U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., arrives as the Senate prepares a procedural vote Feb. 11 at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, file)

A provision to strengthen security at the northern border is included in national defense legislation signed into law Monday by President Joe Biden.

The provision is based on Sen. Gary Peters’ bipartisan Northern Border Coordination Act. It expands the operations and duties of the Department of Homeland Security’s Northern Border Mission Center.

In a news release, Peters, D-Mich., said he secured $3 million in March to establish and operate this center at Selfridge Air National Guard Base near Mount Clemens, where it is collocated with current DHS components. The center, which DHS is already working to set up, will coordinate with state, local, and Tribal governments, and other key stakeholders, to ensure DHS and its operational components are able to fulfill their border security mission.

“The Northern Border Mission Center will play a critical role in the Department of Homeland Security’s efforts to effectively secure our northern border, while ensuring that Michigan and Selfridge Air National Guard Base remain at the forefront of our national security,” said Peters. “The center will help train personnel and test new security technologies that will help our nation tackle a wide range of security threats, from illicit drug trafficking to the rise of illegal drone use along our northern border. In addition to the funding, I secured earlier this year to launch the center, this provision will ensure that Michigan is getting the resources to address our unique homeland security needs alongside the Department of Homeland Security’s other critical national security missions.”

Peters’ provision in the annual defense legislation requires DHS to establish and expand the duties of the Northern Border Mission Center, to be collocated with an existing U.S. Border Patrol sector headquarters, an Air and Marine Operations Branch, and a U.S. Coast Guard air station, and other existing DHS activities at Selfridge.

The provision also requires the center to serve as a training location for personnel, act as a testing ground for border security technology, and to support counter-unmanned aircraft systems along the northern border.

The center will support DHS’s ongoing border security work to address the evolving threats and challenges the Department faces, including the bi-directional flow of illicit drugs, like fentanyl, and other contraband, as well as human smuggling and trafficking, Peters said.