Executive Secretary
Deborah Fleischaker currently serves at the Executive Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). As the Executive Secretary, she oversees the management of written communication intended for, and originated by, the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security. Under her leadership, the Office of the Executive Secretary (ESEC) governs the Department-wide process for responding to correspondence and preparing the Secretary’s briefing book, congressional authorization reports, hearing testimony, and questions for the record (QFR) related to congressional authorizing committees.
Ms. Fleischaker has been with DHS since 2011 as both a career civil servant and political appointee. She previously served as the (A) Chief of Staff at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the ICE Assistant Director for Regulatory Affairs and Policy, and worked in the DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL). In addition, Ms. Fleischaker was employed by Senator Patrick J. Leahy where she worked on a range of Judiciary Committee issues including immigration, national security, and privacy rights.
Prior to working at DHS, Ms. Fleischaker served as the Director of State Legislative Affairs at FAMM, a criminal sentencing reform organization, and as the Director of the American Bar Association Death Penalty Moratorium Implementation Project.
Ms. Fleischaker earned her JD from the University of Maryland and her BS from Vanderbilt University. She is a member of the Maryland and District of Columbia bars.