Structure




The Department of Homeland Security is headed by the Secretary of Homeland Security with the assistance of the Deputy Secretary. The department contains the components listed below.

Subordinate agency Title of head or leader Incumbent
Management Directorate Under Secretary Randolph D. "Tex" Alles (acting)
Science and Technology Directorate Under Secretary William Bryan (acting)
Office of Intelligence and Analysis Under Secretary none as of August 3, 2020
Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans Under Secretary Chad Wolf
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Mark Koumans (acting)
United States Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Karl L. Schultz
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Mark A. Morgan (acting)
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director vacant
Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Pete Gaynor
Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers Director Thomas J. Walters
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Matthew Albence (acting)
United States Secret Service Director James M. Murray
Transportation Security Administration Administrator David Pekoske
Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office Assistant Secretary Gary Rasicot (acting)
Office of Legislative Affairs Assistant Secretary Christine M. Ciccone
Office of Partnership and Engagement Assistant Secretary John H. Hill
Office of Public Affairs Assistant Secretary Heather N. Swift (acting)
Joint Requirements Council Executive Director Joseph D. Wawro
Office of Operations Coordination Director Christopher J. Tomney
Privacy Office Chief Privacy Officer Jonathan Cantor (acting)
Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman Director Julie Kirchner
Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Officer Cameron Quinn
Office of the Inspector General Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari
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:
  1. 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
  2. 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:
  1. 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.
  2. 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 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:

  • 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: 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
  • 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

In an August 5, 2002 speech, President Bush said: "We are fighting ... to secure freedom in the homeland." 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". Also unprecedented was the use, from 2002, of the phrase "the homeland" by White House spokespeople.

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