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{{Organization
|OrganizationName=Department of Homeland Security
|OrganizationType=Executive agency
|Mission=The mission of the Department of Homeland Security is to secure the nation from the many threats we face. This entails preventing terrorism and enhancing security, securing and managing our borders, administering immigration laws, safeguarding and securing cyberspace, and ensuring resilience to disasters. DHS aims to lead the unified national effort to secure America by preventing and deterring terrorist attacks, protecting against and responding to threats and hazards, and securing our national borders.
|ParentOrganization=Executive Office of the President
|CreationLegislation=Homeland Security Act of 2002
|Employees=240000
|Budget=$89.6 billion
|OrganizationExecutive=Secretary of Homeland Security
|Services=DHS provides numerous services aimed at homeland security including:
Border security, immigration, and customs enforcement through U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Transportation security via the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
Emergency preparedness and response through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Cybersecurity through the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).
Protection of key infrastructure, law enforcement functions, and counter-terrorism efforts through various components like the U.S. Coast Guard, Secret Service, and the Office of Intelligence and Analysis.
|Regulations=DHS oversees regulations concerning immigration enforcement, border security, customs, transportation security, cybersecurity, emergency management, and the protection of critical infrastructure. This includes rules on entry and exit procedures at U.S. borders, visa issuance, naturalization, transportation security protocols, emergency preparedness programs, cybersecurity standards for federal networks, and regulations on the handling of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive threats.
|HeadquartersLocation=38.93879, -77.08347
|HeadquartersAddress=3801 Nebraska Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20528
|Website=https://www.dhs.gov
|Wikipedia=United States Department of Homeland Security
}}
{{short description|United States federal executive department}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Infobox government agency
| agency_name     = United States Department of Homeland Security
| seal            = Seal of the United States Department of Homeland Security.svg
| seal_width      = 150
| seal_caption    = [[Seal of the United States Department of Homeland Security|Seal of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security]]
| logo            = Flag of the United States Department of Homeland Security.svg{{!}}border
| logo_width      = 225
| logo_caption    = Flag of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security
| picture         = DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas Flag Raising Ceremony (50914852532).jpg
| picture_caption = Headquarters of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in [[Washington D.C.]]
| formed          = {{start date|2002|11|25}}
| jurisdiction    = [[Federal government of the United States|U.S. federal government]]
| headquarters    = [[St. Elizabeths Hospital#West Campus|St. Elizabeths West Campus]], [[Washington, D.C.]], U.S.
| coordinates     = {{coord|38.8547|-77.0000|type:landmark_region:US-DC|display=inline,title}}
| employees       = 240,000 (2018)<ref name="dhs.gov"/>
| budget          = [[United States dollar|$]]51.672 billion (FY 2020)<ref name="Reference A">{{cite web|title=Budget In Brief: Fiscal Year 2020 |url=https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/19_0318_MGMT_FY-2020-Budget-In-Brief.pdf|publisher=Homeland Security|access-date=July 30, 2019 |page=1}}</ref>
| chief1_name     = [[Alejandro Mayorkas]]
| chief1_position = [[United States Secretary of Homeland Security|Secretary]]
| chief2_name     = [[Kristie Canegallo]]
| chief2_position = Acting [[United States Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security|Deputy Secretary]]
| child1_agency   = {{collapsible list
| titlestyle = background:transparent;text-align:left;font-weight:normal;
| title = ''Full list''
|{{plainlist|
*[[United States Citizenship and Immigration Services]]
*[[U.S. Customs and Border Protection|Customs and Border Protection]]
*[[Federal Emergency Management Agency]]
*[[U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement|Immigration and Customs Enforcement]]
*[[Transportation Security Administration]]
*[[United States Coast Guard]] (during times of peace)
*[[Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency]]
*[[United States Secret Service]]
*[[Federal Law Enforcement Training Center]]
*[[Federal Protective Service (United States)|Federal Protective Service]]
*Citizenship & Immigration Services Ombudsmen
*Office of Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction
*[[DHS Management Directorate|Management Directorate]]
*Office for Civil Rights & Civil Liberties
*[[General Counsel|Office of General Counsel]]
*Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman
*[[DHS I&A|Office of Intelligence & Analysis]]
*Office of Legislative Affairs
*Office of Situational Awareness
*Office of Partnership & Engagement
*Office of Strategy, Policy and Plans
*[[Public affairs (military)|Office of Public Affairs]]
*[[Inspector General#United States|Office of the Inspector General]]
*Privacy Office
*[[DHS Science and Technology Directorate|Science & Technology Directorate]]
}}}}
| website         = {{URL|https://www.dhs.gov|dhs.gov}}
| embed           = {{center|[[File:"The DHS March", performed by the United States Coast Guard Band.mp3]]<br />"The DHS March"}}
}}
The '''Department of Homeland Security''' ('''DHS''') is the U.S. [[United States federal executive departments|federal executive department]] responsible for [[public security]], roughly comparable to the [[Interior minister|interior or home ministries]] of other countries. Its stated missions involve [[anti-terrorism]], [[border security]], immigration and customs, [[cyber security]], and disaster prevention and management.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dhs.gov/our-mission|title=Our Mission|date=June 27, 2012|publisher=Homeland Security}}</ref>

It began operations on March 1, 2003, after being formed as a result of the [[Homeland Security Act of 2002]], enacted in response to the September 11 attacks. With more than 240,000 employees,<ref name="dhs.gov">{{cite web|title=About DHS|url=https://www.dhs.gov/about-dhs|publisher=Homeland Security|date=June 29, 2016}}</ref> DHS is the third-largest [[Cabinet of the United States|Cabinet]] department, after the departments of [[United States Department of Defense|Defense]] and [[United States Department of Veterans Affairs|Veterans Affairs]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.napawash.org/pc_management_studies/dhs.html |title=Department of Homeland Security Executive Staffing Project |publisher=[[National Academy of Public Administration (United States)|National Academy of Public Administration]] |access-date=May 31, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20100310171217/http://www.napawash.org/pc_management_studies/dhs.html |archive-date=March 10, 2010 }}</ref> [[Homeland security]] policy is coordinated at the [[White House]] by the [[United States Homeland Security Council|Homeland Security Council]]. Other agencies with significant homeland security responsibilities include the departments of [[United States Department of Health and Human Services|Health and Human Services]], [[United States Department of Justice|Justice]], and [[United States Department of Energy|Energy]].

==History==
===Creation===
[[File:"We Are DHS" (2016).ogv|thumb|A video released in 2016 by the DHS, detailing its duties and responsibilities]]

In response to the September 11 attacks, President [[George W. Bush]] announced the establishment of the [[Office of Homeland Security]] (OHS) to coordinate "[[homeland security]]" efforts. The office was headed by former Pennsylvania governor [[Tom Ridge]], who assumed the title of Assistant to the President for Homeland Security. The official announcement states:

{{blockquote|The mission of the Office will be to develop and coordinate the implementation of a comprehensive national strategy to secure the United States from [[terrorism|terrorist]] threats or attacks. The Office will coordinate the executive branch's efforts to detect, prepare for, prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from terrorist attacks within the United States.<ref name="hsact2002">{{cite web|url=https://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/nat_strat_hls.pdf |title=National Strategy For Homeland Security |publisher=DHS|access-date=October 31, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071114000911/http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/nat_strat_hls.pdf|archive-date=November 14, 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref>}}

Ridge began his duties as OHS director on October 8, 2001.<ref>{{cite web|title=EPIC Fact Sheet on OHS|url=https://www.epic.org/open_gov/homeland/ohs_fact_sheet.html|access-date=November 13, 2020|website=www.epic.org}}</ref> On November 25, 2002, the [[Homeland Security Act]] established the Department of Homeland Security to consolidate U.S. executive branch organizations related to "homeland security" into a single [[Cabinet of the United States|Cabinet]] agency. The [[Gilmore Commission]], supported by much of [[Congress]] and [[John Bolton]], helped to solidify further the need for the department. The DHS incorporated the following 22 agencies.<ref>{{cite web|date=July 27, 2012|title=Who Joined DHS |url=https://www.dhs.gov/who-joined-dhs|access-date=May 27, 2021|website=Department of Homeland Security|language=en}}</ref>

