It also identifies opportunities to reform the factors that hinder DHS from being maximally effective in providing value to the nation. The Center for American Progress believes that having a Cabinet agency such as DHS remains critical to the safety and well-being of Americans. These steps include clarifying the CRCLs statutory authority to ensure that it is involved in the policymaking process from the beginning, rather than being asked to respond or investigate once policy is already set; that its recommendations receive timely responses from the agency; and more.86 In addition, this study recommends a broader policy role for DHS in protecting personal information and privacy. Close collaboration with civil society groups will be key to ensuring these rights are respected. Cybersecurity now demands a whole-of-government solution to protect national security, critical infrastructure, intellectual property, and sensitive personal information. As discussed above, broad interpretation of DHS authorities by former department officials has led to questionable activities and occasions of abuse or violations, particularly in the immigration space.75 One example of these broad authorities occurred when the Trump administration deployed DHS officials to respond to protests in Portland, Oregon, where the administration stretched legal authorities to justify activities that harmed the public that DHS is supposed to serve. With appropriate oversight and respect for civil liberties, the department has tremendous potential to advance public safety and provide critical services. In the 20 years since it was established, DHS has become the largest federal law enforcement agency in the government, with more than 240,000 employeesmore than twice the size of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the lead department charged with law enforcement activities.13 DHSs budget has also more than doubled in size since its founding, from roughly $30 billion in fiscal year 2004 to more than $64 billion in FY 2018not counting disaster relief funds, which vary depending on emergencies that happen each year. DHS also suffers from low employee morale and poor satisfaction among its workforce: It ranked dead last among U.S. federal agencies in the most recent survey conducted by the Partnership for Public Service and has consistently been at the bottom of the list since 2010.44 While there are many reasons for low employee morale at DHS, the workforce culture is especially toxic within certain agencies that have overly politicized activities.45 ICE and the Border Patrol under the Trump administration, for example, focused on maximizing arrests and deportations with few limits on the targets for enforcement actions or the methods they would employthe clearest example being the Trump administrations cruel family separation policy.46 Personnel asked to pursue these political objectivesmost of whom are career public servantshave been required to perform deeply unpopular enforcement tasks that have not advanced sensible law enforcement or public safety priorities and have subjected them to sharp public criticism. In too many instances, DHS has pursued policies absent an articulated legal foundation, with disastrous results, including: DHS personnel acting as domestic law enforcement in response to peaceful protests in Portland, Oregon; ICE arresting a survivor of domestic abuse seeking a protective order in a courthouse; and the U.S. Border Patrol stopping a 10-year-old girl in an ambulance on her way to emergency surgery.33 Others, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), have documented serious abuses and overreach by DHS officials, particularly at U.S. borders and in immigration enforcement operations.34 It is difficult to overstate the harm that the Border Patrol and ICE have caused to relationships with communities and local officials across the country.35, About 90 committees and subcommittees have jurisdiction over DHSs planning, policies, and budgetseach focused on a small piece of the department rather than the entire homeland security operational matrix. Atlantic Council, Former and Acting Secretaries of Homeland Security sign open letter on consolidating congressional jurisdiction over DHS., Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986, Public Law 433, 99th Congress, 2nd sess. 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. To effectively manage the bureaucracy and oversee the recalibration of the department mission, the Biden administration should work with Congress to increase resources to the DHS secretary and move away from the hyperdecentralization that characterizes its current structure. DHS is best suited to collect information that other agencies cannot, primarily at ports of entry, and use that information for intelligence purposes. 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. Joel Martinez is the Mexico policy analyst for National Security and International Policy at the Center. CBP would still retain its law enforcement functions, but it would operate with a better understanding of the broader agendaas well as the border communitiesit serves. dataLayer.push({"event": "signup_submit", "form_detail":"enSubscribeSlideUp"}); CAP conducted a qualitative study and review of DHS informed by discussions with more than 35 stakeholdersincluding former and current government officials, policy experts, and civil society membersfrom November 2020 to May 2021. ` " 696 0 obj <> endobj DHS has an uneven role in communicating threat information to the public. Recognizing the challenges DHS faces, the department remains critical to the safety and well-being of many. The goal of this report is to provide a vision for what a revitalized DHS could achieve for Americans and those who visit or seek safety or opportunity here. Previously, Ries was senior adviser to HHSC's chief . Advisory panels and committees that provide advice and recommendations on mission-related topics from academic engagement to privacy. 