Reclaim DHS

Created after 9/11 to unify national security efforts across 22 agencies, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was designed to protect Americans from cyber threats, natural disasters, terrorism, and emerging risks. Today, however, DHS increasingly channels unprecedented funding into ICE and enforcement operations, turning its mission away from coordination and community protection toward political immigration targets ().

Key concerns:

• ICE is on track to become the largest federal law enforcement agency, fueled by a 75 billion‑dollar allocation over four years, swelling detention capacities by 365% .
• DHS has terminated all advisory committees, dismantling oversight structures including cybersecurity boards like CIPAC and CSRB .

Our Action Blueprint

1️⃣ Restructure Budget Priorities

• Cap ICE’s share at 20% of overall DHS spending without yearly Congressional approval.
• Enact legislation to rebalance funds toward cybersecurity, disaster response, and infrastructure protection.

2️⃣ Mandate a Federal Public Advisory Council

• Create a DHS Advisory Council inclusive of cybersecurity professionals, emergency managers, civil liberties leaders, and community voices.
• Require quarterly, public-facing meetings and formal reports with strategic recommendations to DHS leadership.

3️⃣ Reinstate & Strengthen Advisory Committees

• Fully revive disbanded entities like CIPAC and CSRB .
• Include expert non-federal voices and ensure transparency by requiring public minutes and publicly accessible recommendations.

4️⃣ Realign DHS Operations with Core Mission

• Prioritize units focused on cybersecurity, natural disaster response, election security, and critical infrastructure.
• Publish annual performance metrics tracking progress on these strategic focuses.

5️⃣ Enhance Transparency & Public Oversight

• Require DHS to regularly report on:
   
  • ICE detentions and funding reallocations
  • Oversight of detainee conditions
  • Agency-wide execution of cybersecurity and disaster-response tasks

How You Can Help

• Write to Congress urging amendments that require congressional review of ICE’s budget share.
• Support transparency and watchdog groups like the Brennan Center, OpenGov Foundation, and CyberScoop.
• Share your story on how DHS’s focus or neglect impacts your community—on social media, in local forums, or public comment.
• Sign up for the DHS Advisory Council opportunity notification; make your expertise count.

Why It Matters to You

• Secure communities from cyberattacks, natural disasters, and threats—protecting your home, school, and businesses.
• Better-resourced emergency systems mean faster, more effective response when you need it.
• Open governance, transparent budgets, and civic oversight restore trust in federal institutions.
• Checks on enforcement power guard against politicized overreach.

Call to Action

Reclaim DHS’s purpose. Reinstate oversight. Restore trust.

• Tell Congress: Realign DHS & Cap ICE Funding
• Sign Up for DHS Advisory Council Update