Portal:Department of Homeland Security

Department of Homeland Security

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is the U.S. federal executive department responsible for public security, roughly comparable to the 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.

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, DHS is the third-largest Cabinet department, after the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs. Homeland security policy is coordinated at the White House by the Homeland Security Council. Other agencies with significant homeland security responsibilities include the departments of Health and Human Services, Justice, and Energy.

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Organization

Subordinate agency	Title of head or leader
Management Directorate	Under Secretary
Science and Technology Directorate	Under Secretary
Office of Intelligence and Analysis	Under Secretary
Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans	Under Secretary
Office of the General Counsel	General Counsel
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services	Director
United States Coast Guard	Commandant
U.S. Customs and Border Protection	Commissioner
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency	Director
Federal Emergency Management Agency	Administrator
Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers	Director
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement	Director
United States Secret Service	Director
Transportation Security Administration	Administrator
Domestic Nuclear Detection Office	Assistant Secretary
Office of Legislative Affairs	Assistant Secretary
Office of Partnership and Engagement	Assistant Secretary
Office of Public Affairs	Assistant Secretary
Joint Requirements Council	Executive Director
Office of Operations Coordination	Director
Privacy Office	Chief Privacy Officer
Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman	Director
Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties	Officer
Office of the Inspector General	Inspector General

Agencies

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:

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 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: 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
Directorate for Science and Technology: Research and development
- Command, Control and Interoperability Division: Responsible for developing systems for strengthening interoperability between different government divisions.
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
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, 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