===List of incorporated agencies===
<!-- PLEASE NOTE: This table uses the historic names of the agencies that were transferred to DHS in 2002 and the historic name should be retained in the text. If the agency has since changed its name, then link the old name to the new name with a pipe in the link. Thank you... -->
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Original agency !! Original department !! New agency or office after transfer
|-
| [[U.S. Customs Service]] || [[United States Department of the Treasury|Treasury]] || [[U.S. Customs and Border Protection]]<br />[[U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement]]
|-
| [[Immigration and Naturalization Service]] || [[United States Department of Justice|Justice]] || U.S. Customs and Border Protection<br />[[U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement]]<br />[[United States Citizenship and Immigration Services|U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services]]
|-
| [[Federal Protective Service (United States)|Federal Protective Service]] || [[General Services Administration]] || [[DHS Management Directorate|Management Directorate]]
|-
| [[Transportation Security Administration]] || [[United States Department of Transportation|Transportation]] || Transportation Security Administration
|-
| [[Federal Law Enforcement Training Center]] || Treasury || Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
|-
| [[Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service]]<br />(part) || [[United States Department of Agriculture|Agriculture]] || U.S. Customs and Border Protection 
|-
| [[Federal Emergency Management Agency]] || none || [[Federal Emergency Management Agency]] (FEMA)
|-
| [[Strategic National Stockpile]] || [[United States Department of Health and Human Services|Health and Human Services]] || Originally assigned to FEMA, Returned to HHS, July 2004
|-
|[[National Disaster Medical System]]
|[[United States Department of Health and Human Services|Health and Human Services]]
|Originally assigned to FEMA, Returned to HHS, August 2006<!--this needs further research as it was not listed that way when the original list of agencies were released-->
|-
| [[Nuclear Emergency Support Team|Nuclear Incident Response Team]] || [[United States Department of Energy|Energy]] || Responsibilities distributed within FEMA
|-
| [[Domestic Emergency Support Team]] || Justice || Responsibilities distributed within FEMA
|-
| [[Center for Domestic Preparedness]] ||  Justice (FBI) || Responsibilities distributed within FEMA
|-
| CBRN Countermeasures Programs|| Energy || [[DHS Science and Technology Directorate|Science & Technology Directorate]]
|-
| [[Environmental Measurements Laboratory]] || Energy || Science & Technology Directorate
|-
| National Biological Warfare<br />Defense Analysis Center || [[United States Department of Defense|Defense]] || Science & Technology Directorate
|-
| [[Plum Island Animal Disease Center]] || Agriculture || Science & Technology Directorate
|-
| [[National Cyber Security Division|Federal Computer Incident Response Center]] || General Services Administration || US-CERT, Office of Cybersecurity and Communications<br />National Programs and Preparedness Directorate (now [[Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency|CISA]])
|-
| [[National Communications System]] || Defense || Office of Cybersecurity and Communications<br />National Programs and Predaredness Directorate
|-
| [[National Infrastructure Protection Center]] || Justice (FBI) || [[DHS Office of Operations Coordination|Office of Operations Coordination]]<br />Office of Infrastructure Protection
|-
| Energy Security and Assurance Program|| Energy || Office of Infrastructure Protection
|-
| [[U.S. Coast Guard]] || Transportation || U.S. Coast Guard
|-
| [[U.S. Secret Service]] || Treasury || U.S. Secret Service
|}

According to [[Political science|political scientist]] [[Peter Andreas]], the creation of DHS constituted the most significant government reorganization since the [[Cold War]]<ref name="test">[Peter Andreas: Redrawing the line 2003:92], additional text.</ref> and the most substantial reorganization of federal agencies since the [[National Security Act of 1947]] (which had placed the different [[United States Armed Forces|military]] departments under a [[United States Secretary of Defense|secretary of defense]] and created the [[United States National Security Council|National Security Council]] and [[Central Intelligence Agency]]). Creation of DHS constitutes the most diverse merger ever of federal functions and responsibilities, incorporating 22 government agencies into a single organization.<ref>Perl, Raphael (2004). "The Department of Homeland Security: Background and Challenges", ''Terrorism—reducing Vulnerabilities and Improving Responses'', Committee on Counterterrorism Challenges for Russia and the United States, Office for Central Europe and Eurasia Development, Security, and Cooperation Policy and Global Affairs, in Cooperation with the Russian Academy of Sciences, page 176. National Academies Press. {{ISBN|0-309-08971-9}}.</ref> The founding of the DHS marked a change in American thought towards threats.
Introducing the term "homeland" centers attention on a population that needs to be protected not only against emergencies such as natural disasters but also against diffuse threats from individuals who are non-native to the United States.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last1=Gessen |first1=Masha |title=Homeland Security Was Destined to Become a Secret Police Force |magazine=[[The New Yorker]] |date=July 25, 2020 |url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/the-dhs-was-destined-to-become-a-secret-police-force |language=en-us |access-date=July 26, 2020 }}</ref>

Prior to the signing of the bill, controversy about its adoption was focused on whether the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] and the Central Intelligence Agency should be incorporated in part or in whole (neither was included). The bill was also controversial for the presence of unrelated "[[Rider (legislation)|riders]]", as well as for eliminating certain union-friendly [[civil service]] and labor protections for department employees. Without these protections, employees could be expeditiously reassigned or dismissed on grounds of security, incompetence or insubordination, and DHS would not be required to notify their union representatives. The plan stripped 180,000 government employees of their union rights.<ref>Chomsky, Noam (2005). ''Imperial Ambitions'', page 199. Metropolitan Books. {{ISBN|0-8050-7967-X}}.</ref> In 2002, Bush officials argued that the September 11 attacks made the proposed elimination of employee protections imperative.<ref name="barr">[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/19/AR2008021902459_pf.html Stephen Barr. "DHS Withdraws Bid to Curb Union Rights", ''The Washington Post'' page D01, February 20, 2008]. Retrieved on August 20, 2008.</ref>

[[United States Congress|Congress]] ultimately passed the Homeland Security Act of 2002, and President Bush signed the bill into law on November 25, 2002. It was the largest U.S. government reorganization in the 50 years since the United States Department of Defense was created.

Tom Ridge was named secretary on January 24, 2003, and began naming his chief deputies. DHS officially began operations on January 24, 2003, but most of the department's component agencies were not transferred into the new department until March 1.<ref name="hsact2002" />

After establishing the basic structure of DHS and working to integrate its components, Ridge announced his resignation on November 30, 2004, following the re-election of President Bush. Bush initially nominated former [[New York City Police Department]] commissioner [[Bernard Kerik]] as his successor, but on December 10, Kerik withdrew his nomination, citing personal reasons and saying it "would not be in the best interests" of the country for him to pursue the post.

=== Changes under Secretary Chertoff ===
On January 11, 2005, President Bush nominated federal judge [[Michael Chertoff]] to succeed Ridge. Chertoff was confirmed on February 15, 2005, by a vote of 98–0 in the [[United States Senate|U.S. Senate]] and was sworn in the same day.<ref name="hsact2002"/>

In February 2005, DHS and the [[United States Office of Personnel Management|Office of Personnel Management]] issued rules relating to employee pay and discipline for a new personnel system named MaxHR. ''[[The Washington Post]]'' said that the rules would allow DHS "to override any provision in a union contract by issuing a department-wide directive" and would make it "difficult, if not impossible, for unions to negotiate over arrangements for staffing, deployments, technology and other workplace matters".<ref name=barr/> In August 2005, U.S. District judge Rosemary M. Collyer blocked the plan on the grounds that it did not ensure collective-bargaining rights for DHS employees.<ref name="barr" /> A federal appeals court ruled against DHS in 2006; pending a final resolution to the litigation, Congress's fiscal year 2008 appropriations bill for DHS provided no funding for the proposed new personnel system.<ref name="barr" />
DHS announced in early 2007 that it was retooling its pay and performance system and retiring the name "MaxHR".<ref name="hsact2002" /> In a February 2008 court filing, DHS said that it would no longer pursue the new rules, and that it would abide by the existing civil service labor-management procedures. A federal court issued an order closing the case.<ref name="barr" />

===Trump administration===
A 2017 memo by Secretary of Homeland Security [[John F. Kelly]] directed DHS to disregard "age as a basis for determining when to collect biometrics."<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Guo |first=Eileen |date=14 August 2024 |title=The US wants to use facial recognition to identify migrant children as they age |url=https://www.technologyreview.com/2024/08/14/1096534/homeland-security-facial-recognition-immigration-border/ |access-date=2024-08-17 |website=MIT Technology Review |language=en}}</ref>

