Deborah Waller Meyers

Former U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Deborah Waller Meyers has spent the last three decades working on border security, immigration policy, and homeland security. She served five Presidents over two decades as a federal official, most recently as Director for Canadian Affairs in the DHS Office of International Affairs. In that role, she led and coordinated DHS’s robust engagement with Canada, working closely with other DHS and U.S. government agencies on issues including counterterrorism, border security, travel and trade facilitation, immigration, information sharing, law enforcement, critical infrastructure and cybersecurity, health security, and emergency preparedness/resilience.

Deborah has negotiated and implemented myriad bilateral agreements, arrangements, strategies, and initiatives in support of the homeland security mission for multiple Administrations. Examples include specific efforts on preclearance, visa and asylum policy, cross-border crime, traveler screening, and NEXUS, as well as government-wide efforts such as Beyond the Border: A Shared Vision for Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness, the Roadmap for a Renewed U.S.-Canada Partnership, and several North American Leaders’ Summits. Deborah also has represented the U.S. government in travel to nine countries (Australia, Canada, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, France, Haiti, Kenya, Mexico, and Switzerland), as well as travel to many U.S. states, including border states.

Deborah began her career in federal service with the bipartisan, Congressionally-mandated U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform. When that ended, she moved to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in the International Migration Policy Program and then to the newly-formed Migration Policy Institute, where she also created the still-thriving internship program. During her decade in the think tank world, Deborah authored approximately 40 published reports, articles, chapters, and policy briefs.

Deborah earned her MA in International Affairs at The George Washington University and her BA from Brandeis University (Phi Beta Kappa) with a major in History and a minor in Spanish. She completed Georgetown University’s Nonprofit Management Executive Certificate Program and the Foreign Service Institute’s National Security Executive Leadership Program.  She regularly served as a Mentor in DHS’s Mentoring Program and currently is an Executive Circle member of the International Women of Elliott at the George Washington University.