Baker, Jenkins, Kim 1

Ashley Baker
Parker Jenkins
Sambat Jerry Kim
International Relations
9 November 2015

The Who, What, Where, When and Why of Homeland Security

The United States was rocked to its core in September 2001, in an event where a terrorist
group known as Al Qaeda, launched an attack against the U.S. on its own soil. The terrorists
seized four American commercial aircrafts. Two of them were crashed into the notable Twin
Towers in New York Citythe third was wrecked into the Pentagon in Washington D.C. and the
fourth missed its intended target, the White House, disintegrating after crashing into a
Pennsylvanian field. The suicide attacks killed approximately three-thousand American people.1
In a gallant effort to safeguard our nation, the Bush administration pushed through a whirlwind
decision to create the Department of Homeland Security, appointing Thomas J. Ridge, to fulfill
the role of the first ever Director of the Office of Homeland Security.2

1 http://www.history.com/topics/9-11-attacks

2 http://www.dhs.gov/thomas-j-ridge-homeland-security-secretary-2003-2005

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Homeland Security is the department of the U.S. federal government charged with
protecting U.S. territory from terrorist attacks and providing a coordinated response to largescale
emergencies.3
We live in a world of uncertainty and literal chaos. Regardless of if borders, air ways, or water
ways are secure, the truth is, no one nation is exempt from threats or acts of terrorism.

The

Homeland Security Act (HSA) was cosponsored by 118 members of Congress and was signed
into law November 2002. In June 2002, the first proposal to create the Department of Homeland
Security was passed. The HSA created the Department of Homeland Security; this act was large
enough that it demanded a new stand-alone, cabinet-level department to unify security efforts4.
This was the most significant transformation of the U.S. Government in over half of a century
by fundamentally altering the current patchwork of government activities into a primary
mission-- to protect our homeland.
The Homeland Security Act of 2002 was signed into effect November 25, 2002. On
October 13, 2006 Congress passed the Security Accountability for Every Port Act (SAFE port
Act of 2006). The act assisted in the creation of the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office
(DNDO).

Duties of Homeland Security

3 http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/department-of-homeland-security

4 http://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/hr_5005_enr.pdf

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The D.H.S. is divided into several departments, each of which are prepared to respond to
different types of emergencies. They oversee a vast array of topics ranging from academics,
border security, natural disasters, human trafficking, cyber and economic security, along with
terrorism prevention.5
The Department of Homeland Security is comprised of 198 federal agencies and departments including:
the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. National Guard, U.S.
Immigration and U.S. Customs and Border Protectionto name a few.
The creation of these departments and agencies assist on the state and federal level allowing
them to communicate with each other more effectively6.
The first responsibility of the Department of Homeland Security is to prevent terrorist attacks in
the
United States. However, the investigation and prosecution of terrorism remains the responsibility of the
Federal Bureau of Investigation. The D. H. S. serves as the analytical advisory role in intelligence
activities.7
The D.H.S. also deals with Human Trafficking. Which is a type of modern-day slavery where
people are sold on an illegal human market, to perform some act of labor. Women and children
are often sexually exploited. Homeland Securitys job is to prevent trafficking trades and shut
5 http://www.dhs.gov/topics

6 http://www.dhs.gov/who-joined-dhs

7 http://www.dhs.gov/publication/proposal-create-department-homeland-security

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down these markets by investigating and even arresting the criminals responsible for such
heinous acts against humanity.8
Its role in border security is protecting our country from illegal transport of weapons, drugs,
contraband and people across U.S. borders. 9
Homeland Security oversees operations in the cyber world too. Many crimes are committed via
the internet, including child pornography and hackers who wreak havoc on our economy by
stealing the identities and money from American corporations and hardworking citizens. The
D.H.S. is responsible for keeping citizens safe from such crimes.

D.H. S. and Civil Liberties

With the supervision of our economic and technological information, the Department of
Homeland Security has experienced much scrutiny from the population, accusing them of
breaching our fourth Amendment rightthe right to privacy.
Some say, The Homeland Security Act has reduced privacy of the individual, increased
government secrecy, and fortified government protection of special interests. The Department of
Homeland Security Interoperable Communications Act (March 24, 2014) was a bill that
amended the Homeland Security Act of 2002.10 It made the DHS responsible for policies and
directives to achieve and maintain communications across divisions.
8 http://www.dhs.gov/topic/human-trafficking

9 http://www.dhs.gov/border-security

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The Conundrum

Today, with many people worried about and questioning their own privacy more than
ever. Restrictions and walls that have been put into place by the N.S.A. (National Security
Agency), which limits how much information is kept by the organization on any single person.
Perhaps these walls and restrictions are the very reason the U.S. was brought to its knees in the
first place by the September 11 assaults.11
10 www.homelandsecurity.gov

11 http://www.skatingonstilts.com/files/chapter-0---introduction---skating-on-stilts-by-stewart-baker3.pdf

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The questions still remain: Are we doing enough to protect our nation from power driven forces
who perceive the American Superpower as a world dominator or oppressor? Or is the
development of Homeland Security a way to increase the United States own clout, by imposing
sanctions that purposefully lessen civil rights and liberties of its own population?

Works Cited
9/11 Attacks. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.history.com/topics/9-11-attacks

Baker, S. (2010). Skating On Stilts Why We Aren't Stopping Tomorrow's Terrorism. Retrieved from
http://www.skatingonstilts.com/files/chapter-0---introduction---skating-on-stilts-by-stewart-baker-3.pdf

Department of Homeland Security. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/department-of-homeland-security

Homeland Security. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.dhs.gov/topics

Homeland Security. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.dhs.gov/who-joined-dhs

Homeland Security. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.dhs.gov/publication/proposal-create-departmenthomeland-security

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Homeland Security. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.dhs.gov/topic/human-trafficking

Homeland Security. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.dhs.gov/border-security

Homeland Security. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.homelandsecurity.gov

Public Law 107296. (2002, November 25). Retrieved from

http://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/hr_5005_enr.pdf

Thomas J. Ridge, Homeland Security Secretary 2003 - 2005. (2015, August 18). Retrieved from
http://www.dhs.gov/thomas-j-ridge-homeland-security-secretary-2003-2005

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