On November 16, 2018, President [[Donald Trump]] signed the [[Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Act|Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Act of 2018]] into law, which elevated the mission of the former DHS National Protection and Programs Directorate and established the [[Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dhs.gov/CISA |title=Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency |website=DHS.gov |access-date=November 24, 2018 |date=November 20, 2018 }}</ref> In fiscal year 2018, DHS was allocated a net discretionary budget of $47.716 billion.<ref name="Reference A" />

===Biden administration ===
In 2021, the Department of Justice began carrying out an investigation into white supremacy and extremism in the DHS ranks.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Kanno-Youngs|first=Zolan|date=April 26, 2021|title=D.H.S. will review how it identifies and addresses extremism and white supremacy in its ranks.|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/04/26/us/biden-news-today |url-access=subscription |access-date=April 27, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

DHS also halted large-scale immigration raids at job sites, saying in October 2021 that the administration was planning "a new enforcement strategy to more effectively target employers who pay substandard wages and engage in exploitative labor practices."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/biden-administration-halts-ice-raids/2021/10/12/631dc86e-2b70-11ec-92bd-d2ffe8570c7d_story.html |first1=Nick |last1=Miroff |title=Biden administration orders halt to ICE raids at worksites |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]  |date=October 12, 2021 |access-date=March 19, 2022}}</ref>

In 2023, the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol began using an app which requires asylum seekers to submit biometric information before they enter the country.

In June 2024 John Boyd, the head of the DHS Office of Biometric Identity Management, announced at a conference that the agency "is looking into ways it might use facial recognition technology to track the identities of migrant children." According to Boyd, the initiative is intended to advance the development of facial recognition algorithms. A former DHS official said that every migrant processing center he visited engaged in biometric identity collection, and that children were not separated out during processing. DHS denied collecting the biometric data of children under 14.<ref name=":1" />

==Function==
Whereas the Department of Defense is charged with military actions abroad, the Department of Homeland Security works in the civilian sphere to protect the United States within, at, and outside its borders. Its stated goal is to prepare for, prevent, and respond to domestic emergencies, particularly terrorism.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/DHS_StratPlan_FINAL_spread.pdf |title=One Team, One Mission, Securing Our Homeland - U.S. Department of Homeland Security Strategic Plan Fiscal Years 2008–2013 |publisher=DHS |access-date=July 29, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120221222928/http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/DHS_StratPlan_FINAL_spread.pdf |archive-date=February 21, 2012}}</ref> On March 1, 2003, DHS absorbed the U.S. Customs Service and [[Immigration and Naturalization Service]] (INS) and assumed its duties. In doing so, it divided the enforcement and services functions into two separate and new agencies: [[U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement|Immigration and Customs Enforcement]] and [[United States Citizenship and Immigration Services|Citizenship and Immigration Services]]. The investigative divisions and intelligence gathering units of the INS and Customs Service were merged forming [[U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement#Homeland Security Investigations|Homeland Security Investigations]], the primary investigative arm of DHS. Additionally, the border enforcement functions of the INS, including the [[United States Border Patrol|U.S. Border Patrol]], the [[United States Customs Service|U.S. Customs Service]], and the [[Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service]] were consolidated into a new agency under DHS: [[U.S. Customs and Border Protection]]. The [[Federal Protective Service (United States)|Federal Protective Service]] falls under the National Protection and Programs Directorate.{{citation needed|date=October 2022}}

==Structure==
The Department of Homeland Security is headed by the [[United States Secretary of Homeland Security|secretary of homeland security]] with the assistance of the [[United States Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security|deputy secretary]]. The department contains the components listed below.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dhs.gov/leadership|title=Leadership|date=October 3, 2019|website=U.S. Department of Homeland Security|language=en|access-date=October 19, 2019}}</ref>

===List of subordinate agencies===
<!-- PLEASE KEEP IN SYNC WITH [[Template:DHS agencies]] Thanks! -->
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Subordinate agency
!Title of head or leader
!Incumbent
|-
|[[DHS Management Directorate|Management Directorate]]
|Under Secretary
|[[Randolph Alles|Randolph D. "Tex" Alles]] (acting)
|-
|[[DHS Science and Technology Directorate|Science and Technology Directorate]]
|Under Secretary
|[[Dimitri Kusnezov]]
|-
|[[DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis|Office of Intelligence and Analysis]]
|Under Secretary
|[[Kenneth L. Wainstein]]
|-
|[[DHS Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans|Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans]]
|Under Secretary
|[[Robert P. Silvers]] 
|-
|[[Office of the General Counsel for the Department of Homeland Security|Office of the General Counsel]]
|General Counsel
|[[Jonathan Meyer]]
|-
|[[United States Citizenship and Immigration Services]]
|Director
|[[Ur Jaddou]]
|-
|[[United States Coast Guard]]
|Commandant
|Admiral [[Linda L. Fagan]]
|-
|[[U.S. Customs and Border Protection]]
|Commissioner
| [[Troy A. Miller]] (acting)
|-
|[[Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency]]
|Director
|[[Jen Easterly]]
|-
|[[Federal Emergency Management Agency]]
|Administrator
| [[Deanne Criswell]]
|-
|[[Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers]]
|Director
|Thomas J. Walters<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fletc.gov/our-leadership|title=Our Leadership {{!}} FLETC |publisher=www.fletc.gov |access-date=December 26, 2016}}</ref>
|-
|[[U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement]]
|Director
|[[Patrick Lechleitner]]
|-
|[[United States Secret Service]]
|Director
|[[Ronald L. Rowe Jr.]] (acting)
|-
|[[Transportation Security Administration]]
|Administrator
|[[David Pekoske]]
|-
|[[Domestic Nuclear Detection Office]]
|Assistant Secretary
|Mary Ellen Callahan
|-
|Office of Legislative Affairs
|Assistant Secretary
|Alexandra Carnes
|-
|Office of Partnership and Engagement
|Assistant Secretary
|Brenda Abdelall
|-
|Office of Public Affairs
|Assistant Secretary
|Marsha Espinosa
|-
|[[Joint Requirements Council]]
|Executive Director
|Joseph D. Wawro
|-
|[[DHS Office of Operations Coordination|Office of Operations Coordination]]
|Director
|Christopher J. Tomney
|-
|Privacy Office
|Chief Privacy Officer
|Lynn Parker Dupree
|-
|Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman
|Director
|Phyllis A. Coven
|-
|Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
|Officer
|Katherine Culliton-González
|-
|[[Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General|Office of the Inspector General]]
|Inspector General
|[[Joseph V. Cuffari]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.oig.dhs.gov/about/MeetTheIG | title=Meet the IG &#124; Office of Inspector General}}</ref>
|}
;Agencies
*[[United States Citizenship and Immigration Services]]: Processes and examines citizenship, residency, and asylum requests from aliens.
*[[U.S. Customs and Border Protection]]: Law enforcement agency that enforces U.S. laws along its international borders (air, land, and sea) including its enforcement of U.S. immigration, customs, and agriculture laws while at and patrolling between all U.S. ports-of-entry.
*[[U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement]]: Law enforcement agency divided into two bureaus:
:# Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigates violations of more than 400 U.S. laws and gathers intelligence on national and international criminal activities that threaten the security of the homeland ([[Homeland Security Investigations]]); and
:# Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) enforces administrative violations of the [[Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965|Immigration and Nationality Act]] by detaining, deporting, and removing violators of United States immigration law.
*[[Transportation Security Administration]]: Responsible for aviation security (domestic and international, most notably conducting passenger screenings at airports), as well as land and water transportation security
*[[United States Coast Guard]]: Military service responsible for law enforcement, maritime security, national defense, maritime mobility, and protection of natural resources.<ref>The United States Coast Guard has both military and law enforcement functions. [[Title 14 of the United States Code]] provides that "The Coast Guard as established January 28, 1915, shall be a military service and a branch of the armed forces of the United States at all times." Coast Guard units, or ships of its predecessor service, the Revenue Cutter Service, have seen combat in every war and armed conflict of the United States since 1790, including the Iraq War.</ref>
*[[United States Secret Service]]: Law enforcement agency tasked with two distinct and critical national security missions: 
:# Investigative Mission – The investigative mission of the USSS is to safeguard the payment and financial systems of the United States from a wide range of financial and electronic-based crimes. 
:# Protective Mission – The protective mission of the USSS is to ensure the safety of the President of the United States, the Vice President of the United States, their immediate families, and foreign heads of state.
*[[Federal Emergency Management Agency]]: agency that oversees the federal government's response to natural disasters like earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, forest fires.

