Department of Homeland Security HQ (DHS HQ)

The Office of the Secretary oversees activities with other federal, state, local and private entities as part of a collaborative effort to strengthen borders, provide for intelligence analysis and infrastructure protection, improve the use of science and technology to counter weapons of mass destruction, and to create a comprehensive response and recovery system. Within the Office, there are multiple offices that contribute to the overall homeland security mission.

DHS intelligence is one of 16 elements of the intelligence community (IC). The Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) at DHS headquarters, is responsible for leading the unified national effort to secure the United States by preventing and deterring terrorist attacks and responding to threats and hazards. It focuses on threats related to border security, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) weapons (to include explosives and infectious diseases), critical infrastructure, extremists within the homeland, and travelers entering the homeland.

I&A is led by the undersecretary for Intelligence and Analysis, with guidance from the Homeland Security Council and Homeland Security Intelligence Council. As a member of the IC, I&A is responsible for using information and intelligence from multiple sources to identify and assess current and future threats to the United States. I&A provides actionable intelligence to support national and DHS decision makers while working closely with state, local, tribal and private-sector partners. I&A focuses on threats related to border security; chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear issues, to include explosives and infectious diseases; critical infrastructure protection; extremists within the homeland; and travelers entering the homeland.

DHS I&A is implementing a major plan to serve state and local customers by embedding intelligence officers in state and local fusion centers nationwide. By the end of fiscal 2008 DHS I&A will have officers serving in 38-plus fusion centers. DHS I&A's Homeland Infrastructure and Threat Reduction Assessment Center also reaches out to the private sector to explain the threat of terrorism and capacities of terrorists to exploit the vulnerabilities of each sector.

Although they are not part of the IC, several of DHS’s other subcomponents have extensive interactions with the IC, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Secret Service (USSS) and Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

DHS is made up of a number of agencies, many of which were previously independent or parts of other departments:

* Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)

* Coast Guard (USCG)

* Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

* Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

* Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC)

* Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) including the Federal Protective Service (FPS)

* Secret Service (USSS)

* Transportation Security Administration (TSA) including the Federal Air Marshal Service