Todd Bensman, the former Senior Advisor to “Border Czar” Tom Homan, has joined the Heritage Foundation as a new Senior Research Fellow for the Heritage Foundation Border Security and Immigration Center, where he will support Heritage’s mission to defend American national security and the rule of law.
Director of the Heritage Border Security and Immigration Center, Lora Ries, welcomed Bensman to the team by saying, “I am thrilled to have Todd join our Heritage team. He brings a rare combination of border, immigration, and national security expertise along with old-school journalism curiosity and investigative skills. Together with his excellent writing and speaking skills, Todd will be a great educator and advocate for needed policies to protect our homeland.”
Todd Bensman remarked on his appointment with this quote: “By now, most Americans well know that immigration and border security policy is firmly entrenched as an apex priority among all American domestic and foreign policy concerns. That top-tier positioning won’t change anytime soon. I look forward to helping clarify these often-complex issues and, especially, helping Americans navigate the unprecedented partisan information warfare that always swirls around them. I am honored to join a venerable, influential organization such as The Heritage Foundation and look forward to advancing its mission to provide information necessary to help make this great country greater.”
For more than three decades, Bensman has built a distinguished career at the intersection of national security, border security, and immigration. Most recently, he served as a senior adviser supporting the Administration’s border security agenda, following seven years as a senior national security fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies. Earlier in his career, he led intelligence and counterterrorism efforts for the Texas Department of Public Safety, working closely with federal law enforcement and intelligence partners to identify and respond to emerging security threats. Bensman has also contributed numerous articles as an Author at HSToday.
Bensman has authored two books examining border security and immigration policy and has testified before Congress. His early career included more than 20 years in journalism with The Dallas Morning News, CBS, and Hearst Newspapers, where he covered national security, law enforcement, and international conflict. His award-winning reporting took him from post-9/11 hot zones in the Middle East to cartel-dominated regions along the U.S.-Mexico border. His work has been honored by the National Press Club, Inter-American Press Association, and the Texas Institute of Letters.
Bensman holds dual master’s degrees from the Naval Postgraduate School’s Center for Homeland Defense and Security and the University of Missouri School of Journalism and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Northern Arizona University.
