The deputy secretary of homeland security is the

chief operating officer A chief operating officer (COO), also called chief operations officer, is an executive in charge of the daily operations of an organization (i.e. personnel, resources, and logistics). COOs are usually second-in-command immediately after the C ...

of the

United States Department of Homeland Security The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is the U.S. United States federal executive departments, federal executive department responsible for public security, roughly comparable to the Interior minister, interior, Home Secretary ...

, with responsibility for managing day-to-day operations. The department has over 208,000 employees and an annual budget of more than $48.5 billion. If the

secretary of homeland security The United States secretary of homeland security is the head of the United States Department of Homeland Security, the federal department tasked with ensuring public safety in the United States. The secretary is a member of the Cabinet of the U ...

dies, resigns, or is otherwise unable to perform the functions and duties of the office, the deputy secretary is to serve as an acting secretary. The deputy secretary is appointed by the

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

with the advice and consent of the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

. The position of Deputy Secretary was created along with the creation of the Department of Homeland Security in 2002. The deputy secretary is paid $168,000 annually.

List of deputy secretaries of homeland security

Rand Beers served as acting deputy secretary in his capacity as Undersecretary of Homeland Security for National Protection and Programs. Rafael Borras served as acting deputy secretary in his capacity as

Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Management The Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Management is a high level civilian official in the United States Department of Homeland Security. The Under Secretary, as head of the Management Directorate at DHS, is the principal staff assistant a ...

. Russell Deyo served as acting deputy secretary in his capacity as

. Claire Grady served as acting deputy secretary in her capacity as

David Pekoske David Peter Pekoske (born May 5, 1955) is an American government official and retired United States Coast Guard, U.S. Coast Guard Vice Admiral (United States), vice admiral who served as the seventh administrator of the Transportation Security Ad ...

served as acting deputy secretary in his capacity as Administrator of the

Transportation Security Administration The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that has authority over the security of transportation systems within and connecting to the United States. It was created ...

Ken Cuccinelli Kenneth Thomas "Cooch” Cuccinelli II ( ; born July 30, 1968) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security from 2019 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Pa ...

served as the senior official performing the duties of deputy secretary in his capacity as acting director of

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that administers the country's naturalization and Immigration to the United States, immigration system. History ...

. His tenure was ruled unlawful. Kristie Canegallo served as acting deputy secretary in her capacity as chief of staff.

Benjamine Huffman Benjamine Carry Huffman is an American law enforcement official who served as Director of Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers, acting United States secretary of homeland security from January 20 to 25, 2025 and acting Deputy Secretary of Hom ...

served as acting deputy secretary in his capacity as Director of the

Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers The Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC; pronounced ) is a law enforcement training school under the United States Department of Homeland Security, serving 105 federal law enforcement agencies within the United States federal governm ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:United States Deputy Secretary Of Homeland Security

Homeland Security Homeland security is an American national security term for "the national effort to ensure a homeland that is safe, secure, and resilient against terrorism and other hazards where American interests, aspirations, and ways of life can thrive" to ...