Department of Homeland Security

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) began operations in March 2003 with the mission to prevent terrorist attacks within the United States, reduce vulnerabilities, minimize damage from attacks, and aid in recovery efforts, while also facilitating legitimate travel, migration, and trade. GAO has evaluated many of DHS’s programs and management functions since its establishment and has issued more than 400 products on major departmental programs in the areas of border security and immigration; transportation security; defense against, preparedness for, and response to threats and disasters; customs trade and revenue functions; and the department’s management functions. Although DHS has taken actions to strengthen its efforts in these and other areas, it has much to do to ensure that it conducts its missions efficiently and effectively while simultaneously working to address future challenges affecting the nation.

Figure 1: U.S. 90 Bridge in Biloxi, Mississippi,

Source: GAO.

 Figure 2: Port of Los Angeles

Source: United States Coast Guard.

• In the emergency management area, DHS faces continued challenges in clearly defining leadership roles and responsibilities, developing necessary disaster response capabilities, and establishing accountability systems to provide effective response while also protecting against waste, fraud, and abuse.
• While DHS has enhanced security procedures and immigration services, the department continues to face challenges in detecting and interdicting the illegal flow of persons and cargo entering the country through ports of entry; identifying and removing undocumented aliens from the country; denying unauthorized aliens the ability to obtain employment; and providing immigration services to eligible aliens in a timely fashion.
• Although DHS has focused attention on securing commercial aviation and seaports, it continues to face challenges in addressing evolving and credible threats to these modes and in determining how best to allocate finite resources across the transportation sector.
• Continued attention is needed to strengthen the security of the nation’s cyber and other critical infrastructure, requiring strengthened partnerships between the federal government, state and local governments, and the private sector.
• DHS has taken actions to prevent chemical, biological, nuclear, and radioactive material from being smuggled into or used in the United States, but could more aggressively pursue the development and deployment of nuclear, biological, chemical, and radiological detection capabilities and other countermeasures to address emerging threats.
• DHS has made progress in strengthening its policies and processes for managing homeland security acquisitions, but continues to face significant challenges in developing an effective acquisition organization that satisfies its mission needs and provides needed support to its component agencies.

^ Back to topKey Reports

High-Risk Series: An Update

GAO-09-271, January 22, 2009

Summary (HTML)   Highlights Page (PDF)   Full Report (PDF, 99 pages)   Accessible Text

Department of Homeland Security: Progress and Continuing Concerns with Acquisition Management

GAO-08-1164T, September 17, 2008

Summary (HTML)   Highlights Page (PDF)   Full Report (PDF, 17 pages)   Accessible Text

Nuclear Security: NRC and DHS Need to Take Additional Steps to Better Track and Detect Radioactive Materials

GAO-08-598, June 19, 2008

Summary (HTML)   Highlights Page (PDF)   Full Report (PDF, 53 pages)   Accessible Text   Recommendations (HTML)

National Response Framework: FEMA Needs Policies and Procedures to Better Integrate Non-Federal Stakeholders in the Revision Process

GAO-08-768, June 11, 2008

Summary (HTML)   Highlights Page (PDF)   Full Report (PDF, 42 pages)   Accessible Text   Recommendations (HTML)

Transportation Security: Efforts to Strengthen Aviation and Surface Transportation Security Continue to Progress, but More Work Remains

GAO-08-651T, April 15, 2008

Summary (HTML)   Highlights Page (PDF)   Full Report (PDF, 26 pages)   Accessible Text

Department of Homeland Security: Progress Made in Implementation of Management Functions, but More Work Remains

GAO-08-646T, April 9, 2008

Summary (HTML)   Highlights Page (PDF)   Full Report (PDF, 17 pages)   Accessible Text

Border Security: Despite Progress, Weaknesses in Traveler Inspections Exist at Our Nation's Ports of Entry

GAO-08-219, November 5, 2007

Summary (HTML)   Highlights Page (PDF)   Full Report (PDF, 72 pages)   Accessible Text

Department of Homeland Security: Progress Report on Implementation of Mission and Management Functions

GAO-07-454, August 17, 2007

Summary (HTML)   Highlights Page (PDF)   Full Report (PDF, 328 pages)   Accessible Text

High Risk Series: An Update

GAO-07-310, January 31, 2007

Summary (HTML)   Highlights Page (PDF)   Full Report (PDF, 98 pages)   Accessible Text