United States Secretary of Homeland Security
| United States Secretary of Homeland Security | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Flag of the secretary | |
| Department of Homeland Security | |
| Style | Mister/Madam Secretary (informal) The Honorable (formal) |
| Member of | Cabinet Homeland Security Council National Security Council |
| Reports to | President of the United States |
| Seat | St. Elizabeths West Campus, Washington, D.C. |
| Appointer |
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| Term length |
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Constituting instrument | 6 U.S.C. ยง 112 |
| Formation | January 24, 2003 |
| First holder | Tom Ridge |
| Succession | Eighteenth |
| Deputy | Deputy Secretary |
| Salary | Executive Schedule, Level I |
| Website | dhs.gov |
The United States secretary of homeland security is the head of the United States Department of Homeland Security, the federal department tasked with border control, counterterrorism and other aspects of public safety in the United States. The secretary is a member of the Cabinet of the United States. The position was created by the Homeland Security Act following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
The new department consisted primarily of components transferred from other Cabinet departments because of their role in homeland security, such as the Coast Guard, the Federal Protective Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (which includes the United States Border Patrol), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (which includes Homeland Security Investigations), the United States Secret Service, the Transportation Security Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The current homeland security secretary is Markwayne Mullin, who was sworn in on March 24, 2026.