What Is The Task Of The US Department of Homeland Security?
United States Department of Homeland Security was formed in 2002, this department was created in response to the September 11, 2001 terrorists attacks on United States soil. Homeland Security's main objective is to protect the territory of the United States from terrorists as well as respond when there is a threat of terrorism. Homeland Security also helps Americans when there is a man made accident or even natural disasters. This department should not be confused with the Department of Defense, the DOD is in charge of military actions all over the world, while HS works more in the civilian area to watch and protect the United States at the borders as well as within the borders.
On March 1, 2003, Department of Homeland Security was assigned to oversee the Immigration and Naturalized Services or the INS. When this happened it divided the two areas, the enforcement and the services into two new agencies:
Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE and the Citizenship and Immigration Services or CIS. The divisions that handle the investigations as well as the intelligence of the INS and Customs became one department, Homeland Security Investigations. Homeland Security also oversees the U.S Border Patrol, U.S Customs and Animal and Plant health Inspection Services and these departments were combined to form the U.S Customs and Border Protection.
The Department of Homeland Security or DHS has more than 20,000 employees and today they are the third largest Cabinet Department of the government, the first two are Veterans Affairs and Departments of Defense. The policies that make up the DHS are all developed through the White House by the Homeland Security Council. Some of the other government agencies that are considered to have homeland security responsibilities are the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Justice and the Department of Energy.
The United States Visas were given to 6.6 million foreign nationals that were visiting the U.S and back in 2008, 470,000 immigrants where given Visas. Department of Homeland Security has to ensure the safety of million of people living in the United States, so handing out visas and keeping track of every one of them is necessary to keep us safe. Anyone visiting the U.S has to show proof that
The purpose of their trip to the U.S is for business, pleasure or medical reasons. They must show that they plan to stay for a limited time and that they have a residence outside the U.S as well as ties that bind them to their home country. This is necessary to prove that they do have something to go home to and that they are not going to try to stay in the U.S longer than the Visa allows.
The DHS has a lot of rules and regulations when it comes to terrorism and protecting the United States. Everyone who enters the country whether it is for work or play or under the refugee or asylum must follow the rules and has all of the necessary paperwork required to stay here for a minute. Their job is to protect the citizens and visitors to our country and they do a great job.