Department of Homeland Security

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) began operations in March 2003 with the mission to prevent terrorist attacks within the United States, reduce vulnerabilities, minimize damage from attacks, and aid in recovery efforts, while also facilitating legitimate travel, migration, and trade. GAO has evaluated many of DHS’s programs and management functions since its establishment and has issued more than 400 products on major departmental programs in the areas of border security and immigration; transportation security; defense against, preparedness for, and response to threats and disasters; customs trade and revenue functions; and the department’s management functions. Although DHS has taken actions to strengthen its efforts in these and other areas, it has much to do to ensure that it conducts its missions efficiently and effectively while simultaneously working to address future challenges affecting the nation.

Figure 1: U.S. 90 Bridge in Biloxi, Mississippi,

Source: GAO.

 

 Figure 2: Port of Los Angeles

Source: United States Coast Guard.

• In the emergency management area, DHS faces continued challenges in clearly defining leadership roles and responsibilities, developing necessary disaster response capabilities, and establishing accountability systems to provide effective response while also protecting against waste, fraud, and abuse.
• While DHS has enhanced security procedures and immigration services, the department continues to face challenges in detecting and interdicting the illegal flow of persons and cargo entering the country through ports of entry; identifying and removing undocumented aliens from the country; denying unauthorized aliens the ability to obtain employment; and providing immigration services to eligible aliens in a timely fashion.
• Although DHS has focused attention on securing commercial aviation and seaports, it continues to face challenges in addressing evolving and credible threats to these modes and in determining how best to allocate finite resources across the transportation sector.
• Continued attention is needed to strengthen the security of the nation’s cyber and other critical infrastructure, requiring strengthened partnerships between the federal government, state and local governments, and the private sector.
• DHS has taken actions to prevent chemical, biological, nuclear, and radioactive material from being smuggled into or used in the United States, but could more aggressively pursue the development and deployment of nuclear, biological, chemical, and radiological detection capabilities and other countermeasures to address emerging threats.
• DHS has made progress in strengthening its policies and processes for managing homeland security acquisitions, but continues to face significant challenges in developing an effective acquisition organization that satisfies its mission needs and provides needed support to its component agencies.

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Department of Homeland Security

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