Question: who is the head of the department of homeland security 2017?
Answer: Kirstjen Nielsen

The current Secretary of Homeland Security is Kirstjen Nielsen following the appointment of the then - incumbent secretary , John F. Kelly , to the post of White House Chief of Staff by President Donald Trump . It was announced on October 12 , 2017 , that Kirstjen Nielsen was nominated as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security by President Donald Trump . She was confirmed by the Senate on December 5 , 2017 .