This week kicked off a new, chaotic era at the Department of Homeland Security, where the only certainty seems to be the president’s obsession with immigration. As former Customs and Border Protection commissioner and prominent family-separation advocate Kevin McAleenan takes over as acting secretary, it’s fair to wonder what will happen to the rest of DHS’ many essential responsibilities.
The shakeup began last week, when President Trump announced he was withdrawing his nominee to head Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Ronald Vitiello, saying, “We’re going in a tougher direction.” Then on Sunday he ousted former secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, after months of rumors that he was unhappy with her performance. Secret Service director Randolph Alles and DHS undersecretary Claire Grady are also out, and there may still be more to come.
But DHS’ mandate goes far beyond immigration, to concerns like cybersecurity, counterterrorism, monitoring critical infrastructure, border privacy, and the development of science and technology in defense of the country. While Trump’s Homeland Security purge may not mean an immediate danger of those areas being neglected, former…
