United States Secretary of Homeland Security facts for kids

United States Secretary of Homeland Security
Official Seal
Incumbent Chad Wolf (Acting) since November 13, 2019
Formation	January 24, 2003
First holder	Tom Ridge
Succession	Eighteenth
Website	www.dhs.gov

The United States Secretary of Homeland Security is the head of the United States Department of Homeland Security, the body concerned with protecting the American homeland and the safety of American citizens. The Secretary is a member of the President's Cabinet. The position was created following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

List of Secretaries of Homeland Security

Parties

      Republican (2)       Democratic (2)       Independent (2)

Status

      Denotes Acting Homeland Security Secretary

No.		Secretary of Homeland Security	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party	State of residence	President
1		Ridge, TomTom Ridge (born 1945)	January 24, 2003	February 1, 2005	2 years, 8 days	Republican	Pennsylvania	Bush, GeorgeGeorge W. Bush (Rep)
-		Loy, JamesJames Loy (born 1942) Acting	February 1, 2005	February 15, 2005	14 days	Independent	Pennsylvania	Bush, GeorgeGeorge W. Bush (Rep)
2		Chertoff, MichaelMichael Chertoff (born 1953)	February 15, 2005	January 21, 2009	3 years, 341 days	Republican	New Jersey	Bush, GeorgeGeorge W. Bush (Rep)
3		Napolitano, JanetJanet Napolitano (born 1957)	January 21, 2009	September 6, 2013	4 years, 228 days	Democrat	Arizona	Obama, BarackBarack Obama (Dem)
-		Beers, RandRand Beers (born 1942) Acting	September 6, 2013	December 16, 2013	101 days	Democrat	District of Columbia	Obama, BarackBarack Obama (Dem)
4		Johnson, JehJeh Johnson (born 1957)	December 23, 2013	January 20, 2017	3 years, 28 days	Democrat	New Jersey	Obama, BarackBarack Obama (Dem)
5		Kelly, JohnJohn F. Kelly (born 1950)	January 20, 2017	July 31, 2017	192 days	Independent	Massachusetts	Trump, DonaldDonald Trump (Rep)
-		Duke, ElaineElaine Duke (born 1958) Acting	July 31, 2017	December 6, 2017	128 days	Independent	Ohio	Trump, DonaldDonald Trump (Rep)
6		Nielsen, KirstjenKirstjen Nielsen (born 1972)	December 6, 2017	April 10, 2019	1 year, 125 days	Independent	Florida	Trump, DonaldDonald Trump (Rep)
-		McAleenan, KevinKevin McAleenan (born 1971) Acting	April 11, 2019	November 13, 2019	216 days	Independent	Hawaii	Trump, DonaldDonald Trump (Rep)
- Nominee		Wolf, ChadChad Wolf Acting	November 13, 2019	Incumbent	1 year, 14 days	Republican	Virginia	Trump, DonaldDonald Trump (Rep)