An official website of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Future enforcement activities need to be balanced within broader department goals of safety and service and focused exclusively where DHS is the lead actor rather than in areas in which other federal agenciessuch as, for example, the DOJplay a leading role. Rudy deLeon is a senior fellow with the National Security and International Policy team at the Center. USCIS United States Coast Guard (USCG) USCG is the only military organization within DHS and protects the maritime economy and the environment, defends our maritime borders, and saves those at risk. Abolishing DHS and returning its components to where they came from is neither politically feasible nor wise, and giving DHS more resources and responsibility without substantive changes will do little to fix the departments underlying problems. Tom Ridge (R) was appointed to be the first director of the White House Office of Homeland Security and charged with overseeing and coordinating a comprehensive national strategy to prevent future terrorist attacks on the country.11 Although President George W. Bush initially believed that the federal government could better ensure the safety of Americans with a strong homeland security council managed by the White House, he later transmitted his department proposal to the U.S. House of Representatives on June 18, 2002; one of the most determined early proponents of the department was Joe Lieberman, then a Democratic senator from Connecticut. if(subscribe.checkValidity()) { A full list of supporters is available here. Katrina Mulligan is the acting vice president for National Security and International Policy at the Center. It would also provide a framework through which officials could then turn to reforming the structure of DHS, to determine which elements of the agency need to stay within DHS and which may better fit within other parts of the bureaucracy. But the benefits of removing these problematic entities would be well worth the cost in bureaucratic coordination and would help move toward significant reforms in the immigration system that are long overdue. Here's how you know ET, Twitter, available at, These sectors include the chemical sector; commercial facilities; communications; critical manufacturing; dams; defense industrial base; emergency services; energy; financial services; food and agriculture; government facilities; health care and public health; information technology; nuclear records; materials and waste; transportation systems; and water and wastewater systems. While the department still has an important role to play in preventing attacks against the United States from abroad, many of todays most serious risks to Americas safety and prosperityincluding natural disasters, pandemic disease, cyberattacks, and domestic extremism fueled by white supremacyoriginate at home or are borderless by nature. DHS could also develop better warning and prediction systems that enable a more proactive federal response and assistance presence. Since the creation of DHS, challenges related to the foundations of the department and its operations have inhibited its performance. The Biden administration should also work with Congress to significantly increase resources in future appropriations toward the secretarys front office to be more commensurate with the bureaucracys size and scope, ideally through reallocations within the existing budget. Even the Secret Service, which focuses largely on protecting elected leaders, plays an important role in ensuring public safety at National Special Security Events, playing a safety and services role that is critical to working with local communities across the nation on events of critical or high-visibility importance.78, In contrast, components such as the FPS and ICE are examples of DHS components that are primarily focused on enforcing federal laws and should not remain in a reimagined DHS. The Office of the Secretary oversees DHSs work to enhance security, protect cyberspace, administer immigration and respond to disasters. Others believe DHS is absent today and falls short in serving Americans safety and security needs. Secretary Deputy Secretary Chief of Staff Immediate Office of the Secretary (IOS) Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs (IEA) Office of the Secretary Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration (ASA) A more ambitious approach would involve making the protection of personal information and privacy a core DHS mission, assigning DHS the lead federal agency for protecting the privacy of U.S. persons information. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. A limited law and immigration enforcement role would focus DHS enforcement activities only on areas where they assist the support and services model and where other federal agencies and bureaucracies do not have a leading role to play. DHS should take a broader view of what it means to keep the nation secure and adapt its mission and activities accordingly. Established in 2003, the Department of Homeland Security was largely defined by the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and the response to those tragic events continues to shape the priorities and mission of the department today. Mr. Price has more than two decades of federal law enforcement experience. CAP believes that DHS should take a broader view of what it means to keep the nation secure. At the same time, DHS should step back from roles where it is neither needed nor best suited. This structure is often mapped out in an organizational chart, which visually represents how each position within the company relates to each other. !f1!Belqe0-{eQ%!Fq\\O!CaOL9'tMf1lPEM>HsU ^4!ha.p5Gu+24r3eG~u!P A=hu3~>i8o5 B@bVBiKdY)VY;V!8a&6 e.b*T The Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) is the civilian national intelligence component of the United States Department of Homeland Security and one of two statutory members of the United States Intelligence Community (IC) within DHS, the other being Coast Guard Intelligence.It is the only member of the IC tasked with providing intelligence to State, Local, Tribal and Territorial (SLTT . DHS policy has expanded the categories of records collected to include social media handles, aliases, associated identifiable information, and search results.22 DHS has also launched a new system, the Customs and Border Protection Intelligence Records System (CIRS), to aggregate immigration, law enforcement, national security, and publicly available dataincluding social mediain a central database.23. FEMA recently covered DHS logos on vehicles used for vaccine distribution after concerns that the urban community it was targeting would refuse services from the department.69. endstream endobj 697 0 obj <>/Metadata 35 0 R/OCProperties<>/OCGs[702 0 R]>>/PageLabels 692 0 R/PageLayout/OneColumn/Pages 694 0 R/PieceInfo<>>>/StructTreeRoot 49 0 R/Type/Catalog>> endobj 698 0 obj <>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text]>>/Rotate 0/StructParents 0/Tabs/S/Type/Page>> endobj 699 0 obj <>stream Successive administrations have continued to interpret DHSs mission as primarily focused on protecting the homeland from threats from abroad. By investing in its role to connect with federal, state, and local partners and with the private sector and civil society, DHS can add unique value to the nation, managing risk while also ensuring economic prosperity and upholding American values. )M&bmVAi[-yH]R$[T >sp6Ih9}gOEj@0!C~oB?gc&q c)m1sm4`8RD? During the Trump administration, however, the focus of DHS shifted squarely toward heavy-handed enforcement designed to terminate access to the country for asylum-seekers.48 The Biden administration has taken a different approach to border management and is beginning to reverse policies and repair the damage made to the immigration and asylum systems during the Trump administration.49 However, many challenges persist and demonstrate the need for a reorientation of cultural norms at DHS. Consistent with this emphasisand with the affirmative vision that CAP previously put forth of a more fair, humane, and workable immigration system that would rebalance immigration enforcementICE is primarily a law enforcement agency, and as such its responsibilities should be transferred out of DHS.87. ] DHS I&A has long focused diffusely, to the detriment of focusing more precisely where it can make unique contributions. Organization Organization The list of all Operational and Support Components that make up the Department along with our organization chart and the list of senior leadership. Moreover, a dedicated, proactive focus on helping the public may provide a useful shift in DHSs public perceptionsomething sorely needed after the enforcement-heavy reputation it acquired during the Trump administration. Pandemics can uproot daily life and economic security when border-screening measures fail to halt early transmission. DHS provides high-quality, affordable health care coverage and public health services to Wisconsin residents. Xs~_7^{$}UAe5u)haU8vP6179kqZ>95[6No4%OcE6:&v+ yz USCG United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) To meet the challenges of today, the Biden administration and Congress should reform the Department of Homeland Security around a mission that highlights safety and services alongside its traditional protecting roles. A change in policies alone will not achieve the goal of building a fair, humane, and workable immigration system. Organization Organization The list of all Operational and Support Components that make up the Department along with our organization chart and the list of senior leadership. 2i{,g%_,=@,(}H30h*cD@ J But it is time for DHS to focus on the missions and activities that it is uniquely capable of carrying out, and for which it, rather than other agencies, is the natural lead. This fractured structure makes it nearly impossible for DHS headquarters leaders to manage the department effectively or efficiently.36 CAP has joined the Atlantic Council and the CNAS in calling for consolidated oversight of DHS.37 In addition, six former secretaries and acting secretaries of homeland security recently signed a letter to congressional leadership calling for the House and Senate to consolidate congressional oversight of DHS in a single authorizing committeeas is done for other departments such as the Department of Defense.38 A more streamlined structure under one authorizing and one appropriating committeesuch as that governing the Pentagon post-Goldwater-Nichols reform, where oversight was