{{Infobox Govt Agency
  | agency_name     = United States<br>Department of Homeland Security
  | type            = Department
  | nativename      = 
  | nativename_a    = 
  | nativename_r    = 
  | logo            = 
  | logo_width      = 
  | logo_caption    = 
  | seal            = US Department of Homeland Security Seal.svg
  | seal_width      = 140px
  | seal_caption    = Motto: "Preserving our Freedoms"
  | formed          = November 25, 2002
  | date1           = January 24, 2003
  | date1_name      = Activated
  | date2           =
  | date2_name      =
  | preceding1      = 
  | preceding2      = 
  | dissolved       = 
  | superseding     = 
  | jurisdiction    = 
  | headquarters    = Nebraska Avenue Complex
  | employees       = 208,000 (2007)
  | budget          = $44.9 billion (2007)
  | chief1_name     = Michael Chertoff
  | chief1_position = Secretary
  | chief2_name     = Paul A. Schneider
  | chief2_position = Deputy Secretary
  | parent_agency   = 
  | child1_agency   = 
  | child2_agency   = 
  | website         = 
  | footnotes       = 
}}
The '''United States Department of Homeland Security''' ('''DHS'''), commonly known in the Cabinet department of the U.S. federal government with the responsibility of protecting the territory of the U.S. from terrorist attacks and responding to natural disasters. 

Whereas the Department of Defense is charged with military actions abroad, the Department of Homeland Security works in the civilian sphere to protect the United States within, at, and outside its borders.  Its goal is to prepare for, prevent, and respond to domestic emergencies, particularly terrorism. On March 1, 2003, DHS absorbed the now defunct United States Immigration and Naturalization Service and assumed its duties. In doing so, it divided the enforcement and services functions into two separate and new agencies -- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.  Additionally, the border enforcement functions of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the U.S. Customs Service and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) were consolidated into a new agency under DHS:  U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

With over 200,000 employees, DHS is the third largest Cabinet department in the U.S. federal government, after the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs. Homeland security policy is coordinated at the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Energy.

The United States Coast Guard and the Federal Emergency Management Agency are two components of the Department of Homeland Security.

== Establishment ==

In response to the September 11, 2001 attacks, President George W. Bush announced the establishment of the Office of Homeland Security (OHS) to coordinate "homeland security" efforts. The office was headed by former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge, who assumed the title of Assistant to the President for Homeland Security.  The name is reminiscent of the British WW2-era Ministry of Home Security. The official announcement stated:

:The mission of the Office will be to develop and coordinate the implementation of a comprehensive national strategy to secure the United States from terrorist threats or attacks. The Office will coordinate the executive branch's efforts to detect, prepare for, prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from terrorist attacks within the United States.<ref name="hsact2002">
{{cite web
| url = http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/nat_strat_hls.pdf
| title = "National Strategy For Homeland Security"
| work = pdf file
| publisher = DHS
| accessdate = 2007-10-31
|format=PDF}}</ref> 

Ridge began his duties as OHS director on October 8, 2001.

250px|thumb|The [[Homeland Security Advisory System scale]]
On March 12, 2002, the Homeland Security Advisory System, a color-coded terrorism risk advisory scale, was created as the result of a Presidential Directive to provide a "comprehensive and effective means to disseminate information regarding the risk of terrorist acts to Federal, State, and local authorities and to the American people." Many procedures at government facilities are tied in to the alert level; for example a facility may search all entering vehicles when the alert is above a certain level. Since January 2003, it has been administered in coordination with DHS; it has also been the target of frequent jokes and ridicule on the part of the administration's detractors about its ineffectiveness. After resigning, Tom Ridge stated that he didn't always agree with the threat level adjustments pushed by other government agencies.<ref>[http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/speeches/speech_0053.shtm Remarks by Governor Ridge Announcing Homeland Security Advisory System]</ref>

In January 2003, the office was merged into the Department of Homeland Security and the White House Homeland Security Council, both of which were created by the Homeland Security Act of 2002. The Homeland Security Council, similar in nature to the National Security Council, retains a policy coordination and advisory role and is led by the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security.<ref name="hsact2002" />

== Creation of DHS ==
The department was established on Cabinet agency. 

Prior to the signing of the bill, controversy about its adoption centered on whether the riders", as well as for eliminating certain union-friendly Congress ultimately passed the Homeland Security Act of 2002 without the union-friendly measures and President Bush signed the bill into law on November 25, 2002. It was the largest U.S. government reorganization in 50 years (since the United States Department of Defense was created). 

Tom Ridge was named secretary on January 24, 2003 and began naming his chief deputies. DHS officially began operations on January 24, 2003, but most of the department's component agencies were not transferred into the new Department until March 1.<ref name="hsact2002" /> 

thumb|250px|President George W. Bush signs the Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2004.

