Homeland Security Department

IDENTIFICATION: Federal cabinet-level department that coordinates the work of twenty-two separate agencies

SIGNIFICANCE: The Homeland Security Department encourages active communication and collaboration among its numerous agencies and organizations to meet the department’s primary goal of improving the security of the United States against possible terrorist attacks and natural disasters.

After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania, a massive reorganization of 180,000 federal employees from twenty-two different agencies was proposed by President George W. Bush and authorized by the Homeland Security Act of 2002. This controversial restructuring unified a sprawling federal network of institutions and organizations into the Homeland Security Department to better protect against terrorist threats, as well as natural and accidental disasters throughout the United States and its territories. The enormous consolidation merged major agencies such as the US Border Patrol, Immigration and Naturalization Service, Secret Service, Coast Guard, Customs Service, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and Transportation Security Administration under a single cabinet-level department on March 1, 2003.

With a proposed budget in 2005 of more than $40 billion, the department was tasked with overseeing and managing the daily operations of protecting national targets, coordinating domestic intelligence, preparedness, research initiatives, and monitoring the flow of trade and legal immigration across all US ports of entry. Agencies in the Homeland Security Department are divided among four major divisions: Border and Transportation Security, Emergency Preparedness and Response, Science and Technology, and Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection.

Borders, Transportation, and National Preparedness

The Homeland Security Department’s Border and Transportation directorate oversees security and management of immigration, borders, and transportation operations in the United States. Its Citizenship and Immigration Services branch (USCIS) provides all services and benefits relating to immigration. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) serves as the enforcement agency and oversees the legal entry of goods, services, and persons into and out of ports of entry.

The Federal Protective Service is charged with protecting all federal buildings and installations. Another major responsibility of this directorate includes the monitoring of transportation systems by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). With an estimated 11 million trucks, 2 million road cars, and 55,000 calls on ports per year, the TSA has the enormous task of protecting and monitoring all forms of transit, including air travel, across the country. Also working closely with other agencies in this directorate are the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the Office of Domestic Preparedness, and the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC).

The federal Emergency Preparedness and Response directorate combines agencies from the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). These agencies now collectively deal with emergency disaster planning and response. Through grants provided to state and local response personnel such as police, fire, rescue, and medical response teams, this division ensures adequate training, equipment, and planning for emergencies.

A central component of preparedness planning involves coordinating large-scale hypothetical disaster drills across communities to test their readiness for attacks using nuclear and biological weapons and attacks with weapons of mass destruction. Other agencies under this directorate focus on the stockpiling of drugs to treat biochemical assaults and training medical workers on how to treat victims. Domestic Emergency Response Teams and the National Domestic Preparedness Office work with FEMA and other agencies to develop comprehensive strategies for planning, prevention, response to and recovery from acts of terrorism and to assist when natural disasters strike.

Scientific Advancement and Threat Assessment

All available technological and scientific antiterrorism groups across the federal government were combined under the Science and Technology directorate of the Homeland Security Department. These organizations work together and provide states with federal guidelines regarding responses to weapons of mass destruction. By merging resources, labs, and scientific knowledge formerly scattered across the Departments of Energy, Agriculture, and Defense, the Homeland Security Department tries to assist local and state public safety officials in developing sound plans to monitor and defend their communities.

The final group included in the Homeland Security Department is that of the Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection directorate. Its agencies gather and analyze information from many national agencies and then issue threat assessment warnings to US citizens and targets. The Homeland Security Advisory System issues these warnings to specific and general targets and encourages continuous public vigilance. The Advisory System also provides information to local and state authorities, the private sector, and international partners as intelligence is received.