Passports for U.S. citizens are issued by the [[United States Department of State|U.S. Department of State]], not the Department of Homeland Security.

'''Advisory groups:'''
* [[Homeland Security Advisory Council]]: State and local government, first responders, private sector, and academics
* [[National Infrastructure Advisory Council]]: Advises on security of public and private information systems
*  Homeland Security Science and Technology Advisory Committee: Advise the Under Secretary for Science and Technology.
*  Critical Infrastructure Partnership Advisory Council: Coordinate infrastructure protection with private sector and other levels of government
* [[Interagency Coordinating Council on Emergency Preparedness and Individuals with Disabilities]]
* [[Task Force on New Americans]]: "An inter-agency effort to help immigrants learn English, embrace the common core of American civic culture, and become fully American."

'''Other components:'''
* [[Domestic Nuclear Detection Office|Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office]]: Counter attempts by terrorists or other threat actors to carry out an attack against the United States or its interests using a weapon of mass destruction. Secretary [[Kirstjen Nielsen]] established the CWMD Office in December 2017 by consolidating primarily the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office and a majority of the Office of Health Affairs, as well as other DHS elements.
* [[Federal Law Enforcement Training Center]][[Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers|s]]: Interagency law enforcement training facilities located in Georgia, New Mexico, and South Carolina.
* [[National Protection and Programs Directorate]]: risk-reduction, encompassing both physical and virtual threats and their associated human elements.
 [[Federal Protective Service (United States)|Federal Protective Service]]: Federal law enforcement and security agency that protects and investigates crimes against U.S. federal buildings, properties, assets, and federal government interests.
 [[National Communications System]]
* [[Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Science and Technology|Directorate for Science and Technology]]: Research and development
 [[Command, Control and Interoperability Division]]: Responsible for developing systems for strengthening interoperability between different government divisions.
* [[Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Management|Directorate for Management]]: Responsible for internal budgets, accounting, performance monitoring, and human resources
* [[Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans]]: Long-range policy planning and coordination
 [[Office of Immigration Statistics]]
* [[DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis|Office of Intelligence and Analysis]]: Identify and assess threats based on intelligence from various agencies
* [[Office of Operations Coordination]]: Monitor domestic security situation on a daily basis, coordinate activities with state and local authorities and private sector infrastructure
* [[Office of the Secretary]] includes the Privacy Office, [[Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties]], [[Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General|Office of Inspector General]], [[Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman]], Office of Legislative Affairs, [[Office of the General Counsel]], [[Office of Public Affairs]], [[Office of Counternarcotics Enforcement]] (CNE), [[Office of the Executive Secretariat]] (ESEC), and the [[Military Advisor's Office]].
* [[Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency]]

In an August 5, 2002, speech, President Bush said: "We are fighting ... to secure freedom in the homeland."<ref>[https://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2002-10-08-oplede_x.htm Bovard, James. "Moral high ground not won on battlefield", ''USA Today'', October 8, 2008]. Retrieved on August 19, 2008.</ref> Prior to the creation of DHS, U.S. Presidents had referred to the U.S. as "the nation" or "the republic" and to its internal policies as "domestic".<ref name=wolf>Wolf, Naomi (2007). ''The End of America'', page 27. Chelsea Green Publishing. {{ISBN|978-1-933392-79-0}}.</ref> Also unprecedented was the use, from 2002, of the phrase "the homeland" by White House spokespeople.<ref name=wolf/>

==National Terrorism Advisory System==
In 2011, the Department of Homeland Security phased out the old Homeland Security Advisory System, replacing it with a two-level National Terrorism Advisory System. The system has two types of advisories: alerts and bulletins. NTAS bulletins permit the secretary to communicate critical terrorism information that, while not necessarily indicative of a specific threat against the United States, can reach homeland security partners or the public quickly, thereby allowing recipients to implement necessary protective measures. Alerts are issued when there is specific and credible information of a terrorist threat against the United States. Alerts have two levels: elevated and imminent. An elevated alert is issued when there is credible information about an attack but only general information about timing or a target. An Imminent Alert is issued when the threat is very specific and impending in the very near term.{{citation needed|date=October 2022}}

On March 12, 2002, the [[Homeland Security Advisory System]], a color-coded terrorism risk advisory scale, was created as the result of a [[Presidential Directive]] to provide a "comprehensive and effective means to disseminate information regarding the risk of terrorist acts to Federal, State, and local authorities and to the American people". Many procedures at government facilities are tied into the alert level; for example a facility may search all entering vehicles when the alert is above a certain level. Since January 2003, it has been administered in coordination with DHS; it has also been the target of frequent jokes and ridicule on the part of the administration's detractors about its ineffectiveness. After resigning, Tom Ridge said he did not always agree with the threat level adjustments pushed by other government agencies.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dhs.gov/xnews/speeches/speech_0053.shtm |title=Remarks by Governor Ridge Announcing Homeland Security Advisory System|access-date=May 5, 2017}}</ref>

In January 2003, the office{{Clarify|What office?|date=January 2010}} was merged into the Department of Homeland Security and the White House Homeland Security Council, both of which were created by the Homeland Security Act of 2002. The Homeland Security Council, similar in nature to the National Security Council, retains a policy coordination and advisory role and is led by the assistant to the president for homeland security.<ref name="hsact2002" />

==Seal==
{{Main|Seal of the United States Department of Homeland Security}}
The seal was developed with input from senior DHS leadership, employees, and the U.S. Commission on Fine Arts. The [[Ad Council]] – which partners with DHS on its Ready.gov campaign – and the consulting company Landor Associates were responsible for graphic design and maintaining heraldic integrity.

{{blockquote|The seal is symbolic of the Department's mission – to prevent attacks and protect Americans – on the land, in the sea and in the air. In the center of the seal, a graphically styled white American eagle appears in a circular blue field. The eagle's outstretched wings break through an inner red ring into an outer white ring that contains the words "U.S. DEPARTMENT OF" in the top half and "HOMELAND SECURITY" in the bottom half in a circular placement. The eagle's wings break through the inner circle into the outer ring to suggest that the Department of Homeland Security will break through traditional bureaucracy and perform government functions differently. In the tradition of the Great Seal of the United States, the eagle's talon on the left holds an olive branch with 13 leaves and 13 seeds while the eagle's talon on the right grasps 13 arrows.

Centered on the eagle's breast is a shield divided into three sections containing elements that represent the American homeland – air, land, and sea. The top element, a dark blue sky, contains 22 stars representing the original 22 entities that have come together to form the department. The left shield element contains white mountains behind a green plain underneath a light blue sky. The right shield element contains four wave shapes representing the oceans alternating light and dark blue separated by white lines.}}
- DHS June 6, 2003<ref>[https://www.dhs.gov/xnews/releases/press_release_0189.shtm "Fact Sheet: Department of Homeland Security Seal", DHS press release, June 19, 2003. DHS website] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061024224438/http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/releases/press_release_0189.shtm |date=October 24, 2006 }}. Retrieved on August 26, 2008.</ref>

==Headquarters==
Since its inception, the department's temporary headquarters had been in Washington, D.C.'s [[Nebraska Avenue Complex]], a former naval facility. The {{convert|38|acre|ha|adj=on}} site, across from [[American University]], has 32 buildings comprising {{convert|566000|sqft|m2}} of administrative space.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dhs.gov/xnews/testimony/testimony_0019.shtm |title=Statement of Secretary Tom Ridge|publisher=DHS|access-date=October 31, 2007}}</ref> In early 2007, the department submitted a $4.1 billion plan to Congress to consolidate its 60-plus Washington-area offices into a single headquarters complex at the [[St. Elizabeths Hospital]] campus in [[Anacostia]], Southeast Washington, D.C.<ref>{{cite news |first=Stephen |last=Losey |url=http://www.federaltimes.com/index.php?S=2626923 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130102171514/http://www.federaltimes.com/index.php?S=2626923 |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 2, 2013 |title= Homeland Security plans move to hospital compound |publisher=Federal Times|date=March 19, 2007 |access-date=October 31, 2007}}</ref>

