United States Department of Homeland Security facts for kids
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![]() Flag of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security
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![]() Nebraska Avenue Complex, DHS headquarters |
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Agency overview | |
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Formed | November 25, 2002 |
Jurisdiction | United States |
Headquarters | Nebraska Avenue Complex, Washington, D.C., U.S. 38°56′20″N 77°4′59″W / 38.93889°N 77.08306°W |
Employees | 229,000 (2017) |
Annual budget | $40.6 billion (2017) |
Agency executives |
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Child agencies |
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"The DHS March" |
The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), commonly known in the United States as "Homeland Security", is a Cabinet department of the U.S. federal government with the duty of protecting the U.S. from terrorist attacks and helping when there is a natural disaster.
In 2002, because of the September 11 attacks in 2001, Congress passed a bill called the Homeland Security Act, which created the Department of Homeland Security. Tom Ridge was the first leader of the Department of Homeland Security. This was the biggest change to the federal government in 50 years.
Images for kids
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A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer addresses Vice President Dick Cheney (center); Saxby Chambliss (center right), a U.S. Senator from Georgia; and Michael Chertoff (far right) in 2005
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President George W. Bush signs the Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2004 on October 1, 2003.
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U.S. CBP Office of Field Operations agent checking the authenticity of a travel document at an international airport using a stereo microscope
See also
In Spanish: Departamento de Seguridad Nacional de los Estados Unidos para niños