what is the organizational structure of dhs

Without such a mechanism, America lacks critical information on threats that could be mitigated, and the government is unable to enlist the capacity of American businesses and the American people in its threat response. These recommendations include: 1) provide experts for all five missions of the QHSR as part of homeland security personnel, 2) improve information sharing, 3) acquire closer relationships between local, state . And while I&A should redouble its efforts to facilitate the communication of threat information between partners, it should not conduct intelligence activities that are beyond the scope of its authorities. Department leadership should work to clearly set limits on enforcement activities and constrain them appropriately to ensure past mistakes and abuses are not repeated and work with Congress to codify these restrictions. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS There is no other department with DHSs range of flexible authorities and unique capacity to respond to these issues and others that fall between the gaps of responsibilities of other federal departments and agencies. As the department expands what it means to keep the nation secure, DHS should reimagine its role in protecting personal information and privacy. As DHS as a whole intensifies focus on safety and service, law enforcement efforts should occur within this context rather than as the primary mission. False and damaging disinformation about the security of the 2020 general election caused millions of Americans to question the election results and led to a violent attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021. DHS intelligence activities, at one time derided as being uncoordinated and duplicative of work being done elsewhere, have more recently raised concerns that DHS was acting beyond its already broad authorities. Experienced Military Veteran and Quality Assurance professional with a demonstrated history of working in government, hospital, acute health care settings, and private physician based . DHS could also play an important role in countering disinformation in partnership with the State Departments Global Engagement Center. In each of the cases outlined below, there is another federal agency or office charged with a similar or identical mission that is better equipped to fulfill it or the current tasks do not fit todays needs. Recognizing the challenges DHS faces, the department remains critical to the safety and well-being of many. DHS regularly interacts withand collects information onAmericans and U.S. persons in the routine course of its duties. In these and other areas, DHS should lead the federal governments efforts to connect nonfederal officials with their counterparts in the federal government and should use those relationships to advance safety and security. The current administration should evaluate how much of this realignment can be done within existing statutory functions and what requires congressional assistance and legislation. dataLayer.push({"event": "signup_submit", "form_detail":"enSubscribeSlideUp"}); Reform of the agencyand decisions about its future size and scope of responsibilitiesshould begin not with a catalog of DHSs deficiencies but rather with an analysis of Americas homeland security needs. In this role, he leads more than 60,000 employees and ensures the advancement of the agency's mission, strategic objectives, and related Administration priorities. He is responsible for overseeing the organization's contracting functions with a focus on integrity and positive impact. 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 . This report also reflects the collective work of numerous researchers, analysts, and experts across the Center for American Progress. Some law enforcement functions are compatible with a safety and services model at DHS. American Progress would like to acknowledge the many generous supporters who make our work possible. Establishing a clear, narrowly tailored intelligence mission for DHS would help ensure that DHSs intelligence activities are lawful and useful, are shaped to achieve congressionally authorized goals, and are not violating the rights ofor being used to unfairly targetmarginalized or at-risk populations. Since the creation of DHS, challenges related to the foundations of the department and its operations have inhibited its performance. For large organizations like the DHS, managing IT and finding ways for disparate systems to work together can be a complicated task; doing so while supporting government operations means that the stakes can be even higher and the consequences more widespread. At the same time, past mistakes in prevention-based programs have been well documented, and a more proactive government approach must carefully consider potential risks to civil rights and liberties when designing programs to counter violent extremism of any ideological bent.54. 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. 