The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has made immigration enforcement a top priority. But the Department also oversees several critical areas impacting the business of fashion: seizing and investigating counterfeit goods, collecting tariffs, processing visa petitions for fashion talent, and identifying and managing cyber risks.

In this episode, Kenya Wiley sits down with John Tobon, former Assistant Director for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), part of DHS, to talk through what the current focus on immigration enforcement means for IPR violations, visa processing, cyber risks, and other areas critical to fashion and retail. John Tobon brings his three decades of experience in federal law enforcement to the discussion—from serving as a special agent at the United States Customs Service, to learning via email (yes, email!) that his agency had been dissolved and he was now part of the newly created Department of Homeland Security.

John also breaks down how the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) can be helpful for large and small brands, what multinational companies should do when working with several agencies simultaneously, and what's necessary for Congress to hold DHS accountable right now—through the power of the purse and legislation.

Producer: Kenya Wiley

Associate Producer: Argin Hutchins IV

Connect with John Tobon on LinkedIn

Tobon Consulting

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