The move was championed by District of Columbia officials because of the positive economic impact it would have on historically depressed Anacostia. The move was criticized by [[historic preservation]]ists, who claimed the revitalization plans would destroy dozens of historic buildings on the campus.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.preservationnation.org/travel-and-sites/sites/southern-region/st-elizabeths-hospital.html |title=Most Endangered Places |work=2/2009 |publisher=National Trust |access-date=February 4, 2009}}</ref> Community activists criticized the plans because the facility would remain walled off and have little interaction with the surrounding area.<ref>{{cite news |first=Joel |last=Holley |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/16/AR2007061601192_pf.html |title=Tussle Over St. Elizabeths |newspaper=The Washington Post |page=C01 |date=June 17, 2007 |access-date=October 31, 2007}}</ref>

In February 2015 the [[General Services Administration]] said that the site would open in 2021.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://federalnewsnetwork.com/facilities-construction/2020/07/dhs-headquarters-consolidation-has-a-new-tentative-plan-at-st-elizabeths/ |title=DHS headquarters consolidation has a new tentative plan at St. Elizabeths|date=July 10, 2020}}</ref> DHS headquarters staff began moving to St. Elizabeths in April 2019 after the completion of the Center Building renovation.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://federalnewsnetwork.com/facilities-construction/2019/06/dhs-st-elizabeths-campus-gains-center-of-gravity-with-new-headquarters/|title=DHS St. Elizabeths campus gains 'center of gravity' with new headquarters|last=Heckman|first=Jory|date=June 21, 2019|website=Federal News Network|language=en-US|access-date=August 9, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/news/2019/07/09/dhs-reveals-more-detail-on-whats-to-come-for-st.html|title=DHS reveals more detail on what's to come for St. Elizabeths West|last=Sernovitz|first=Daniel J.|date=July 9, 2019|website=Washington Business Journal|access-date=August 9, 2019}}</ref>

==Disaster preparedness and response==
=== Congressional budgeting effects ===
During a [[United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs|Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee]] hearing on the reauthorization of DHS, Deputy Secretary [[Elaine Duke]] said there is a weariness and anxiety within DHS about the repeated congressional efforts to agree to a long-term spending plan, which had resulted in several threats to shut down the federal government. "Shutdowns are disruptive", Duke said. She said the "repeated failure on a longtime spending plan resulting in short-term continuing resolutions (CRs) has caused "angst" among the department's 240,000 employees in the weeks leading up to the CRs."<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://homelandprepnews.com/stories/26659-spending-stalemate-costs-department-homeland-security/|title=Spending stalemate has costs at Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Preparedness News|last=Roberts|first=Ed|date=February 7, 2018|work=Homeland Preparedness News|access-date=February 27, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref> The uncertainty about funding hampers DHS's ability to pursue major projects and takes away attention and manpower from important priorities. Seventy percent of DHS employees are considered essential and are not furloughed during government shutdowns.<ref name=":0" />

===Ready.gov===
Soon after formation, the department worked with the [[Ad Council]] to launch the Ready Campaign, a national public service advertising (PSA) campaign to educate and empower Americans to prepare for and respond to emergencies including natural and man-made disasters. With [[pro bono]] creative support from [[the Martin Agency]] of [[Richmond, Virginia]], the campaign website "Ready.gov" and materials were conceived in March 2002 and launched in February 2003, just before the launch of the [[Iraq War]].<ref>{{cite news|first=Daniel|last=Forbes|url=http://www.antiwar.com/forbes/?articleid=2679|title=$226 Million in Govt Ads Helped Pave the Way for War|publisher=Antiwar.com|date=May 28, 2004|access-date=October 31, 2007}}</ref><ref>
{{cite web|url=http://www.oaaa.org/public/view.asp?PUBLIC_SERVICE_ID=7|title=Homeland Security: Ready.Gov|publisher=Outdoor Advertising Association of America|access-date=October 31, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071017171339/http://www.oaaa.org/public/view.asp?PUBLIC_SERVICE_ID=7|archive-date=October 17, 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0302/20/lad.08.html|title=CNN Live at daybreak |work=Aired February 20, 2003|publisher=CNN|access-date=October 31, 2007}}</ref> One of the first announcements that garnered widespread public attention to this campaign was one by Tom Ridge in which he stated that in the case of a chemical attack, citizens should use duct tape and plastic sheeting to build a homemade bunker, or "sheltering in place" to protect themselves.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ready.gov/america/other/faqs.html|title=Homeland Security Frequently Asked Questions |publisher=ready.gov |access-date=October 31, 2007|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071106112543/http://www.ready.gov/america/other/faqs.html|archive-date=November 6, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ready.gov/america/getakit/cleanair.html|title=Clean Air|publisher=ready.gov|access-date=October 31, 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071017014249/http://www.ready.gov/america/getakit/cleanair.html |archive-date=October 17, 2007}}</ref> As a result, the sales of duct tape skyrocketed, and DHS was criticized for being too [[alarmist]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lies.com/wp/2003/02/21/are-you-readygov/|title=Are You Ready.gov?|work=February 21, 2003 |publisher=lies.com|access-date=October 31, 2007}}</ref>

On March 1, 2003, the [[Federal Emergency Management Agency]] was absorbed into the DHS and in the fall of 2008 took over coordination of the campaign. The Ready Campaign and its Spanish-language version Listo.gov asks individuals to build an emergency supply kit,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ready.gov/build-a-kit|title=Build A Kit {{!}} Ready.gov|publisher=www.ready.gov|access-date=October 31, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161101041434/https://www.ready.gov/build-a-kit|archive-date=November 1, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> make a family emergency plan<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ready.gov/plan |title=Make A Plan {{!}} Ready.gov|publisher=www.ready.gov|access-date=October 31, 2016}}</ref> and be informed about the different types of emergencies that can occur and how to respond.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ready.gov/about-us|title=About the Ready Campaign {{!}} Ready.gov|publisher=www.ready.gov|access-date=October 31, 2016}}</ref> The campaign messages have been promoted through television, radio, print, outdoor and web PSAs,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.adcouncil.org/Our-Campaigns/Safety/Emergency-Preparedness |title=Emergency Preparedness|newspaper=AdCouncil|access-date=October 31, 2016}}</ref> as well as brochures, toll-free phone lines and the English and Spanish language websites Ready.gov and Listo.gov.

The general campaign aims to reach all Americans, but targeted resources are also available via "Ready Business" for small- to medium-sized business  and "Ready Kids" for parents and teachers of children ages 8–12. In 2015, the campaign also launched a series of PSAs to help the whole community,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7576951-fema-ad-council-emergency-preparedness/ |title=FEMA, Ad Council Launch New PSA Focused on People with Disabilities Preparing for Emergencies|last=Newswire |first=MultiVu - PR|publisher=Multivu|access-date=October 31, 2016}}</ref> people with disabilities and others with access and functional needs prepare for emergencies, which included open captioning, a certified deaf interpreter and audio descriptions for viewers who are blind or have low vision.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ready.gov/myplan|title=Individuals with Disabilities and Others with Access and Functional Needs {{!}} Ready.gov|publisher=ready.gov|access-date=October 31, 2016}}</ref>

===National Incident Management System===
{{Unreferenced section|date=December 2017}}
On March 1, 2004, the [[National Incident Management System]] (NIMS) was created. The stated purpose was to provide a consistent incident management approach for federal, state, local, and tribal governments. Under Homeland Security Presidential Directive-5, all federal departments were required to adopt the NIMS and to use it in their individual domestic incident management and emergency prevention, preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation program and activities.

===National Response Framework===
{{Unreferenced section|date=December 2017}}
In December 2005, the [[National Response Plan]] (NRP) was created, in an attempt to align federal coordination structures, capabilities, and resources into a unified, all-discipline, and all-hazards approach to domestic incident management. The NRP was built on the template of the NIMS.

On January 22, 2008, the [[National Response Framework]] was published in the [[Federal Register]] as an updated replacement of the NRP, effective March 22, 2008.

