Overview
- DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, speaking in Kansas City on Saturday, said the 76‑day funding gap slowed World Cup preparations and put security readiness in jeopardy.
- He urged Congress to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol after a bill President Trump signed reopened DHS but left those two agencies without new money.
- TSA leaders report hundreds of departures and say four to six months of required training mean many new hires will not be certified to work airport checkpoints before the June kickoff.
- Houston officials on Monday outlined final‑phase plans that add frequent METRORail service, expand TSA screening lanes at airports, hold transit fares steady, and deploy nearly $80 million in grants for policing, anti‑drone tech, and medical teams.
- Counterterrorism experts warn soft targets like transit hubs and fan zones face higher risk, and DHS says only the MetLife Stadium final is an NSSE while other matches carry SEAR 1–2 designations, with FEMA allocating $625 million for preparedness.