Secretaries of Homeland Security

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which began official operations on January 24, 2003, has three primary missions: Prevent terrorist attacks within the United States, reduce America's vulnerability to terrorism, and minimize the damage from potential attacks and natural disasters. The following agencies have been incorporated into the Department: United States Customs Service, Immigration and Naturalization Service, Border Patrol, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Transportation Security Administration, Federal Protective Service, U.S. Coast Guard, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Plum Island Animal Disease Center, National Infrastructure Simulation and Analysis Center, Critical Infrastructure Assurance Office, National Infrastructure Protection Center, Federal Computer Incident Response Center, and National Communications System. The Secretary of Homeland Security is a civilian, and is responsible for the coordination of 22 agencies that cooperate to defend the nation inside its borders and protect the American people. The secretary works with the agencies' nearly 200,000 workers to strengthen U.S. borders, generate intelligence analyses and shield infrastructure, enhance the use of science and technology to thwart weapons of mass destruction, and create a thoroughgoing response and recovery branch.