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United States Secretary of Homeland Security
Flag of the United States Secretary of Homeland Security.svg
Flag of the secretary
Seal of the United States Department of Homeland Security.svg
Seal of the Department of Homeland Security
Official Portrait of Secretary Kristi Noem.jpg
Incumbent
Kristi Noem
since January 25, 2025
Department of Homeland Security
Style Madam Secretary (informal)
The Honorable (formal)
Member of Cabinet
Homeland Security Council
National Security Council
Reports to President of the United States
Seat St. Elizabeths West Campus, Washington, D.C., U.S.
Appointer President of the United States
with Senate Advice and consent
Term length No fixed term
Constituting instrument 6 U.S.C. § 112
Formation January 24, 2003
(22 years ago) (2003-01-24)
First holder Tom Ridge
Succession Eighteenth
Deputy Deputy Secretary
Salary Executive Schedule, Level I

The United States Secretary of Homeland Security is the leader of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This important government department works to keep the United States safe and secure. The Secretary is a key member of the Cabinet of the United States, which is a group of top advisors to the President.

This position was created after the September 11 attacks in 2001. The goal was to bring many different government agencies together. These agencies all work on homeland security. They include groups like the Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the United States Secret Service, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

The current Secretary of Homeland Security is Kristi Noem. She started her role on January 25, 2025.

Who Has Been Secretary of Homeland Security?

Before the Department of Homeland Security was formed, there was an assistant to the president for homeland security. This role was created right after the September 11 attacks in 2001.

Here's a list of the people who have served as Secretary of Homeland Security. Some people served as "acting" secretaries, meaning they temporarily filled the role.

Political Parties

      Republican (7)       Democratic (4)       Independent (5)

Status

      Denotes acting homeland security secretary

No. Portrait Name Senate vote Term of office State of residence President
Took office Left office Duration
1 Tom Ridge Ridge, TomTom Ridge
(Born Aug 26, 1945)		 94–0 January 24, 2003 February 1, 2005 2 years, 8 days  Pennsylvania Bush, George W.George W. Bush
(2001–2009)
– James Loy Loy, JamesJames Loy
(Born Aug 10, 1942)
Acting		 – February 1, 2005 February 15, 2005 14 days  Pennsylvania
2 Michael Chertoff Chertoff, MichaelMichael Chertoff
(Born Nov 28, 1953)		 98–0 February 15, 2005 January 21, 2009 3 years, 341 days  New Jersey
3 Janet Napolitano Napolitano, JanetJanet Napolitano
(Born Nov 29, 1957)		 Voice vote January 21, 2009 September 6, 2013 4 years, 228 days  Arizona Obama, BarackBarack Obama
(2009–2017)
– Rand Beers Beers, RandRand Beers
(Born Nov 30, 1942)
Acting		 – September 6, 2013 December 23, 2013 108 days  District of Columbia
4 Jeh Johnson Johnson, JehJeh Johnson
(Born Sept 11, 1957)		 78–16 December 23, 2013 January 20, 2017 3 years, 28 days  New Jersey
5 John F. Kelly Kelly, John F.John F. Kelly
(Born May 11, 1950)		 88–11 January 20, 2017 July 31, 2017 192 days  Massachusetts Trump, DonaldDonald Trump
(2017–2021)
– Elaine Duke Duke, ElaineElaine Duke
(Born June 26, 1958)
Acting		 – July 31, 2017 December 6, 2017 128 days  Ohio
6 Kirstjen Nielsen Nielsen, KirstjenKirstjen Nielsen
(Born May 14, 1972)		 62–37 December 6, 2017 April 10, 2019 1 year, 125 days  Florida
– Kevin McAleenan McAleenan, KevinKevin McAleenan
(Born Sept 5, 1971)
Acting; unlawful tenure		 – April 10, 2019 November 13, 2019 217 days  Hawaii
– Chad Wolf Wolf, ChadChad Wolf
(Born June 21, 1976)
Acting; unlawful tenure		 – November 13, 2019 January 11, 2021 1 year, 59 days  Virginia
– Pete Gaynor Gaynor, PetePete Gaynor
(Born 1968)
Acting		 – January 11, 2021 January 20, 2021 9 days  Rhode Island
– David Pekoske Pekoske, DavidDavid Pekoske
(Born May 5, 1955)
Acting		 – January 20, 2021 February 2, 2021 13 days  Connecticut Biden, JoeJoe Biden
(2021–2025)
7 Alejandro Mayorkas Mayorkas, AlejandroAlejandro Mayorkas
(Born Nov 24, 1959)		 56–43 February 2, 2021 January 20, 2025 3 years, 353 days  District of Columbia
– BenjamineHuffman.png Huffman, BenjamineBenjamine Huffman
Acting		 – January 20, 2025 January 25, 2025 5 days  Texas Trump, DonaldDonald Trump
(2025–present)
8 Official Portrait of Secretary Kristi Noem (cropped).jpg Noem, KristiKristi Noem
(Born Nov 30, 1971)		 59–34 January 25, 2025 Incumbent 186 days  South Dakota
  • James Loy served as acting secretary because he was the Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security.
  • Rand Beers was an acting secretary. He was the highest-ranking official approved by the Senate at the time.
  • Elaine Duke served as acting secretary in her role as Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security.
  • Kevin McAleenan was an acting secretary. He was also the Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection. His time in this acting role was later found to be not legal.
  • Chad Wolf served as acting secretary. He was the Under Secretary for Strategy, Policy, and Plans. His time in this acting role was also found to be not legal.
  • Peter Gaynor served as acting secretary because he was the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
  • David Pekoske served as acting secretary in his role as Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
  • Benjamine Huffman served as acting secretary because he was the Director of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers.