===Surge Capacity Force===
The Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act directs the DHS Secretary to designate employees from throughout the department to staff a Surge Capacity Force (SCF). During a declared disaster, the DHS Secretary will determine if SCF support is necessary. The secretary will then authorize [[FEMA]] to task and deploy designated personnel from DHS components and other Federal Executive Agencies to respond to extraordinary disasters.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dhs.gov/topic/surge-capacity-force|title=Surge Capacity Force – Homeland Security|access-date=April 18, 2019|date=January 30, 2013}}</ref>

==Cyber-security==
{{See also|Cyber-security regulation}}
The DHS [[National Cyber Security Division]] (NCSD) is responsible for the response system, risk management program, and requirements for cyber-security in the U.S. The division is home to [[United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team|US-CERT]] operations and the [[National Cyber Alert System]].<ref>{{cite web|title=National Cyber Security Division |url=https://www.dhs.gov/xabout/structure/editorial_0839.shtm|publisher=U.S. Department of Homeland Security|access-date=June 14, 2008}}</ref><ref name=CSRDC-FAQ /> The DHS Science and Technology Directorate helps government and private end-users transition to new cyber-security capabilities. This directorate also funds the Cyber Security Research and Development Center, which identifies and prioritizes research and development for NCSD.<ref name=CSRDC-FAQ>{{cite web|title=FAQ: Cyber Security R&D Center|url=http://www.cyber.st.dhs.gov/faq.html|publisher=U.S. Department of Homeland Security S&T Directorate|access-date=June 14, 2008}}</ref> The center works on the Internet's routing infrastructure (the SPRI program) and Domain Name System ([[DNSSEC]]), identity theft and other online criminal activity (ITTC), Internet traffic and networks research (PREDICT datasets and the DETER testbed), Department of Defense and [[HSARPA]] exercises (Livewire and Determined Promise), and wireless security in cooperation with Canada.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ongoing Research and Development|url=http://www.cyber.st.dhs.gov/ongoing.html|publisher=U.S. Department of Homeland Security S&T Directorate|access-date=June 14, 2008}}</ref>

On October 30, 2009, DHS opened the [[National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center]]. The center brings together government organizations responsible for protecting computer networks and networked infrastructure.<ref>AFP-JiJi, "U.S. boots up cybersecurity center", October 31, 2009.</ref>

In January 2017, DHS officially designated state-run election systems as critical infrastructure. The designation made it easier for state and local election officials to get cybersecurity help from the federal government. In October 2017, DHS convened a Government Coordinating Council (GCC) for the Election Infrastructure Subsection with representatives from various state and federal agencies such as the [[Election Assistance Commission]] and [[National Association of Secretaries of State]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://homelandprepnews.com/stories/24771-dhs-partners-convene-government-council-protecting-election-infrastructure/|title=DHS, partners convene for government council on protecting election infrastructure|last=Murtha|first=Alex|date=October 17, 2017|work=Homeland Preparedness News|access-date=December 20, 2017}}</ref>

==Secretaries==
{{main|United States Secretary of Homeland Security#List of secretaries of homeland security}}
To date there have been seven confirmed secretaries of the Department of Homeland Security:<ref>[https://www.dhs.gov/secretaries-homeland-security Secretaries of Homeland Security, dhs.gov]</ref>

* Tom Ridge (January 24, 2003 – February 1, 2005)
* Michael Chertoff (February 15, 2005 – January 21, 2009)
* Janet Napolitano (January 20, 2009 – September 6, 2013)
* Jeh Charles Johnson (December 23, 2013 - January 20, 2017)
* John F. Kelly (January 20, 2017 - July 28, 2017)
* Kirstjen M. Nielsen (December 6, 2017 - April 10, 2019)
* Alejandro Mayorkas (February 1, 2021 - )

==Criticism==
{{See also|Criticism of the United States government#Criticism of agencies|Criticism of the government response to Hurricane Katrina}}

===Excess, waste, and ineffectiveness===
The department has been dogged by persistent criticism over excessive [[bureaucracy]], waste, ineffectiveness and lack of transparency. Congress estimates that the department has wasted roughly $15 billion in failed contracts ({{as of|2008|9|lc=on}}).<ref>{{cite news|first=Dana|last=Hedgpeth|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/16/AR2008091603200_pf.html|title=Congress Says DHS Oversaw $15 Billion in Failed Contracts|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=September 17, 2008|access-date=November 17, 2008}}</ref> In 2003, the department came under fire after the media revealed that [[Laura Callahan]], Deputy [[Chief Information Officer]] at DHS with responsibilities for sensitive national security databases, had obtained her bachelor, masters, and doctorate [[computer science]] degrees through [[Hamilton University]], a [[diploma mill]] in a small town in [[Wyoming]].<ref>[http://www.cbsnews.com/news/diplomas-for-sale-08-11-2004/ Diplomas For Sale] - Retrieved August 5, 2015</ref> The department was blamed for up to $2 billion of waste and fraud after audits by the [[Government Accountability Office]] revealed widespread misuse of government credit cards by DHS employees, with purchases including beer brewing kits, $70,000 of plastic dog booties that were later deemed unusable, boats purchased at double the retail price (many of which later could not be found), and [[iPod]]s ostensibly for use in "data storage".<ref>{{cite news|first=Eric|last=Lipton |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/19/washington/19cards.html|title=Homeland Security Department Is Accused of Credit Card Misuse |work=The New York Times|date=July 19, 2006|access-date=October 31, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Lara|last=Jakes Jordan 
|url=http://www.homelandsecurityweekly.com/news/dhs-credit-fraud-071906/|title=Credit Card Fraud at DHS|publisher=Homeland Security Weekly|date=July 19, 2006|access-date=October 31, 2007|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071017170610/http://www.homelandsecurityweekly.com/news/dhs-credit-fraud-071906/ |archive-date=October 17, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna9353365|title=Government's Katrina credit cards criticized|agency=Associated Press|date=September 15, 2005|access-date=October 31, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Dana |last=Hedgpeth|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/16/AR2008091603200_pf.html|title=Congress says DHS oversaw $15 billion in failed contracts|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=September 17, 2008|access-date=September 17, 2008}}</ref>

A 2015 inspection of IT infrastructure found that the department was running over a hundred computer systems whose owners were unknown, including Secret and Top Secret databases, many with out of date security or weak passwords. Basic security reviews were absent, and the department had apparently made deliberate attempts to delay publication of information about the flaws.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/11/20/homeland_securitys_secret_unpatched_pcs_dbs/|title=Who's running dozens of top-secret unpatched databases? The Dept of Homeland Security|date=November 20, 2015|access-date=January 3, 2016|work=[[The Register]] |last=McCarthy|first=Kieren}}</ref>

===Data mining===
On September 5, 2007, the [[Associated Press]] reported that the DHS had scrapped an anti-terrorism [[data mining]] tool called [[ADVISE]] (Analysis, Dissemination, Visualization, Insight and Semantic Enhancement) after the agency's internal [[inspector general]] found that [[Pilot (experiment)|pilot]] testing of the system had been performed using data on real people without required [[privacy]] safeguards in place.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dhs.gov/xoig/assets/mgmtrpts/OIG_07-56_Jun07.pdf|title=ADVISE Could Support Intelligence Analysis More Effectively|work=pdf file|publisher=DHS|access-date=October 31, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |first=Ryan|last=Singel|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna9353365|title=Homeland Data Tool Needs Privacy Help, Report Says |magazine=Wired|date=March 20, 2007|access-date=October 31, 2007}}</ref> The system, in development at [[Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory|Lawrence Livermore]] and [[Pacific Northwest National Laboratory]] since 2003, has cost the agency $42 million to date. Controversy over the program is not new; in March 2007, the Government Accountability Office stated that "the ADVISE tool could misidentify or erroneously associate an individual with undesirable activity such as [[fraud]], crime or terrorism." Homeland Security's Inspector General later said that ADVISE was poorly planned, time-consuming for analysts to use, and lacked adequate justifications.<ref>{{cite news|first=Michael J.|last=Sniffen|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/05/AR2007090500795_pf.html|title=DHS Ends Criticized Data-Mining Program|newspaper=The Washington Post|agency=Associated Press|date=September 5, 2007|access-date=October 31, 2007}}</ref>

===Fusion centers===
{{Main|Fusion center}}
Fusion centers are terrorism prevention and response centers, many of which were created under a joint project between the Department of Homeland Security and the [[United States Department of Justice|U.S. Department of Justice]]'s Office of Justice Programs between 2003 and 2007. The fusion centers gather information from government sources as well as their partners in the private sector.<ref>Monahan, T. 2009. The Murky World of 'Fusion Centres'. Criminal Justice Matters 75 (1): 20-21.</ref><ref name="bob">{{cite web|url=http://www.securitymanagement.com/article/smashing-intelligence-stovepipes?page=0%2C1 |title=Smashing Intelligence Stovepipes &#124; Security Management |access-date=February 2, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429084443/http://www.securitymanagement.com/article/smashing-intelligence-stovepipes?page=0%2C1 |archive-date=April 29, 2011}}</ref>

They are designed to promote information sharing at the federal level between agencies such as the CIA, FBI, Department of Justice, U.S. military and  state and local level government. {{As of|2009|7|df=US}}, DHS recognized at least seventy-two fusion centers.<ref>[http://www.democracynow.org/2009/7/28/broadcast_exclusive_declassified_docs_reveal_military Report on Fusion Centers] July 29, 2009, Democracy Now</ref> Fusion centers may also be affiliated with an Emergency Operations Center that responds in the event of a disaster.

