The Role of the Secretary for Homeland Security
A relatively new department in the federal government and founded in the wake of the Sept. 11th, 2001 attacks, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has a wide range of responsibilities. Generally speaking, the department integrates several roles deemed central to domestic defense, including enforcing immigration laws, responding to natural disasters, counter-terrorism and the coordination of local, state and federal law enforcement divisions. As in other executive agencies, the secretary of the department is in charge of coordinating the day-to-day operations of the department, implementing the administration's policy in the department's actions and keeping the president and relevant congressional committees informed about the department's varied activities.
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Counter-Terrorism
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In the area of counter-terrorism, the Department of Homeland Security oversees aviation security, security measures at critical national infrastructure installations, chemical security, countering cyber-terrorism and investigations of certain federal fraud cases. More specifically, the department's role is to coordinate different levels of law enforcement, from federal agencies such as the Coast Guard to local police departments, in the quick communication of information and combined action in response to threats. DHS also prepares response and readiness programs for national emergencies and periodically analyzes the security situation to assess the national threat level.
Border Security
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DHS' mandate also includes border security, specifically responding to illegal smuggling of people, narcotics, weapons or cash across U.S. borders, while seeking to facilitate legal trade and travel across those same borders. Border security has been a major focus of the department recently, particularly across the nation's southwestern border in response to an active drug trade in the area. Often, the secretary of a department, with guidance from the president, sets such policy priorities.
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Response and Recovery
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The DHS coordinates responses to natural disasters The DHS assumes primary responsibility for coordinating a response and recovery effort in the event of a national disaster, either natural or man-made. DHS, for instance, coordinates actions by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is activated in response to natural disasters such as earthquakes or hurricanes. Additionally, the department prepares and has the responsibility to implement public response plans for terrorist attacks or acts of war on U.S. soil.
In the event of an emergency, the secretary of homeland security is expected to manage the situation as part of the president's cabinet and is responsible for preparing and presenting situation briefs and proposals for the Cabinet.
Immigration
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The DHS plays a central coordinating role in the enforcement of U.S. immigration laws and launching initiatives to improve enforcement and facilitate legal migration to the United States. Particularly in the case of more politically volatile issues such as immigration, the secretary of homeland security is expected to implement the administration's programs and make the president's priorities operational.
Secretary Janet Napolitano
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The third and current secretary of homeland security, Janet Napolitano is a former U.S. attorney and attorney general and governor of Arizona. As secretary, she has focused primarily on reducing delays in federal responses to natural disasters, implementing a comprehensive strategy on immigration issues focusing on public safety and expanding international counter-terrorism information-sharing.
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