Secretary of Homeland Security

Secretary of Homeland Security of the United States of America
Seal of the Department of Homeland Security
Flag of the Secretary of Homeland Security
Incumbent John F. Kelly since January 20, 2017
United States Department of Homeland Security
Style	Mr. Secretary
Member of	Cabinet
Reports to	The President
Seat	Washington, D.C.
Appointer	The President with Senate advice and consent
Term length	No fixed term
Constituting instrument	6 U.S.C. § 112
Formation	January 24, 2003
First holder	Tom Ridge
Succession	Eighteenth
Deputy	Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security
Salary	Executive Schedule, level 1
Website	www.dhs.gov

The United States Secretary of Homeland Security is the head of the United States Department of Homeland Security, the body concerned with protecting the U.S. and the safety of U.S. citizens. The secretary is a member of the President's Cabinet. The position was created by the Homeland Security Act following the 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 Border Patrol), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (which includes Homeland Security Investigations), the Secret Service, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). It did not, however, include the FBI or the CIA.

On January 20, 2009, the Senate confirmed Barack Obama's appointment of Janet Napolitano to be the third Secretary of Homeland Security, effective January 21, 2009. Napolitano resigned effective August 2013 to head the University of California. On October 17, President Obama announced his intention to nominate former General Counsel of the Department of Defense Jeh Johnson, and on December 16 the US Senate confirmed the nomination. The current Secretary, sworn in on January 20, 2017, is retired United States Marine Corps general John F. Kelly.