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. ` " 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. , an advocacy organization dedicated to improving the lives of all Americans. Including disaster relief, DHSs budget was more than $88 billion last fiscal yeartriple its size 20 years ago and almost triple the DOJs annual budget of $32.4 billion last year.14. At the same time, there is a clear need for strengthened protections and safeguards for civil liberties and privacy to prevent abusessuch as those DHS has committed in the pastwhereby religious, racial, ethnic, and migrant communities are disproportionately affected or targeted by such threat-sharing. It is critical to consider the following questions: What should be the primary focus of the department? Recent examples include DHSs yearslong battle with the DOJ over which agency has the lead for transnational organized crime; tensions with the FBI and the IC over foreign influence and election interference roles and responsibilities;57 turf battles over cybersecurity jurisdiction between DHSs CISA and the National Security Agency;58 and persistent questions about the focus and utility of DHSs intelligence unit. DHS should reduce its TOC efforts and transfer investigative leads and other TOC activities to the DOJ. Seizing the opportunity to reimagine what it means to keep America secure and recalibrate DHSs priorities accordingly would enable the department to refocus its efforts in areas where it can add unique value and ensure that the government fulfills its responsibility to guarantee the safety, security, and prosperity of all Americans and those who come to live, study, work, travel, and seek safety here. In line with this new vision, CAP recommends that purely investigative and detention functions be moved out of DHS and transferred to other agencies, such as the FBI and the Bureau of Prisons, which are the federal lead for those functions. Fiscal Services - Mark Bartolozzi, Director. While the department must continue its efforts to enforce U.S. laws where applicable, those activities conducted at DHS should be primarily in service to the overall safety and services mission of the agency. !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 Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services provides leadership, coordination, and support to prevent, protect against, prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate disasters and other emergencies. There is also a need for a more empowered and proactive agency that shares cyberthreat intelligence between businesses and government agencies, with the aim of helping organizations quickly identify and mitigate potential cyberincursions. Division & Offices The Department of Human Services comprises three divisions: Division of Aging Services Division of Child Support Services Division of Family and Children Services These divisions are supported by administrative offices, which include: External Affairs Communications Constituent Services Government and Legislative Affairs Finance Who we serve Organization Chart | Office of Inspector General Consistent with CDC guidance, most Office of Inspector General employees are currently serving the American people remotely. DHS still has an important role to play in preventing attacks against the United States and Americans at home and abroad. See U.S. Agency for Global Media, Legislation: Facts About Smith-Mundt Modernization, available at, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Statement from CISA Director Krebs Following Final Day of Voting, Press release, November 4, 2020, available at, AllOnGeorgia, TSA Touting Success: 10 Million Pre-Check Enrollees, March 9, 2020, available at, American Civil Liberties Union, National Security Entry-Exit Registration System; American Civil Liberties Union, Secure Communities (S-COMM); Aarti Kohli, Peter L. Markowitz, and Lisa Chavez, Secure Communities by the Numbers: An Analysis of Demographics and Due Process (Berkeley, CA: University of California, Berkeley Law School, 2011), available at, American Immigration Lawyers Association, Walled Off: How USCIS Has Closed Its Doors on Customers and Strayed from Its Statutory Customer Service Mission, February 12, 2021, available at, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Trade, available at, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5, available at, Lisa Fernandez, @ljfernandez, February 19, 2021, 3:45 p.m. Xs~_7^{$}UAe5u)haU8vP6179kqZ>95[6No4%OcE6:&v+ yz VDSS Organizational Structure VDSS consists of: Home Office in Richmond Virginia, which houses its Divisions and Program Areas Five Regional Offices which oversee and support community and local organizations Division of Child Support Enforcement (DCSE) District Offices Licensing Offices Organizational Structure Report Katrina Mulligan and others, A National Policy Blueprint to End White Supremacist Violence (Washington: Center for American Progress and the McCain Institute, 2021), available at, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Organizational Chart., See, for example, reporting in 2014 highlighted by Radley Balko, DHS: A wasteful, growing, fear-mongering beast,, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Countering Foreign Influence Task Force, available at, Derek B. Johnson, With U.S. cyber policy, clear lanes still hard to come by, Federal Computer Week, November 25, 2019, available at, A Brookings study found that the number of full-time employees (including federal employees and contractors) at DHS increased by 25 percent between 2017 and 2020. DHSs development of programs that facilitate customer interactionssuch as TSA Precheck and Global Entry, which facilitate quicker screening at airports for U.S. domestic and international flightsare innovations that provide better services and security.64 The department must also clearly delimit its own power over travelers, visitors, and residents by prohibiting implementation of past problematic programs such as the NSEERS and Secure Communities.65, To put America on the strongest foundation, DHS should emphasize its unique role in welcoming the people who visit, immigrate to, or seek refuge in the United States. Organizational Chart See how the Department of Homeland Security and all of its component agencies are organized by exploring the Organizational Chart. This recalibration of department activities will better fulfill the unmet needs of Americans and those who live, study, work, travel, and seek safety here. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Critical Infrastructure Sectors, available at, KHOU 11, Gov. I&A reportedly compiled dossiers on journalists covering the 2020 protests in Oregon, under a theory of expanded intelligence activities that DHS lawyers argued were necessary to mitigate the significant threat to homeland security that such activites posed.21 DHS has also ramped up the collection and retention of expanded categories of records during customs and immigration processing, including the collection of data on U.S. persons. Incident response is a role that DHS is well situated to lead, and by doing so, and doing so well, other federal agencies can leverage DHSs incident response capacity and avoid replication. We at U.S. The combination of DHSs hasty founding, its expansive authorities, and its at once decentralized nature and yet lack of institutional independence from the executive branch has left the department susceptible to presidents using DHS and its expansive authorities for political purposes. The . Mara Rudman is the executive vice president for policy at the Center for American Progress. DHS also has a traditional role in disaster relief services that should be expanded. (November 25, 2002), available at, Executive Office of the President, The Department of Homeland Security (Washington: 2002), available at, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Who Joined DHS, available at, Committee on Homeland Security, House Passes Landmark Department of Homeland Security Authorization, Press release, July 20, 2017, available at, Committee on Homeland Security, H.R. (^9ghW:P ;mV]M[_i Yes No Then, the Biden administration and Congress should work together to realign DHSs resources to support these strategic priorities and ensure they are carried out consistently with annual authorization legislation. In an era of increased movement of people and goods across borders, we need a DHS that prioritizes the rule of law, and one that protects all Americans as well as everyone who comes to live, study, work, travel, and seek safety here. (see p. 23). DHS Assistant Secretary of Operations - Dulce Quintero. See the organizational chart for the Department of Homeland Security. As a result, DHS has not invested in building its capacity to respond to borderless threats, such as natural disasters and cyberattacks against government enterprises, and those, such as the growing threat from white supremacist violence, that originate within U.S. borders. These. Citizenship And Immigration Services Ombudsman, This page was not helpful because the content. With the State Department focused on messaging abroad, DHS could play the lead for countering disinformation domestically. Finally, this report proposes near- and longer-term steps that the current administration could take to realize this vision and deliver better value for the American people. Mara Rudman, Rudy deLeon, Joel Martinez, 5 More In recommending this shift, CAP acknowledges that threats to Americans safety and security will continue to require a strong and coordinated response from DHS. Pandemics can uproot daily life and economic security when border-screening measures fail to halt early transmission. An organizational structure is a hierarchical outline of a company's roles, teams, and employees. As then-nominee Alejandro Mayorkas argued in his confirmation hearing, DHS is and should be fundamentally, a department of partnerships.5 He is right. Troy A. Miller is the Acting Commissioner for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Working as the Nations risk advisor, the CISA partners with the private and public sectors to defend against threats and build more secure and resilient infrastructure for the future.61 DHS should scale efforts being led by the CISA to prioritize partnership with stakeholders across its missions and priorities. 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. DHSs complicated web of roles and responsibilities also means that it plays a supporting role nearly everywhere but rarely leads. 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. An organizational structure is a system that outlines how certain activities are directed in order to achieve the goals of an organization. Next, the report reimagines what it means to keep America secure in todays world and provides a new framework for rebalancing the departments focus toward new and emerging needs. CBP focuses on keeping terrorists and their weapons out of the United States while facilitating lawful travel and trade. While DHS can contribute to efforts to thwart organized crime and bring criminal actors to justice, the DOJ should continue to serve as the lead federal agency for TOC. DHS, primarily through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Coast Guard, is already the nations helper. For more information about the offices and agencies that make up DHS, or to find out about the Department's leadership, click on the links below. Toc efforts and transfer investigative leads and other TOC activities to the safety and model. How certain activities are directed in order to achieve the goals of an organization uproot daily life and Security! The goals of an organization experts across the Center for American Progress the organizational Chart See the! 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