Office of the Secretary

The Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL) provides legal and policy advice to Department leadership on civil rights and civil liberties issues, investigates and resolves complaints, and provides leadership to Equal Employment Opportunity Programs.

The Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman (CIS Ombudsman) is dedicated to improving the quality of citizenship and immigration services delivered to the public by providing individual case assistance, identifying systemic issues, and making recommendations to improve the administration of immigration benefits by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

The DHS Climate Change Action Group is a coordinating body comprised of the Department’s senior leadership that drives urgent action to address the climate crisis and reports directly to the Secretary.

The Office of the Executive Secretary (ESEC) provides all manner of direct support to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary, as well as related support to leadership and management across the Department.

The Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman is a new and independent office reporting directly to the Secretary of Homeland Security and not a part of ICE or CBP that will assist individuals with complaints about the potential violation of immigration detention standards or other misconduct by DHS (or contract) personnel, and provide oversight of immigration detention facilities.

The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to the safe reunification of families that were unjustly separated at the U.S. Mexico border.

The Office of the General Counsel (OGC) integrates over 3,000 attorneys from throughout the Department into an effective, client-oriented, full-service legal team. The Office of the General Counsel comprises a headquarters office with subsidiary divisions and the legal offices for nine Department components.

The Joint Requirements Council (JRC) validates capability gaps, associated with operational requirements and proposed solution approaches to mitigate those gaps through the Joint Requirements Integration and Management System (JRIMS), leveraging opportunities for commonality to enhance operational effectiveness directly and better inform the DHS’ main investment pillars.

The Office of Legislative Affairs (OLA) serves as primary liaison to members of Congress and their staffs, the White House and Executive Branch, and to other federal agencies and governmental entities that have roles in assuring national security.

The primary responsibility of the Military Advisor is to provide counsel and support to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary in affairs relating to policy, procedures, preparedness activities, and operations between DHS and the Department of Defense (DoD).

Partnership and Engagement coordinates the Department of Homeland Security’s outreach efforts with key stakeholders nationwide, ensuring a unified approach to external engagement.

Our mission is to protect individuals by embedding and enforcing privacy protections and transparency in all DHS activities.

The Office of Public Affairs (OPA) coordinates the public affairs activities of all of the Department’s components and offices, and serves as the federal government’s lead public information office during a national emergency or disaster.

The Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans serves as a central resource to the Secretary and other Department leaders for strategic planning and analysis, and facilitation of decision-making on the full breadth of issues that may arise across the dynamic homeland security enterprise.

The Office for State and Local Law Enforcement (OSLLE) provides DHS with primary coordination, liaison, and advocacy for state, local, tribal, territorial, and campus (SLTTC) law enforcement.