Purpose Of Homeland Security

The role of Homeland Security originated from the Founding Fathers, under the United States Constitution, that created a system and gave the primary role of homeland security to state and local governments (Oliver, 2007). When state and local governments became overwhelmed and could no longer effectively deal with a crisis then homeland security government would assist those governments (Oliver, 2007). The relationship was created through the United States Constitution in Article 4, Section 4, which declared that “the United States shall guarantee to every state in this Union a Republican form of government, and shall protect each of them against invasion; and on application of the legislature, or of the executive (when the legislature cannot be convened) against domestic violence” (U.S. Constitution, 2015) (Oliver, 2007). President John F. Kennedy was elected 1961, and made it a priority to necessitate organizational changes with homeland security (Oliver, 2007). President John F. Kennedy felt that local governments were doing little if anything to prepare for natural disasters and civil defense (Oliver, 2007). This became a priority for the Kennedy administration, and the office of civil and Defense mobilization was split into two agencies that became known as the Office of Emergency Planning and the Office of Civil Defense (Oliver, 2007).

When the topic of Homeland Security is introduced, the first thought that comes to mind is either 9/11 or the Transportation Security Administration, TSA for short. No matter the reference, most Americans know that Homeland Security has something to do with Terrorism. Until an actual attack occurs, or election season begins, the average person may never give any thought or credit to the Department of Homeland Security. Homeland Security goes far beyond terrorism and terrorism prevention. Homeland Security does not just encompass holding individuals up at airports for multiple hours to intentionally hinder passengers from catching their flight out of the Caribbean. Homeland Security is multiple levels of legislation; law and policy to prevent

After the terrorist attack September 11, 2001, the United States government increased their investments in security. Many innocent lives were lost because of that incident, which worried the United States of America about self-defense or Homeland Security. Homeland Security was signed to become a law by the President George W. Bush in November 2002. Their main priority was to secure the country from the threats such as international terrorism. The Department of Homeland security had to focus on five goals such as prevent terrorism, enhance security, secure the borders, enforce immigration laws, safeguard, and cyberspace. In order to achieve these goals a lot of work was needed.

The Department of Homeland Security plays in a very important part in terrorism. DHS protect the United States from foreign and domestic threats to the United States. One of the missions is to find and destroy any weapon of mass destruction. Cyberspace is a threat to the United States in the technology field. DHS have to stop threats, hazards and disasters in its tracks at large public gatherings.

After decades of just being a category of police but finally they became part of the homeland security on november, 25, 2005, homeland security was created to help prevent such acts as 9/11, or the attack on the oklahoma city bombing, from happening from another country. The united states border patrol was created to help stop the drug trafficking and weapon trafficking into the united states. The department of homeland security helps protect the people of the united states (www.kyma.com/news/securing-america/646148044.).

As previously mentioned, the purpose of the Department of Homeland Security is to promote concerted nationwide efforts in securing the American homeland and way of life. This purpose is achieved through securing the nation's borders, thwarting terrorist attacks, and responding to threats effectively. The department also works to thwart, contain, and counter threats from international criminal activities and national disasters. As part of accomplishing its objectives, the Department of Homeland Security has

The homeland security is a department responsible for developing various mechanisms aimed at ensuring that the country is safe. The main focus of homeland security is to shield or reduce the cases of terror attacks. The prevention and response to both manmade and natural disasters also fall under homeland security (McElreath, Jensen, and Wigginton, 10). The Department of Homeland Security, therefore, has a broad range of responsibilities. At its formation in 2003, the department was composed of twenty-two federal agencies with over 180,000 employees. Homeland security’s formation was necessitated by the September 11th attacks in United States. Today, the Department of Homeland Security

Homeland Security is a relatively new concept that became a national issue following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. There are multiple definitions that define what Homeland Security is. According to Defining Homeland Security: Analysis and Congressional Consideration, “Homeland Security, regardless of the definition or strategic document, is a combination of law enforcement, disaster, immigration, and terrorist issues. It is the responsibility of civilian agencies at all levels. It is a coordination of efforts at all levels of government” (Reese, 2013). The 2010 Quadrennial Homeland Security Review and Report defines Homeland Security as” a concerted national effort to ensure a homeland that is safe, secure, and resilient against terrorism and other hazards where American interests, aspirations, and ways of life can thrive”. (Homeland Security, 2010) There are multiple Federal, State and Local agencies involved in

DHS has a specific purpose, and mission. The vision of homeland security is to ensure a homeland that is safe, secure, and resilient against terrorism and other hazards. Three key concepts form the foundation of our national homeland security strategy designed to achieve this vision: Security, Resilience, and Customs and Exchange.

Later, the federal, state, and local government responses to disasters such as Hurricane Katrina expanded the concept of homeland security to include significant disasters, major public health emergencies, and other events that threaten the United States, its economy, the rule of law, and government operations (2). Homeland security is the combination of law enforcement, immigration, disaster relief, and terrorist activities within the United States’ borders. This would be based on the local agencies and civilian departments to safeguard the people from any threat within while being assisted by the government. In some aspects of terror attacks, there will be a combination of both homeland security and homeland defense. 9/11 is the perfect example as homeland security was responding to the local disasters and threats while the homeland defense, military, was deploying to get to the root of the threats. This is essential to the way homeland security operates because this will stop the attack on the nation’s soil before it reaches the borders and local government agencies are required. The biggest issue with the homeland security aspect is that the

1. The Homeland Security Act of 2002 reduces the vulnerability of the United States to terrorism.

2014-The 5 goals of Homeland Security “efforts are to: 1) prevent terrorism and enhance security, 2) securing and managing our borders, 3) enforcing immigration laws, 4) securing cyberspace, and 5) ensuring resilience to disasters.” (Department of Homeland Security, 2014).

The primary missions of the homeland security are to deal with terrorism and with the terrorist threat. The threats are determined by the factors of the United States to understand the international environment. The international circumstance of the processor system makes it difficult for the homeland security to pin down. It’s unclear in the context of the international threat where the domestic situation lies at the moment (Oliver, Marion, & Hill, 2015). The terrorist activity when it comes down to natural disasters is increasing concern that global climate change is getting worse because of the recent hurricanes that make us believe that we have to be well prepared for in the future. With the climate change intensifying the storms this

“We have learned as a Nation that we must maintain a constant, capable, and vigilant posture to protect ourselves against new threats and evolving hazards. But we have also learned that vigilance and protection are not ends in and of themselves, but rather necessary tools in the service of our national purpose.”(Napolitano, 2010, p.iv) In the wake of the September 11th, 2001 attacks our nation has taken upon itself extreme vigilance to ensure the security and defense of the American people. The relationship between homeland security and homeland defense is one that is tightly knit. Each has a very distinct mission set but somewhere along the spectrum they cross over and mutually support each other in the best interest of the nation.

The distinction between homeland security and homeland defense is pivotal in gaining a better understanding of how these agencies work and how they correlate to our nations infrastructure. We must understand the designated missions set forth for both these agencies while learning how they meet the tasks appointed to them and resources utilized to accomplish the mission. Learning the fundamentals of our nations infrastructure information must be provided to showcase how these agencies utilize the appropriate resources to guarantee the security of these critical infrastructures. Offering an opinion in the definition of homeland security and how resources are being utilized to fix vulnerabilities is vital to showcase what is being distributed and learned on a researchers and readers level. Homeland security and homeland defense play a pivotal role in ensuring our borders are protected.