There are a number of documented criticisms of fusion centers, including relative ineffectiveness at counterterrorism activities, the potential to be used for secondary purposes unrelated to counterterrorism, and their links to violations of civil liberties of American citizens and others.<ref>Monahan, T. and Palmer, N.A. 2009. The Emerging Politics of DHS Fusion Centers. Security Dialogue 40 (6): 617-636.</ref>

David Rittgers of the [[Cato Institute]] notes:

<blockquote>a long line of fusion center and DHS reports labeling broad swaths of the public as a threat to national security. The North Texas Fusion System labeled [[Islam|Muslim]] lobbyists as a potential threat; a DHS analyst in Wisconsin thought both pro- and anti-abortion activists were worrisome; a Pennsylvania homeland security contractor watched environmental activists, [[Tea Party movement|Tea Party]] groups, and a [[Second Amendment to the United States Constitution|Second Amendment]] rally; the Maryland State Police put anti-death penalty and anti-war activists in a federal terrorism database; a fusion center in Missouri thought that all [[Third party (United States)|third-party]] voters and [[Ron Paul]] supporters were a threat ...<ref>Rittgers, David (February 2, 2011) [http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/we%E2%80%99re-all-terrorists-now/ We're All Terrorists Now] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110415064139/http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/we%E2%80%99re-all-terrorists-now/ |date=April 15, 2011}}, [[Cato Institute]]</ref>
</blockquote>

===Mail interception===
In 2006, [[MSNBC]] reported that Grant Goodman, "an 81-year-old retired [[University of Kansas]] history professor, received a letter from his friend in the Philippines that had been opened and resealed with a strip of dark green tape bearing the words "by Border Protection" and carrying the official Homeland Security seal."<ref name="Mail">[[Brock N. Meeks|Meeks, Brock]] (January 6, 2006) [https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna10740935 Homeland Security opening private mail], [[NBC News]]</ref> The letter was sent by a devout Catholic Filipino woman with no history of supporting [[Islamic terrorism]].<ref name="Mail" /> A spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection "acknowledged that the agency can, will and does open mail coming to U.S. citizens that originates from a foreign country whenever it's deemed necessary":

<blockquote>All mail originating outside the United States Customs territory that is to be delivered inside the U.S. Customs territory is subject to Customs examination," says the CBP Web site. That includes personal correspondence.  "All mail means 'all mail,'" said John Mohan, a CBP spokesman, emphasizing the point.<ref name=Mail/>
</blockquote>

The department declined to outline what criteria are used to determine when a piece of personal correspondence should be opened or to say how often or in what volume [[U.S. Customs and Border Protection|Customs]] might be opening mail.<ref name=Mail/>

Goodman's story provoked outrage in the [[blogosphere]],<ref>Cole, John (January 9, 2006) [http://www.balloon-juice.com/2006/01/09/your-mail-free-for-government-inspection/ Your Mail- Free for Government Inspection], ''Balloon Juice''</ref> as well as in the more established media. Reacting to the incident, ''[[Mother Jones (magazine)|Mother Jones]]'' remarked "unlike other prying government agencies, Homeland Security wants you to know it is watching you."<ref>Dees, Diane (January 9, 2006) [http://motherjones.com/mojo/2006/01/department-homeland-security-opens-kansas-professors-mail Department of Homeland Security opens Kansas professor's mail], ''[[Mother Jones (magazine)|Mother Jones]]''</ref> CNN observed "on the heels of the [[NSA warrantless surveillance controversy|NSA wiretapping controversy]], Goodman's letter raises more concern over the balance between privacy and security."<ref>[http://quiz.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0601/12/sitroom.02.html Transcript] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708171125/http://quiz.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0601/12/sitroom.02.html |date=July 8, 2011 }} from ''[[The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer|The Situation Room]]'' (January 12, 2006)</ref>

===Employee morale===
In July 2006, the [[United States Office of Personnel Management|Office of Personnel Management]] conducted a survey of federal employees in all 36 federal agencies on job satisfaction and how they felt their respective agency was headed. DHS was last or near to last in every category including;
*33rd on the talent management index
*35th on the leadership and knowledge management index
*36th on the job satisfaction index
*36th on the results-oriented performance culture index

The low scores were attributed to concerns about basic supervision, management and leadership within the agency. Examples from the survey reveal most concerns are about promotion and pay increase based on merit, dealing with poor performance, rewarding creativity and innovation, leadership generating high levels of motivation in the workforce, recognition for doing a good job, lack of satisfaction with various component policies and procedures and lack of information about what is going on with the organization.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=nation_world&id=5017688|title=Homeland Security employees rank last in job satisfaction survey|publisher=ABC Inc., WLS-TV Chicago|date=February 8, 2007|access-date=October 31, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070318091056/http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=nation_world&id=5017688|archive-date=March 18, 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Bill|last=Conroy|url=http://narcosphere.narconews.com/story/2007/1/31/17296/1136|title=DHS memo reveals agency personnel are treated like "human capital"|publisher=Narco News|date=January 31, 2007|access-date=October 31, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071017163524/http://narcosphere.narconews.com/story/2007/1/31/17296/1136|archive-date=October 17, 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref>

DHS is the only large federal agency to score below 50% in overall survey rankings. It was last of large federal agencies in 2014 with 44.0% and fell even lower in 2015 at 43.1%, again last place.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bestplacestowork.org/BPTW/rankings/overall/large|title=Best Places to Work Agency Rankings|publisher=Partnership for Public Service|access-date=February 22, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160223053744/http://bestplacestowork.org/BPTW/rankings/overall/large|archive-date=February 23, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> DHS continued to rank at the bottom in 2019, prompting congressional inquiries into the problem.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Neal |first1=Jeff |title=Layers of problems drive morale issues at DHS |url=https://federalnewsnetwork.com/commentary/2020/01/layers-of-problems-drive-morale-issues-at-dhs/ |access-date=May 23, 2020 |work=Federal News Network |date=January 16, 2020}}</ref> High work load resulting from chronic staff shortage, particularly in Customs and Border Protection, has contributed to low morale,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Miroff |first1=Nick |title=U.S. customs agency is so short-staffed, it's sending officers from airports to the Mexican border |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-customs-agency-is-so-short-staffed-its-sending-officers-from-airports-to-the-mexican-border/2018/01/18/44420a94-fc77-11e7-a46b-a3614530bd87_story.html |access-date=May 23, 2020 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=January 19, 2018 |language=en}}</ref> as have scandals and intense negative public opinion heightened by immigration policies of the Obama administration.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Fernandez |first1=Manny |last2=Jordan |first2=Miriam |last3=Kanno-Youngs |first3=Zolan |last4=Dickerson |first4=Caitlin |last5=Brinson |first5=Kendrick |title='People Actively Hate Us': Inside the Border Patrol's Morale Crisis |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/15/us/border-patrol-culture.html |access-date=May 23, 2020 |work=The New York Times |date=September 15, 2019}}</ref>

DHS has struggled to retain women, who complain of overt and subtle misogyny.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2017/11/14/women-federal-law-enforcement-male-dominated-244649|title=Federal law enforcement has a woman problem|website=[[Politico]]|date=November 14, 2017 }}</ref>

