Department of Homeland Security

What Department of Homeland Security does

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is a cabinet-level federal department of the United States government, established in November 2002 under the Homeland Security Act signed by President George W. Bush in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks. It consolidated 22 previously separate federal agencies into a single department headquartered in Washington, D.C., with 10,000+ employees and operations spanning the entire United States and its territories. DHS does not generate commercial revenue; it is funded through annual congressional appropriations, with approximately $140 billion in existing funding allocated to frontline security and immigration enforcement operations.

DHS operates through eight core component agencies: Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Its functional mandate spans border security, immigration enforcement, disaster preparedness and response, transportation security, protection of critical infrastructure, cybersecurity, and anti-terrorism. ICE alone conducts between approximately 1,115 and 3,000 enforcement arrests daily. The agency's primary digital asset is the DHS.gov public-facing website, which serves as an informational portal; DHS does not offer a unified commercial software platform.

DHS procures the majority of its technology, analytics, and IT capabilities through commercial vendors and government contractors. Notable contracting signals include a $1 billion software purchase agreement with Palantir Technologies for data analytics, facial recognition, and integrated surveillance tools — structured to allow DHS agencies to bypass competitive bidding — and a potential 10-year, $178.6 million enterprise IT task order awarded to Netizen for the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers. Leadership transitioned in March 2026 with Markwayne Mullin confirmed and taking office as Secretary on March 31, 2026, succeeding Kristi Noem, who was fired earlier that month after a 13-month tenure. The agency's governance is currently subject to material oversight scrutiny, including Inspector General findings that DHS "systematically obstructed" investigations and that another federal law enforcement agency has joined a criminal inquiry into FEMA contracting matters.

Name

Department of Homeland Security

Legal name

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Website

https://dhs.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is a cabinet-level federal agency established in 2002, consolidating 22 agencies to deliver border security, immigration enforcement, disaster response, cybersecurity, and transportation security across the United States through eight core operating components, funded by congressional appropriations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Federal National Security Services

NAICS

National Security and International Affairs (9281), Police Protection (92212), Fire Protection (92216)

akta.pro primary industry

Border Security & Homeland Security (BPAIAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Cyber Defense & Information Security (National Security) (BPAIAHAE)

Keywords

• Homeland security services
• Border enforcement operations
• Immigration enforcement
• Disaster response services
• Cybersecurity protection

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Core offering

The Department of Homeland Security is a U.S. federal cabinet department that operates law-enforcement, emergency-management, and security services through its component agencies. Its core service offerings include counter-terrorism and prevention, customs and border enforcement (CBP), immigration enforcement and processing (ICE, USCIS), transportation security screening (TSA), disaster preparedness and response (FEMA), protective operations for federal officials (U.S. Secret Service), maritime safety and security (U.S. Coast Guard), and cybersecurity and critical-infrastructure protection (CISA). The public-facing DHS.gov website and the CBP Home mobile application serve as the primary informational and citizen-service channels.

Product overview

The Department of Homeland Security operates primarily as a U.S. government agency rather than a product company with a commercial product portfolio. The primary digital presence is the DHS.gov website, which serves as an informational portal for public services including border security, immigration enforcement (ICE, CBP), emergency management (FEMA), and cybersecurity (CISA). The organization does not offer a unified software platform or product suite in the traditional commercial sense; rather, it consists of multiple operational agencies with distinct missions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DHS.gov Official Website The official public-facing website of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, providing information about agency operations, news, press releases, and public services related to border security, immigration enforcement, emergency management, and national security.
• CBP Home Mobile Application Mobile application distributed under the DHS ecosystem (com.dhs.cbphome package) providing CBP-related services and information to travelers and the public.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered major.

• NetizenmajorOthers · 16 March 2026Netizen won a potential 10-year, $178.6 million task order from DHS to provide enterprise IT support services for the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers. The contract was awarded after a competitive process that received 29 proposals, replacing Abacus Solutions which originally held the contract since 2020. Netizen, a service-disabled/veteran-owned small business headquartered in Allentown, Pennsylvania, will be responsible for IT service desk operations, hardware and software acquisitions, Microsoft 365 implementation, cybersecurity, and supporting federal law enforcement training operations.
• Palantir TechnologiesmajorOthers · 20 February 2026Palantir secured a $1 billion software purchase agreement with DHS, allowing DHS agencies to bypass competitive bidding and streamline procurement. The deal is part of a long-standing relationship that could expand to other U.S. agencies, reflecting the importance of government contracts in Palantir's growth. Palantir's data analytics systems are reportedly being used for ICE and FBI expansion of facial recognition and integrated surveillance technologies.

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• U.S. Department of Defense: U.S. federal cabinet-level department responsible for national defense. Like DHS, DoD operates a large organizational structure with multiple subordinate commands and substantial congressional funding under Executive Branch authority, making it the closest structural peer for agency-scale comparison.
• Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI): Federal investigative and intelligence agency under the Department of Justice with overlapping mandates on counterterrorism, cybersecurity, and law enforcement. Comparable in scale, investigative authority, and reliance on data analytics and technology platforms to support mission execution.
• Central Intelligence Agency (CIA): U.S. federal intelligence agency focused on national security intelligence gathering. Operates under similar executive-branch authority and statutory framework, and shares comparable analytical technology needs with DHS's CISA and ICE components.
• U.S. Department of Justice: Cabinet-level federal department overseeing federal law enforcement, including the FBI. Coordinates prosecution and litigation (including immigration-related matters) and shares broad overlap with DHS on enforcement, civil rights, and immigration policy domains.
• National Security Agency (NSA): U.S. signals intelligence and cyber defense agency. Significant overlap with CISA on cybersecurity mission, comparable technical workforce, and similar reliance on advanced analytics and surveillance infrastructure.

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Department of State: U.S. federal cabinet department handling foreign affairs and international policy. Adjacent to DHS on consular affairs and visa policy through USCIS, with similarly large appropriations and global operational footprint.

Regional players

• Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA): Canadian federal agency responsible for border enforcement, immigration detention, and customs, structurally analogous to DHS's CBP and ICE functions in a different national jurisdiction.
• U.K. Home Office: United Kingdom ministerial department responsible for immigration, security, and law enforcement. Closest international analog to DHS in terms of combined immigration, security, and counter-terrorism portfolio.
• Australian Department of Home Affairs: Australian federal department combining immigration, border protection, cybersecurity, and law enforcement functions — effectively a structural analog to DHS with similar portfolio breadth.

Others

• Palantir Technologies: Software and analytics vendor holding a $1 billion purchase agreement with DHS enabling bypass of competitive bidding. While not a peer in mission, it is the most consequential technology ecosystem partner and a representative comp for companies building large-scale government data analytics platforms.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dhsgov
• Facebookfacebook.com/homelandsecurity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/us-department-of-homeland-security

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Department of Homeland Security