centralized under the Armed Services committeeswould allow lawmakers to more effectively oversee the broad range of the departments activities and ensure they are properly balanced against the agencys overall priorities.39 The recent memorandum of understanding announced by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is a welcome step toward improving oversight coordination among the various committees that have jurisdiction over DHS, but more work is needed to centralize authority under the Committee on Homeland Security in the House and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs in the Senate.40. The organizational chart for DHS suggests that the secretary and deputy secretary are responsible for overseeing 23 separate bureaus and agencies ranging in size from the Office of Public Affairs to the entire U.S. Coast Guard to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which has 65,000 employees.41 Yet the resources for the secretary of DHS pale in comparison to those of other federal agencies: The State Departments Office of the Secretary had some $57 million for FY 2019 and 75 employees to oversee a bureaucracy of 70,000 personnel while DHSs had just $19 million for FY 2018 and 68 employees for a bureaucracy of 240,000.42 Studies by the Atlantic Council and the CNAS recently proposed the creation of an associate secretary position to improve coordination and management at the highest levels of the department.43 While more bureaucracy is not always the answer, the current secretarys office does not have the personnel, resources, or authority to effectively lead a department of DHSs size today. DHS Assistant Secretary of Operations - Dulce Quintero. Attachment(s): CBP, under DHS, is charged with functions that range from countering terrorism, securing the border, and facilitating trade and travel. Observers across the political spectrum have argued that, in the rush to stand up a new department, disparate components of the federal bureaucracy were shoe-horned into DHS, with mixed results.6 Todays DHS claims a role in most national security issuesand a number of issues that fall outside of national securitybut there are few areas where DHS leads the governments response and even fewer where it does so well and without controversy. For example, CBP could greatly benefit from specialized training of its Border Patrol agents to initiate a cultural change of its workforce and prepare them to handle asylum-seekers at the border humanely and fairly. endstream endobj startxref It also identifies opportunities to reform the factors that hinder DHS from being maximally effective in providing value to the nation. The departments founding mission to prevent another 9/11-style attack continues to influence its outsize focus on counterterrorismdespite the fact that DHSs ability to prevent terrorism is limited, and entities such as the FBI and NCTC are often in the lead statutorily. The Department of Health Services (DHS) is one of the largest state agencies in Wisconsin, with an annual budget of roughly $15 billion and more than 6,300 employees. The TSAs Federal Air Marshal Service provides additional passenger safety on commercial passenger flights. These agenciesespecially CBP and ICEcenter their focus and activities around the law enforcement aspects of their functions. In 2017 and with overwhelming bipartisan support, the House of Representatives passed H.R. CAP also recognizes that the safety and services framework proposed will, in many areas, be enabled by the departments threat management capabilities. Mara Rudman, Rudy deLeon, Joel Martinez, 5 More Field offices that manage disaster response and recovery in disaster locations. Homeland Security Investigations. Six former secretaries and acting secretaries of DHS recently advocated for consolidation under a single authorizing committee in each chamber, warning that achieving other needed reforms to the department is not possible with fragmented jurisdiction.83 Congressionally driven efforts to improve oversight coordination, such as the Goldwater-Nichols reforms of the Pentagon,84 significantly improved that departments functioning and enabled better oversight to secure U.S. national interests. Looking for U.S. government information and services? Experienced Military Veteran and Quality Assurance professional with a demonstrated history of working in government, hospital, acute health care settings, and private physician based . Despite being hamstrung by political leaders, some DHS officials nonetheless publicly reassured the nation that there was no evidence any foreign adversary was capable of preventing Americans from voting or changing vote tallies.63 Such steps were critical to maintaining credibility in the elections. American Progress would like to acknowledge the many generous supporters who make our work possible. Acronym Glossary hVN0/K Since no part of Congress authorizes the entire departmentwide functions, DHSs appropriators have largely become the subcommittees of de facto jurisdiction over the department. Citizenship and Immigration Services and also held positions at Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles, Pepperdine University, Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection, The San Diego County District Attorney's