===MIAC report===
In 2009, the Missouri Information Analysis Center (MIAC) made news for targeting supporters of [[Third party (United States)|third party]] candidates (such as [[Ron Paul]]), anti-abortion activists, and conspiracy theorists as potential [[militia]] members.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/03/23/fusion-centers-expand-criteria-identify-militia-members/ |work=Fox News |title='Fusion Centers' Expand Criteria to Identify Militia Members |date=March 23, 2009 |access-date=December 19, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090803123944/http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/03/23/fusion-centers-expand-criteria-identify-militia-members/ |archive-date=August 3, 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Anti-war activists and Islamic lobby groups were targeted in Texas, drawing criticism from the [[American Civil Liberties Union]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.securitymanagement.com/news/fusion-centers-under-fire-texas-and-new-mexico-005314 |title=Fusion Centers Under Fire in Texas and New Mexico &#124; Security Management |access-date=July 13, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120408205350/http://www.securitymanagement.com/news/fusion-centers-under-fire-texas-and-new-mexico-005314 |archive-date=April 8, 2012 }}</ref>

According to DHS:<ref>Privacy Impact Assessment for the Department of Homeland Security State, Local, and Regional Fusion Center Initiative December 11, 2008 [https://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/privacy/privacy_pia_ia_slrfci.pdf]</ref>

<blockquote>The Privacy Office has identified a number of risks to privacy presented by the fusion center program:
#Justification for fusion centers
#Ambiguous Lines of Authority, Rules, and Oversight
#Participation of the Military and the Private Sector
#Data Mining
#Excessive Secrecy
#Inaccurate or Incomplete Information
#[[Mission creep|Mission Creep]]
</blockquote>

===Freedom of Information Act processing performance===
In the [[Center for Effective Government]] analysis of 15 federal agencies which receive the most [[Freedom of Information Act (United States)|Freedom of Information Act]] (FOIA) requests, published in 2015 (using 2012 and 2013 data), the Department of Homeland Security earned a D+ by scoring 69 out of a possible 100 points, i.e. did not earn a satisfactory overall grade. It also had not updated its policies since the 2007 FOIA amendments.<ref>[http://www.foreffectivegov.org/access-to-information-scorecard-2015/ Making the Grade: Access to Information Scorecard 2015] March 2015, 80 pages, [[Center for Effective Government]], retrieved March 21, 2016</ref>

===Fourteen Words slogan and "88" reference===
In 2018, the DHS was accused of referencing the white nationalist [[Fourteen Words]] slogan in an official document, by using a similar fourteen-worded title, in relation to unlawful immigration and border control:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.salon.com/2018/07/06/did-trump-administration-send-a-coded-signal-to-neo-nazis-maybe-not-but-is-that-reassuring/ |title=Did Trump administration send a coded signal to neo-Nazis? Maybe not — but is that reassuring? |date=July 6, 2018 |website=[[Salon (website)|Salon]]}}</ref>

<blockquote>We Must Secure The Border And Build The Wall To Make America Safe Again.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dhs.gov/news/2018/02/15/we-must-secure-border-and-build-wall-make-america-safe-again |title=We Must Secure The Border And Build The Wall To Make America Safe Again |date=February 15, 2018 |publisher=[[DHS]]}}</ref></blockquote>

Although dismissed by the DHS as a coincidence, both the use of "88" in a document and the similarity to the slogan's phrasing ("We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children"), drew criticism and controversy from several media outlets.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/blakemontgomery/homeland-security-statement-theory |title=Homeland Security Officials Say Claims That Statement Mimics A White Supremacist Slogan Are Merely Conspiracy Theories |date=June 29, 2018 |publisher=[[BuzzFeed]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://forward.com/culture/404371/are-14-and-88-nazi-dog-whistles-in-this-homeland-security-document-or-just/ |title=Are '14' And '88' Nazi Dog Whistles In Border Security Document – Or Just Numbers? |date=June 28, 2018 |publisher=[[The Forward]]}}</ref>

=== Calls for abolition ===
While abolishing the DHS has been proposed since 2011,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/abolish-department-homeland-security|title=Abolish the Department of Homeland Security|first=David|last=Rittgers|date=September 8, 2011|website=Cato Institute|language=en|access-date=July 15, 2019}}</ref> the idea was popularized when [[Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez]] suggested abolishing the DHS in light of the abuses against detained migrants by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection agencies.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2019/07/11/ocasio-cortez-wants-axe-homeland-security-some-conservatives-didnt-want-it-begin-with/|title=Ocasio-Cortez wants to ax Homeland Security. Some conservatives didn't want it to begin with.|last=Iati|first=Marisa|date=July 11, 2019|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=July 11, 2019}}</ref>

In 2020, the DHS was criticized for detaining [[George Floyd protests in Portland, Oregon|protesters in Portland, Oregon]].  It even drew rebuke from the department's first secretary Tom Ridge who said, "It would be a cold day in hell before I would consent to an uninvited, unilateral intervention into one of my cities”.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://triblive.com/news/world/ex-dhs-secretary-tom-ridge-it-would-be-a-cold-day-in-hell-before-personal-militia-would-be-welcomed-uninvited-in-pa/|title=Ex-DHS Secretary Tom Ridge: 'It would be a cold day in hell' before 'personal militia' would be welcomed uninvited in Pa. &#124; TribLIVE.com|website=triblive.com|date=July 21, 2020}}</ref>

On August 10, 2020, in an opinion article for ''USA Today'' by [[Anthony D. Romero]], the [[ACLU]] called for the dismantling of DHS over the [[2020 deployment of federal forces in the United States|deployment of federal forces]] in July 2020 during the Portland protests.<ref>{{cite web|last=Romero|first=Anthony D.|date=August 10, 2020|title=Dismantle the Department of Homeland Security. Its tactics are fearsome: ACLU director|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/08/09/dhs-portland-civil-liberties-abuses-black-lives-matter-homeland-column/3319009001/|access-date=August 10, 2020|website=USA TODAY|language=en-US}}</ref>

=== ACLU lawsuit ===
In December 2020, ACLU filed a lawsuit against the DHS, U.S. CBP and U.S. ICE, seeking the release of their records of purchasing cellphone location data. ACLU alleges that this data was used to track U.S. citizens and immigrants and is seeking to discover the full extent of the alleged surveillance.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Zakrzewski|first=Cat|date=December 2, 2020|title=The Technology 202: ACLU sues DHS over purchase of cellphone location data used to track immigrants|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/12/02/technology-202-aclu-sues-dhs-over-purchase-cellphone-location-data-used-track-immigrants/|access-date=December 2, 2020|newspaper=The Washington Post|language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Nejwa Ali controversy ===
The DHS came under fire from pro-Israel politicians in October 2023 for employing Nejwa Ali, who supported [[Hamas]] following its deadly terror attack against Israel. Her social media posts were first reported on by the ''[[Daily Wire]]'' and the ''[[Washington Examiner]]'' reported on Ali being placed on administrative leave.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kaminsky |first=Gabe |date=October 18, 2023 |title=Biden DHS official placed on leave after pro-Palestinian ties revealed |pages=2–3 |work=The Washington Examiner |url=https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/defense-national-security/dhs-official-leave-worked-plo |access-date=October 24, 2023}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|United States}}
*[[Container Security Initiative]]
*[[E-Verify]]
*[[Electronic System for Travel Authorization]]
*[[Emergency Management Institute]]
* [[History of homeland security in the United States]]
*[[Homeland Security USA]]
*[[Homeland security grant]]
*[[Home Office]], equivalent department in the United Kingdom
*[[List of state departments of homeland security]]
*[[National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center]] (NBACC), Ft Detrick, MD
*[[National Interoperability Field Operations Guide]]
*[[National Strategy for Homeland Security]]
*[[Project Hostile Intent]]
*[[Public Safety Canada]], equivalent department in Canada
*[[Shadow Wolves]]
*[[Terrorism in the United States]]
*[[United States visas]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Bullock, Jane, George Haddow, and Damon P. Coppola. ''Introduction to homeland security: Principles of all-hazards risk management'' (Butterworth-Heinemann, 2011)
* Ramsay, James D.  et al. ''Theoretical Foundations of Homeland Security: Strategies, Operations, and Structures'' (Routledge, 2021)
* Sylves, Richard T. ''Disaster policy and politics: Emergency management and homeland security'' (CQ press, 2019).

===Primary sources===
* United States. Office of Homeland Security. ''National strategy for homeland security'' (DIANE Publishing, 2002) [https://books.google.com/books?id=VG-lrcOGyM8C&dq=Homeland&pg=PR7 online].

==External links==
*{{Commons category-inline}}
*{{wikisource portal-inline}}
* {{Official website}}
* [https://www.usaspending.gov/agency/department-of-homeland-security Department of Homeland Security] on [[Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006|USAspending.gov]]
* [https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/homeland-security-department DHS] in the ''[[Federal Register]]''

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