DHS at 20: Celebrating a Legacy of Service

Following the September 11 attacks, President George W. Bush established DHS by signing the Homeland Security Act of 2002. On March 1, 2003, 22 agencies unified under a single department with a common mission: to safeguard the American people. Today, DHS spans over two dozen agencies and offices that work collaboratively to protect the American public in the air by securing air travel; on land by securing the border, responding to natural disasters, protecting critical infrastructure, and administering our nation’s legal immigration system; at sea by protecting our coastline and waterways; and in cyberspace by bolstering America’s cyber defense and investigating cybercrime.