Office, Christian Legal Aid of Los Angeles, Bentley, GRID . Alexandra Schmitt is a senior policy analyst on the National Security and International Policy team at the Center. DHS could also play an important role in countering disinformation in partnership with the State Departments Global Engagement Center. With these adjustments, DHS will be able to execute a clear mission, which includes delivering immigration and asylum services effectively, honoring historic American values as a refuge for those seeking sanctuary from repression and injustice while keeping the nation safe. These. FEMA declared an emergency and allowed Texans to apply for federal assistance for storm recovery,71 but a more proactive responsewith better cooperation at the state and local levelmight have prevented such severe destruction from occurring in the first place. Hiring surges in the DHS workforceincluding recently during the Trump administrations expansion of the law enforcement officer rankshave led to significant workforce growth at DHS in a short period of time.59 In some cases, this growth was accompanied by poor quality control in hiring: Investigations following hiring surges in ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have shown that following these large influxes of new hires, cases of corruption and misconduct spiked.60 Going forward, DHS has the opportunity to better align its human capital to meet current needs. At a minimum, this would mean elevating the CRCL officereven while remaining operationally independent to oversee complaints related to civil rights and civil libertiesto an assistant secretary level, with a seat at the management table, to be able to more directly influence agencywide decision-making. =#|pl&m">+s\e4*O^N\.2%u%jkhJ{KZ":9-b@>o@XT!Ke?. Official websites use .gov (October 1, 1986), available at, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Pelosi Announces Agreement on Committee Jurisdiction Regarding Department of Homeland Security., Scott Shuchart, Building Meaningful Civil Rights and Liberties Oversight at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (Washington: Center for American Progress, 2019), available at. DHS is committed to protecting and promoting the health and safety of the people of Wisconsin, making sure everyone can live their best life. These efforts have been at some times political and at other times reactive rather than grounded in a clear articulation of DHSs role within the federal bureaucracy. Om//~0V#j&I."R!,rP_fnme0KE(BG A full list of supporters is available, Taking Migration Seriously: Real Solutions to Complex Challenges at the Border, 3 Things to Know Now that President Biden Has Canceled At Least $10,000 in Student Debt, Rising Anti-China Sentiment in South Korea Offers Opportunities To Strengthen US-ROK Relations, Why the United States Must Stay the Course on Ukraine, Paid Leave Policies Must Include Chosen Family, The Killing of Tyre Nichols Must Serve as a Catalyst to Root Out Racial Injustice in Policing, 5 Ways Governors and Mayors Can Leverage Federal Investments. I&A should reduce or eliminate its efforts to provide strategic intelligence on counterterrorism trends that are well covered by other departments and agencies. Most notably, DHSs vetting activitiesincluding the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS), viewed by many as a Muslim registry29have faced persistent claims of religious and racial bias. The following are the three main steps of organizational change: 1.. Silva Mathema is the acting director of Immigration Policy at the Center. CBP and the TSA are primarily focused on enabling the safe and secure movement of goods and people and have narrow law enforcement roles that enable these primary missions. Finally, I&A should develop intelligence from those partners to share with the rest of the IC, within the appropriate guardrails of civil liberties and privacy protections against stereotypes and biased profiling. DHS has the potential to meet todays moment. Carrie Cordero from the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) has written extensively on the need for enhanced oversight and accountability to address the growth in size and scope of DHSs activities.32 As Cordero argued, there is a persistent mismatch between DHSs foundational statutory mission and its day-to-day operations. Border Patrol agents, for example, would be focused on addressing border issues rather than being deployed in places such as Portland as Federal Protective Service (FPS) personnel. DHS officials should conduct a human capital needs assessment, properly screen individuals with ties to extremist groups, and ensure department personnel receive adequate training before they are sent into the field. And its operations have inhibited its performance fail to halt early transmission, challenges related to the foundations the. Security and International Policy team at the same time, dhs should take a broader view what... Organizational chart, which visually represents how each position within the company relates to each other absent today and short... In partnership with the National Security and International Policy at the Center Joel... Site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms Service. 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