cross-border use of drones to drug trafficking. The Northern Border is 5,525 miles and ranges from urban to rural, mountains to Great Lakes, and other factors that make it a complex operating environment for DHS.”
“The Center was authorized to address these very challenges,” concluded the senators. “Through these efforts, the Center will enhance situational awareness at the Northern Border by ensuring there are personnel and activities dedicated to the Northern Border.”
The Northern Border Mission Center will serve as a training location for DHS personnel and act as a testing ground for border security technology. The Center will coordinate with state, local, and Tribal governments, and other key stakeholders, to ensure DHS can fulfill its border security mission and address evolving threats at the Northern Border, including illicit drug trafficking, human smuggling, and the rise of illegal drone use.
Establishment of the Northern Border Mission Center builds on Peters’ and Slotkin’s consistent efforts to position Selfridge for long-term success. In January 2024, the senators announced that the U.S. Air Force selected Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Macomb County to host a new squadron of twelve KC-46A refueling tankers. The decision came after Peters led a bipartisan, bicameral group of Michigan delegation members in urging U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall to select Selfridge for a new squadron of these next-generation tankers, which will be deployed by the U.S. Air Force for the next 50 years. After years of advocacy, the senators also welcomed the announcement that Selfridge will receive F-15EX fighter jets – a next-generation fighter aircraft. Prior to that announcement, Peters and Slotkin sent a letter urging the Air Force to base a new fighter mission at Selfridge. The senators have also pushed for robust funding for construction at Selfridge to ensure the base is prepared to accommodate these new missions. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, Peters secured $20 million in legislation that was recently signed into law specifically to support runway improvements and base preparation. In March, Peters and Slotkin also led a bipartisan, bicameral resolution to honor the 108th anniversary of Selfridge Air National Guard Base and commemorate the thousands of men and women who have worked and trained at Selfridge since its inception.
Full text of the letter is available here.
