United States Department of Homeland Security

DHS seal

DHS flag

The **United States 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 in 2003, 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.

## Function

While 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. 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: Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Citizenship and Immigration Services. The investigative divisions and intelligence gathering units of the INS and Customs Service were merged forming Homeland Security Investigations, the primary investigative arm of DHS. Additionally, the border enforcement functions of the INS, including the U.S. Border Patrol, the 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 falls under the National Protection and Programs Directorate.

## Structure

### 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.
	+ Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) enforces administrative violations of the 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.
* 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: The agency that oversees the federal government's response to natural disasters like earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, forest fires.

### 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 Centers: 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.
* Directorate for Science and Technology: Research and development
* 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 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
* Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency

### Office of the Secretary

* 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
* Office of the Executive Secretariat
* Military Advisor's Office