A color-coded threat level system is used to communicate the perceived danger to the public and has been activated when threats have been discovered. These warnings attempt to protect important infrastructure systems that are most prone to attack, including food, water, health, emergency, and telecommunications systems. Using a federal television campaign, the Homeland Security Department has also encouraged Americans to make family emergency plans in the case of a terrorist attack or natural disaster. This system was phased out and simplified in 2011 as the National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS). The NTAS now uses two tiers: bulletins and alerts. Bulletins announce general trends in threats to the American public, while alerts identify and warn against verified threats. These are issued to the media, posted to the Department of Homeland Security website, and the DHS's social media outlets.

Additional Agencies and Initiatives

In addition to Homeland Security Department’s four directories, the US Coast Guard and Secret Service are also part of the Homeland Security Department. The Coast Guard monitors the coastal and interstate waters of the United States and its territories, assists other agencies in the prevention of the illegal entry of aliens and contraband, and provides rescue missions and aid to vessels in distress.

The Secret Service also remains intact under the Homeland Security Department and reports directly to the secretary of Homeland Security. First established in 1865, the Secret Service was initially created to protect against counterfeit currency. Perhaps the service’s most visible role includes its responsibility for protecting former, current, and elected presidents and vice presidents, along with their immediate families. The service also protects major political candidates, visiting diplomats, and other high-ranking government officials. The Secret Service Uniformed Division has also guarded the grounds of the White House since 1860. Other initiatives of the department focus on potential threats to banking and finance systems, health and safety of citizens, and the monitoring of potential targets and intelligence across the world.

In an attempt to expand collaboration among federal, state, and local governments, as well as organizations in the private sector, the Homeland Security Department is building a coalition of organizations that are linked together by a computer-based counterterrorism communications network. In 2005, the Homeland Security Information Network linked agencies in more than fifty major cities, all fifty states, Washington, DC, and five US territories through a state-of-the-art computer communication system. This system relays sensitive, nonclassified information to more than one hundred different agencies and approximately one thousand users who share a joint counterterrorism mission.

Future expansion of this project targets including smaller agencies at county levels and private businesses and sharing classified information among cleared parties. This system aims to offer real-time information across geographical regions and between public and private sectors in order better to identify, share, and respond to terrorist threats.

Future Challenges

In 2024, the DHS announced plans to confront the growing threat of cyberattacks. Homeland Security planned to protect democratic institutions, including those outside the executive branch, as well as government networks and supply chains. It was also preparing to foresee challenges that may arise because of emerging technologies such as the transition to post-quantum encryption algorithms. The DHS was planning to combat human trafficking, which in 2024 had an estimated 27.6 million victims throughout the world, with more than one million in the United States. Facing unprecedented threats to election integrity was also a priority. These threats have emerged largely because of technological advancements. Among the DHS's other priorities were bail reform, police accountability, and the impact of pretrial detention on marginalized communities.

Bibliography

Brzezinski, Matthew. Fortress America: On the Frontline of Homeland Security—An Inside Look at the Coming Surveillance State. New York: Bantam, 2004. Print.

"The Evolution of National Laboratories and Homeland Securities." Science and Technology, the US Department of Homeland Security, 23 Aug. 2023, www.dhs.gov/science-and-technology/news/2023/08/23/feature-article-evolution-national-laboratories-and-homeland-security. Accessed 5 July 2024.

Flynn, Stephen. America the Vulnerable: How Our Government Is Failing to Protect Us. New York: HarperCollins, 2004. Print.

Kettl, Donald F. Department of Homeland Security’s First Year: A Report Card. New York: Century Foundation, 2004. Print.

Mena, Jesus. Homeland Security: Techniques and Technologies. Hingham: Charles River Media, 2004. Print.

"Navigating the Future of Homeland Security and Criminal Justice: From 9/11 to Tomorrow." Science & Technology, 23 Aug. 2023, www.stjohns.edu/news-media/johnnies-blog/future-of-homeland-security-criminal-justice. Accessed 5 July 2024.

White, Jonathan R. Defending the Homeland: Domestic Intelligence Law Enforcement and Security. Stamford: Wadsworth, 2003. Print.