Proposal: Break up the Department of Homeland Security
Moving forward on one of the most dangerous threats to American democracy.
The Department of Homeland Security was created in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks as one of the more controversial components of George W. Bush’s war in terror. Since then, it has largely vindicated critics who warned that it would grow beyond recognition, duplicate existing offices, evade oversight, and all while straying away from its original mission. We hold that the functions that DHS performs would best be returned to the oversight and management of other departments.
Our review finds that the overwhelming majority of the Department of Homeland Security replicates functions served by other parts of the government, primarily in the Department of Justice. We propose merging 19 DHS offices in with their functional counterparts in the DoJ. We also propose moving 7 DHS offices to the DOJ, along with three others to HHS, DOT, and the DoD. See notes below.
In tandem with our proposal to restructure DHS we also propose an immediate return to its scope and operations circa 2008, which were more in-line with the Department’s founding mission. Relevant to this proposal, we call for imposing this shift at the level of budget and personnel by transfering 50% of current DHS staff to their restructured departments. Those personnel who are not transferred will be offered $50,000 enlistment bonuses for joining any branch of the Armed Forces. DHS transfers will by default be subject to 50% annual staffing reductions in the three years that follow pending appeal by the relevant subdivision to Department Secretary.
NOTES on DHS Restructuring
1. Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers - Redundant, merged with existing departmental training centers
2. Science and Technology Directorate - Redundant, merged with the NIJ
3. Office of Intelligence and Analysis - Redundant, merged with FBI
4. Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans - Redundant, merged with OLP
5. Office of General Counsel - Redundant, merged with office of legal counsel
6. Office of Inspector General - Redundant, merged with DOJ's Office of Inspector General
7. Office for State and Local Law Enforcement - Redundant, merged with existing DOJ infrastructure (COPS Office, BJA, FBI JTTFs, etc)
8. OHSSA - Redundant, merged with FBI SIOC, the NSD, etc
9. Office of Partnership and Engagement - Redundant, merged with existing DOJ orgs (IE CRS, Office of Tribal Justice, etc)
10. The Office of Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction would be merged with the FBI WMD Directorate
11. The Managment Directorate - Replaced by existing executive and administrative offices
12. CFO - Replaced by DOJ JMD Finance Staff
13. CIO - Replaced by DOJ CIO
14. Privacy office - Replaced by the DOJ OPCL
15. Office of Immigration and Detention Ombudsman - Replaced by the Executive Office for Immigration Review and the Civil Rights Division
16. ICE - Replaced by US Marshals, EOIR, existing DOJ investigative bodies, etc
17. US Customs and Border Protections - Mostly redundant, replaced with a smaller DOJ Border Enforcement Division and National Security Division
18. US Citizenship and Immigration Services- Redundant, replaced with the EOIR, the Office of Immigration Litigation, the FBI, and the Civil Division
19. Transportation and Security Administration - Move to Department of Transportation
20. US Coast Guard - Move to the Department of Defense