After establishing the basic structure of DHS and working to integrate its components and get the department functioning, Ridge announced his resignation on U.S. Senate. He was sworn in the same day.<ref name="hsact2002" /> 

In 2006, a federal court injunction blocked many aspects of the department's new personnel system (named "MaxHR") related to employee pay and discipline. DHS announced in early 2007 that it was retooling its pay and performance system and retiring the name "MaxHR".<ref name="hsact2002" />

== Headquarters ==
Since its inception, the Department has had its temporary headquarters in Washington, D.C.'s "Nebraska Avenue Complex", a former naval facility. The 38 acre site has 32 buildings comprising of  of administrative space.<ref>
{{cite web
| url = http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/testimony/testimony_0019.shtm
| title = Statement of Secretary Tom Ridge
| work = 
| publisher = DHS
| accessdate = 2007-10-31
}}</ref> In early 2007, the Department submitted a $4.1 billion plan to Congress to consolidate its 60-plus Washington-area offices into a single headquarters complex at the St. Elizabeths Hospital campus in Southeast Washington. The earliest DHS would begin moving to St. Elizabeths is 2012.<ref>
{{cite news
  | first =  Stephen
  | last =  Losey
  | url =  http://www.federaltimes.com/index.php?S=2626923
  | title =  Homeland Security plans move to hospital compound
  | publisher =  Federal Times
  | work =  
  | page =  
  | date = 2007-03-19
  | accessdate =  2007-10-31
}}</ref>

The move is being championed by District of Columbia officials because of the positive economic impact it will have on historically depressed Southeast Washington, which is also the venue for the new baseball stadium, which opened in 2008.  The move has been criticized by historic preservationists, who claim the revitalization plans will destroy dozens of historic buildings on the campus.<ref>
{{cite web
| url = http://www.nationaltrust.org/11Most/list.asp?i=49
| title = Most Endangered Places
| work = 5/2007
| publisher = National Trust
| accessdate = 2007-10-31
}}</ref>  Community activists have criticized the plans because the facility will remain walled off and have little interaction with the surrounding area.<ref>
{{cite news
  | first =  Joel
  | last =  Holley
  | url =  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/16/AR2007061601192.html
  | title =  Tussle Over St. Elizabeths
  | publisher =  Washington Post
  | work =  
  | page =  C01
  | date = 2007-06-17
  | accessdate =  2007-10-31
}}</ref>

== Ready.gov ==
right|thumb|Ready.gov program logo
Soon after the formation of Department of Homeland Security, pro bono work to create "[http://www.ready.gov Ready.gov]", a readiness website. The site and materials were conceived in March 2002 and launched in February 2003, just before the launch of the Iraq War.<ref>
{{cite news
  | first =  Daniel
  | last =  Forbes
  | url =  http://www.antiwar.com/forbes/?articleid=2679
  | title =  $226 Million in Govt Ads Helped Pave the Way for War
  | publisher =  Antiwar.com
  | work =  
  | page =  
  | date = 2004-05-28
  | accessdate =  2007-10-31
}}</ref><ref>
{{cite web
| url = http://www.oaaa.org/public/view.asp?PUBLIC_SERVICE_ID=7
| title = Homeland Security: Ready.Gov
| work = 12/29/2003
| publisher = Outdoor Advertising Association of America
| accessdate = 2007-10-31
}}</ref><ref>
{{cite web
| url = http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0302/20/lad.08.html
| title = CNN Live at daybreak
| work = Aired February 20, 2003
| publisher = CNN
| accessdate = 2007-10-31
}}</ref> One of the first announcements that garnered widespread public attention to this campaign was one by Tom Ridge in which he stated that in the case of a chemical attack, citizens should use duct tape and plastic sheeting to build a homemade bunker, or "sheltering in place" to protect themselves.<ref>
{{cite web
| url = http://www.ready.gov/america/other/faqs.html
| title = Homeland Security Frequently Asked Questions
| work = 
| publisher = ready.gov
| accessdate = 2007-10-31
}}</ref><ref>
{{cite web
| url = http://www.ready.gov/america/getakit/cleanair.html
| title = Clean Air
| work = 
| publisher = ready.gov
| accessdate = 2007-10-31
}}</ref> As a result, the sales of duct tape skyrocketed and DHS was criticized for being too alarmist.<ref>
{{cite web
| url = http://www.lies.com/wp/2003/02/21/are-you-readygov/
| title = Are You Ready.gov?
| work = February 21st, 2003
| publisher = lies.com
| accessdate = 2007-10-31
}}</ref>
The site was promoted with banner ads containing automatic audio components on commercial web sites.

200px|right|Ministriets sigill
'''Departementet för inrikes säkerhet''', eller ''inrikessäkerhetsdepartementet'' (på USA:s regeringskansli som förestås av säkerhetsministern (för närvarande terrorattackerna den 11 september 2001. Departementet instiftades den försvarsdepartementet, jordbrukssdepartementet, justitiedepartementet och finansdepartementet. Dessa inkluderar bland annat tullen och kustbevakningen. Departementet påbörjade officiellt sin verksamhet den 24 januari 2003 även om de flesta av myndigheterna övergick till departementet först den 1 mars. Dess uppdrag är att samordna arbetet med att förebygga och förhindra katastrofer och terrorattacker, samt att agera till skydd för befolkningen vid sådana händelser.

{|class="wikitable"
|+ '''Säkerhetsministrar'''
!Namn!!Period
|-
|Tom Ridge||2003–2005
|-
|James Loy <small>(tillförordnad)</small>||align="center"|2005
|-     
|Michael Chertoff||align="center"|2005–
|}

{|class="wikitable"
|+'''Vice säkerhetsministrar'''
!Namn!!Period
|-
|Gordon England||align="center"|2003
|-
|James Loy||2003–2005
|-
|Michael P. Jackson||align="center"|2005–
|}