A DHS shift to immigration?

So it looks like Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano will be the next homeland security secretary. It's an underappreciated position for Obama, because the new department has never had a Democratic leader. The next secretary will essentially be laying out the party's philosophy on a wide range of issues, from border security and immigration to counterterrorism.

Napolitano, by all accounts, brings a lot to the table as a potential homeland security secretary. As the governor of a border state, she would bring a unique perspective to the immigration debate, where she has advocated for increased enforcement but opposes a fence.  She's been tough on businesses that hired undocumented workers, a tough position to take as a Democratic governor in a state with a large Hispanic population. She called for the National Guard to police the border and coordinated an online system so employers could check new hires' work status.

She's also a former U.S. attorney, which gives her law enforcement credentials. Counterterrorism, though, is not her area of expertise, certainly when compared to someone like Michael Chertoff. It will likely raise questions about whether the department will shift resources to immigration issues, and reopen discussions about whether the Federal Emergency Management Agency will be moved out from its purview.

But perhaps where Napolitano could be utilized most is in helping the fledging department deal with the states and cities it needs to coordinate with. Since the beginning, the department has drawn complaints from local law enforcement who say they aren't getting the resources or the information they need from DHS. Napolitano has been on the other side of the coin, and therefore likely be well attuned to those concerns.

-Matthew Berger