North Korea, formally called the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), remains a top security concern for the United States, despite its moribund economy. The DPRK poses a serious potential military threat to its neighbors and to U.S. military bases and allies in the Pacific.

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The authors examine the lack of understanding of the effectiveness of enforcement efforts in preventing illegal immigration to the United States.

Julia Sweig reflects on implications of the Boston Marathon bombings in the midst of debates on gun control and immigration reform.

New legislation will do little good given diminishing enforcement capabilities, says Jeanne Hull.

Linda Robinson discusses her recently released Council Special Report, The Future of U.S. Special Operations Forces, which calls for conceptual, institutional, and operational changes to reorient U.S. special operations forces to ensure that they are employed to best effect.

The deadly bombings at the Boston Marathon raise anew the vulnerability of U.S. civilian targets and homeland security policy dilemmas, as examined in this CFR Issue Guide.

President Obama gave a speech on April 15, 2013, after explosions went off near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. In a second speech on April 16, he said the case will be investigated as an "act of terrorism" and on April 19, he discussed the federal and local coordination in locating and taking into custody one of the suspects and in collecting intelligence.

As the 113th U.S. Congress considers an overhaul of the country's immigration system, Task Force members Richard Land, Eliseo Medina, and project director Edward Alden discuss U.S. policy options and political prospects for comprehensive change.

As the 113th U.S. Congress considers an overhaul of the country's immigration system, Task Force members Richard Land, Eliseo Medina, and project director Edward Alden discuss U.S. policy options and political prospects for comprehensive change.

Richard M. Thompson II assesses the use of drones under the Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures.

The NYPD's new "Domain Awareness System" raises familiar questions about privacy and transparency that are likely to spark a debate at multiple levels of government, writes CFR's Matthew Waxman.

In his testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives, Edward Alden argues that the United States needs a broader package of legislation that includes expanding the Visa Waiver Program and encourages more efficient visa security screening.

Task Force Co-Chairs Joel I. Klein and Condoleezza Rice discuss the findings and recommendations of the CFR-sponsored Independent Task Force report on U.S. Education Reform and National Security.

The Congressional Research Service looks at some of issues surrounding America's critical infrastructure, identifying critical assets, assessing vulnerabilities and risks, and appraising policies.

The White House released its National Strategy for Global Supply Chain Security on January 25, 2012.

Edward Alden and Liam Schwartz explain how a safe and simple visa process can help the U.S. tourism industry.

Brian Michael Jenkins, Senior Adviser to the President of the RAND Corporation, revisits the topic of homegrown terrorism, expands on earlier writings about domestic counterterrorist strategy, and updates the numbers and case descriptions to include all of 2010.

U.S. homeland security is unquestionably safer a decade after 9/11 and will remain so if the country pursues a robust, yet proportional, counterterrorism effort abroad, writes CFR's Richard Falkenrath.

Peter Skerry and Gary Schmitt argue that Muslim Americans should more openly engage in the rhetoric and misunderstandings surrounding their communities.

With his new executive order on Guantanamo, President Obama acknowledges that the controversial detention center will remain open for some time, says CFR's Matthew Waxman, but provides improved protections and review processes.