DHS Has Become Central to American Strategy, But Its Strategy Has Not Caught Up

The Department of Homeland Security has become central to American national security strategy following 9/11, but lacks a coherent institutional strategy to guide its disparate components. The 2025 National Security Strategy and recent Counterterrorism Strategy reflect a blurred line between foreign and domestic threats, including cartels, fentanyl trafficking, and cyber operations, yet DHS still lacks a strategic framework to align its mission effectively.