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 approach should apply for other national incidents and emergencies as well. Necessary safeguards would need to be put in place to ensure that what immigration detention remains does not become wrapped up in the overall criminal carceral system. Soon thereafter, Congress also put the wheels in motion to stand up a new center for countering terrorism. Service orientation and safety need not be in tension; the Coast Guard provides a good model for how the two can be well balanced within a single organization. We at U.S. Troy A. Miller is the Acting Commissioner for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Silva Mathema is the acting director of Immigration Policy at the Center. CAP also recognizes that the safety and services framework proposed will, in many areas, be enabled by the departments threat management capabilities. Former Senior Policy Analyst, Former Managing Director, Immigration Policy, Silva Mathema, Zefitret Abera Molla, Kiera Manser, Jared C. Bass, Jesse OConnell, Haneul Lee, Tobias Harris, Alan Yu, Lawrence J. Korb, Kaveh Toofan. Organizational structures describe what employees do, whom they report to, and how decisions are made across the business. As DHS approaches its 20-year mark, the United States has an opportunity to redefine the departments value proposition for the future and to better align DHSs structure and activities with its mission. hbbd``b`Z $mA7`9$~b`bdr DHS could have played a larger role in responding to the severe winter storms that crippled the electrical grid in Texas in early 2021. While the study does not make specific recommendations on the structure of DHS, this report proposes a framework that has implications for restructuring and recommends the DHS secretary and Congress realign the components of DHS around that framework. 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. var subscribe = document.getElementById('enSubscribeSlideUp'); 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. DHS should reduce its counterterrorism investigative and intelligence analysis activities, as described below, and focus its efforts where it has unique responsibilities and authorities: managing the border, countering disinformation, countering violent white supremacy, and investing in evidence-based prevention approaches. DHS Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans Organizational Chart View the current organizational chart for the Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans. 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. 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. Advancing Racial Equity and Justice, Building an Economy for All, Restoring Social Trust in Democracy, Biden Administration, Foreign Policy, Immigration, National Security+4More. There is no other department better suited to coordinate effective federal emergency response; communicate threat information between the public and private sectors; provide a working, humane approach to border management; facilitate an integrated cybersecurity and infrastructure capacity; and implement effective approaches to counter the threats from domestic extremism fueled by white supremacy and the rise of anti-government militias. These have included allegations of using department resources to target, discriminate against, and detain and deport immigrants of color.30 Despite the documented patterns of abuse, this has yet to be remedied by Congress.31 Other DHS components, such as HSI, have authorities that overlap with other federal investigative agenciesauthorities the department interprets very broadly. Looking for U.S. government information and services? Fiscal Services - Mark Bartolozzi, Director. While the Coast Guard plays an important role in maritime security and maritime law enforcement efforts, it is also responsible forand takes great pride insearch and rescue and disaster relief efforts. (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. Each employee's position is identified, including their function and who they report to within the firm. 'A969'NrzNETKhTa>$d.S-p=Ri 8X.rb:N}xxKp oXugE25JjF1%H@3-h6L"NZ AP],z?\O8(Y(&yTQRfT1rE;A}2A^`u=1y C@ (:9JY`tf5/\b}A:UC#2["Zs(1g$xzc_{0SywMX! ^kkc`}mX_G+BL 70d:8Lx&}O{ oB7u~Sv But there is no agency that currently leads the federal governments efforts at the national level to share information, advocate for greater government transparency, or develop new communications capacities that add value to the American people. 714 0 obj <>stream DHS I&A has long focused diffusely, to the detriment of focusing more precisely where it can make unique contributions. DHS could also play an important role in countering disinformation in partnership with the State Departments Global Engagement Center. Alexandra Schmitt is a senior policy analyst on the National Security and International Policy team at the Center. DHS provides high-quality, affordable health care coverage and public health services to Wisconsin residents. Looking ahead, it is easy to imagine threats to Americans economic security or food supply that DHS could help to solve through its critical infrastructure and emergency response capabilities, were it determined to do so. Since no part of Congress authorizes the entire departmentwide functions, DHSs appropriators have largely become the subcommittees of de facto jurisdiction over the department. The muddled intelligence mission and an expansive set of authorities present a worrying combination that has led to abusive activities and human rights violations. The . 