Striving for our security
Eleven days after the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on America, President George W. Bush established the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The agency was created to streamline governmental entities in the fight against terrorism in all its forms.
The attack resulted in one of the largest government reorganizations in U.S. history. Here’s a look at how the government reacted to the attack and created the Department of Homeland Security:
Creating DHS
Sept. 11
- America attacked
- Department of Defense begins combat air patrols over U.S. cities
- Department of Transportation grounds all U.S. private aircraft
- FEMA activates Federal Response Plan
- U.S. Customs goes to Level 1 alert at all border ports of entry
- Health and Human Services activates the first National Disaster Medical System
- Nuclear Regulatory Commission elevates all nuclear power plants to the highest level of security
- FEMA deploys National Urban Search and Rescue Response team
- FEMA deploys U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to assist debris removal
Sept. 12
- Federal Aviation Administration allows limited reopening of the nation’s commercial airspace
Sept. 13
- Departments of Justice and Treasury deploy marshals, border patrol and customs officials to provide a larger police presence at reopening airports
Sept. 14
- President proclaims a national emergency
- President orders ready reserves of armed forces to active duty
- FBI releases list of 19 suspected terrorists
Sept. 17
- Attorney general directs the establishment of 94 anti-terrorism task forces
Sept. 18
- President signs authorization for Use of Military Force bill
- President authorizes additional disaster funding for New York
Sept. 20
- President addresses Congress, announces creation of the Office of Homeland Security and appointment of Gov. Tom Ridge, R-Pennsylvania, as director
Later
With the passage of the Homeland Security Act by Congress in November 2002, the Department of Homeland Security formally came into being as a Cabinet-level department to further coordinate and unify national homeland security efforts, opening its doors on March 1, 2003.
Symbolism of the seal
The eagle’s wings break through the inner circle into the outer ring to suggest that the Department of Homeland Security will break through traditional bureaucracy and perform government functions differently. The eagle’s talon on the left holds an olive branch with 13 leaves and 13 seeds while the eagle’s talon on the right grasps 13 arrows.Centered is a shield divided into three sections containing elements that represent the American homeland – air, land and sea. The top element, a dark blue sky, contains 22 stars representing the original 22 entities that have come together to form the department. The left shield element contains white mountains behind a green plain. The right shield element contains four wave shapes representing the oceans.
What we spend
In 2025, the Department of Homeland Security spent $115.3 billion. That was about 1.6% of the $7.04 trillion in overall federal spending. The top three federal departments are Department of Health and Human Services (26.8%), the Social Security Administration (23.4%) and the Department of Defense (13.5%).
In 2027, the president proposed a DHS budget of more than $118 billion, which is a 5.7% increase from 2026. The DHS budget was $89.2 billion in 2024 and $80.86 billion in 2022.
DHS is the third largest agency in the federal government in terms of civilian personnel. Its appropriations bill is the only one of the 12 annual measures that funds a single agency exclusively and in its entirety.
Some major things in 2027
- The president’s administration is seeking a 5,364-position staffing reduction for the TSA, the budget for which was further offset by a legislative proposal to provide TSA an additional $1.68 billion in budget authority by providing it the full resources of the Aviation Security Passenger Fee (previous similar proposals similar by this and previous administrations have been unsuccessful).
- A $1.46 billion increase for U.S. Coast Guard.
A few of the changes DHS has made to protect the U.S.:
Before 9/11
Osama bin Laden summoned operatives to discuss using commercial aircraft as weapons and list potential targets in the United States.
Now
The private sector and the Department of Homeland Security rely on an information-sharing security strategy to identify individuals with the goal of preventing terrorists from entering the country.
Before 9/11
The hijackers began to obtain passports and visas to travel to the U.S.
Now
Federal agencies have a better capacity to vet individuals applying for visas. The Visa Security Program is now operational at 41 posts in 28 countries.
April 2001
The hijackers began arriving in the U.S. on tourist visas with cash and travelers checks acquired in the Middle East.
Today
The Terrorist Screening Center, the National Counterterrorism Center and other federal entities analyze travel-related data to find patterns of suspected terrorists. The databases have helped intercept suspicious terrorists as well as cargo.
2001The hijackers enrolled in flight schools and took surveillance flights.
Now
“Fusion” centers throughout the country serve as focal points at the state and local level to share threat- and vulnerability-related information.
The Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting Initiative and the National Crime Information Center have watch lists for law enforcement officers to use.
This year
New CT scanners at airports are being installed. As of July, the TSA had deployed a total of 1,162 across 296 airports throughout the country. The new scanners are able to produce 3D images of each scanned bag, and TSA officers can rotate X-ray images to more clearly see the contents of passengers’ carry-on luggage.
Note: The new scanners can severely damage undeveloped photographic film.
Sources: The Department of Homeland Security; various agencies; Whitehouse.gov, Congressional Research Service