Texas-Mexico | Coffee & Conversation with Alan Bersin

Alan Bersin serves as Assistant Secretary for International Affairs and Chief Diplomatic Officer for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Policy. In those capacities, Bersin oversees DHS’s international engagement, serves as the principal advisor to the Secretary in all matters pertaining to international affairs, and is responsible for leading the Department’s strategic planning and policy formulation functions. Additionally, Bersin serves as Vice President of INTERPOL for the Americas Region and is a member of the INTERPOL Executive Committee, having been elected to those positions at INTERPOL’s 81st General Assembly in November 2012. From 2010 to 2011, Bersin served as Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, a position from which he oversaw the operations of CBP’s 58,000-employee work force and managed an operating budget of more than $12 billion. Bersin guided CBP’s efforts to secure the nation’s borders and mitigate threats while expediting lawful trade and travel. In 2009, Bersin served as Assistant Secretary and Special Representative for Border Affairs in the Department of Homeland Security. In this capacity, he served as lead representative for DHS on border affairs and strategy regarding security, immigration, narcotics, and trade matters as well as for coordinating the Department’s security initiatives along the nation’s borders.