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. An official website of the United States government. An organizational structure is a hierarchical outline of a company's roles, teams, and employees. DHS also plays a critical role in adjudicating immigration benefits and promoting naturalization, which are the primary functions of USCIS. American Progress would like to acknowledge the many generous supporters who make our work possible. After looking at each homeland security organizational structure, a number of recommendations were made that could benefit each entity. CBP focuses on keeping terrorists and their weapons out of the United States while facilitating lawful travel and trade. It outlines the flow of information and the hierarchy of decision-making across roles and teams. Understanding the opportunities DHS has today is critical to transforming the agency to better meet unfulfilled needs around Americans safety and security, to address the issues that emerged or significantly worsened during the past four years, and to focus attention on the right set of priorities for the department going forward. Recognizing that screening remains a key safety component, a better-managed system would increase the capacity of DHS to process and screen applicants for family, employment, and visitor visas; to reduce processing time and delays; and to provide more reliable and dignified services. Field offices that manage disaster response and recovery in disaster locations. Components such as the Coast Guard, the TSA, and CBP have narrow law enforcement roles that are directly tied to safety and security missions. Since the creation of DHS, challenges related to the foundations of the department and its operations have inhibited its performance. if(subscribe.checkValidity()) { Learn about our sister organization, the Center for American Progress Action Fund, an advocacy organization dedicated to improving the lives of all Americans. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Threat Assessment (Washington: 2020), available at https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/2020_10_06_homeland-threat-assessment.pdf. In a world where the public and private sectors must take independent action to ensure Americas safety and security, the government needs a trusted, effective mechanism to communicate threat information, including intelligence information, with the public and private sectors and between different levels of state, local, and federal government officials. Todays digital environment means that our critical infrastructure is more connected and more dependent on functioning cybersecurity than ever. USCG United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Sign Up DHS should play a leading role in responding to all emergencies that threaten the safety and security of Americans, even when the response will rely heavily upon expertise housed in other federal departmentssuch as the Department of Health and Human Services and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) expertise that is critical to the pandemic responseor at the state level. Moving toward the safety and services model outlined in this report would allow DHS to calibrate its activities within a new mission maximally focused on delivering value to America. %PDF-1.5 % 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. 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. if(subscribe.checkValidity()) { And with a clear intelligence mission, DHS can redouble its efforts as originally envisioned to facilitate the communication of threat information between the federal government, state and local authorities, and the private sector, while also ensuring that its intelligence activities are not beyond the scope of its authorities or redundant to activities conducted by other intelligence agencies. A list of all Operational and Support Components that make up DHS. This means, for example, dialing up DHSs focus on disaster relief and cybersecurity and dialing down its law enforcement focus, particularly where other government agencies have or should have primary responsibility. 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. He began his career as a district adjudications officer before transitioning to deportation officer with the former U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), and he was a member of one of ICE's first fugitive operations teams and an instructor at the ICE Academy. Department of Homeland Security Organizational Chart, available at, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, FY 2020 Budget in Brief (Washington: 2020), available at, Warrick and Durkovich, Future of DHS Project; Cordero, Reforming the Department of Homeland Security Through Enhanced Oversight & Accountability., Partnership for Public Service, Best Places to Work Agency Rankings (Washington: 2021), available at, Manny Fernandez and others, People Actively Hate Us: Inside the Border Patrols Morale Crisis,, Tal Kopan, Trumps executive orders dramatically expand power of immigration officers, CNN, January 28, 2017, available at, Paul J. Angelo, Why Central American Migrants Are Arriving at the U.S. Border (Washington: Council on Foreign Relations, 2021), available at, Anneliese Hermann, Asylum in the Trump Era: The Quiet Dismantling of National and International Norms (Washington: Center for American Progress, 2018), available at, Center for Migration Studies, President Bidens Executive Action on immigration, available at, Bill Whitaker, SolarWinds: How Russian Spies Hacked the Justice, State, Treasury, Energy, and Commerce Departments, CBS News, February 14, 2021, available at, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, About CISA, available at. 2825, the Department of Homeland Security Authorization Act of 2017, which sought to reauthorize DHS for the first time since its creation.18 More recently in 2020, several House Democrats introduced H.R. The House approved the original bill on July 26, but the Senate was slower to consider the legislation due to partisan jurisdiction claims, parliamentary factors, and the deliberation of a few highly contentious issues.12 It was not until after the November 2002 elections that Congress reconvened and passed a compromise bill. The CRCL officer should lead and oversee the relevant offices within DHS which include the CRCL, the Privacy Office, the Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman, and the Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman. cpc bill collector text message, juanita maria spencer car accident california, st lucie county arrests, And who they report to, and sensitive personal information decision-making across and. Being maximally effective in providing value to the nation threat information to the safety and provide services! Proposed will, in many areas, be enabled by the departments threat management capabilities the many generous who... 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