Who Takes Over if the Secretary Can't?

If the Secretary of Homeland Security cannot do their job, there is a special order of who takes over. This is called the "order of succession." It makes sure that someone is always in charge of keeping the country safe.

As of November 8, 2019, the main order of succession is:

  • The Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security
  • The Under Secretary for Management
  • The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection
  • The Under Secretary for Strategy, Policy, and Plans
  • The Administrator and Assistant Secretary of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
  • The Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

There have been other succession orders in the past, set up for different situations or times.

What Does the Secretary's Office Do?

The Office of the Secretary (OS) helps the Secretary of Homeland Security manage the entire Department of Homeland Security. It also supports other senior leaders and works with outside groups.

How the Office is Organized

The Office of the Secretary includes several different smaller offices and groups. Most of the leaders of these groups report directly to the Secretary or the Deputy Secretary. However, the Military Advisor and Executive Secretary report to the DHS Chief of Staff. This position is currently empty since January 2025.

When DHS Secretary Kristi Noem was on an immigration operation on April 8, 2025, she was with Corey Lewandowski. He introduced himself as "chief of staff," but DHS later said he was an advisor and special government employee.

Here are some of the important parts of the Office of the Secretary:

Parts of the Office of the Secretary of Homeland Security
Component What it Does Leaders
Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL) This office makes sure that DHS protects people's rights and freedoms while keeping the country safe. It works to ensure fairness and equality in all DHS activities. * Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties: Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia
Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman (CISOMB) This office helps people and businesses with problems they have with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). It also suggests ways to make the immigration system better. * CIS Ombudsman: Nathan Stiefel (acting)
Climate Change Action Group This group works to address climate change. It looks at how climate change affects DHS's work and helps the department adapt. It also suggests ways to reduce harmful emissions. * Co-Chairs: Cass Sunstein & Robert P. Silvers
Office of the Executive Secretary (ESEC) This office provides direct support to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary. It helps make sure information and messages are shared quickly and accurately across DHS. * Executive Secretary: Kimberly O'Connor
Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman (OIDO) This office helps people who have complaints about immigration detention. It also checks on immigration detention facilities to make sure they follow rules. * ID Ombudsman: David Gersten (acting)
Family Reunification Task Force This group works to safely reunite families who were separated at the U.S.-Mexico border. It includes leaders from several government departments. * Chair: Alejandro Mayorkas
Office of the General Counsel (OGC) This office provides legal advice to DHS. It makes sure that all homeland security policies follow the law and protect people's rights. Over 3,000 lawyers work here. * General Counsel: Jonathan Meyer
Office of Legislative Affairs (OLA) This office is the main contact point between DHS and members of Congress. It also works with the White House and other government agencies on national security issues. * Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs: Zephranie Buetow
Office of the Military Advisor This office advises the Secretary on matters related to the U.S. military. It helps coordinate between DHS and the U.S. Department of Defense. * Military Advisor to the Secretary: Rear Admiral Michael Platt
Office of Partnership and Engagement (OPE) This office coordinates how DHS connects with important groups across the country. It makes sure DHS has a clear way of talking to outside partners. * Assistant Secretary for Partnership and Engagement: Brenda F. Abdelall
Privacy Office This office protects people's privacy in all DHS activities. It makes sure DHS is open about how it uses information and follows privacy rules. * Chief Privacy Officer: Mason C. Clutter
Office of Public Affairs (OPA) This office handles all public communications for DHS. It is the main source of information for the public during national emergencies or disasters. * Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs: Daniel Watson
Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans (OSP&P) This office helps the Secretary and other leaders with long-term planning and analysis. It helps them make decisions on many different homeland security topics. * Under Secretary for Strategy, Policy, and Plans: Robert Silvers
Office for State and Local Law Enforcement (OSLLE) This office is the main contact for DHS with state, local, tribal, and campus law enforcement agencies. It helps coordinate efforts to keep communities safe. * Assistant Secretary for State and Local Law Enforcement: Heather Fong

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Secretario de Seguridad Nacional de los Estados Unidos para niños

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