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United States Department of Homeland Security
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TSA checkpoint At the border First Homeland Security Secretary Minnesota standoff The official seal of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security features a blue eagle with outstretched wings, a shield with mountains, water, and farmland, and a circular border reading U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
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TSA checkpoint
TSA checkpoint The creation of the Department of Homeland Security after the attacks of September 11, 2001, changed many aspects of ordinary life, including the way Americans navigate airports.

United States Department of Homeland Security

United States government
Also known as: DHS
Written by
L. Sue Baugh
L. Sue Baugh is a writer and editor who works in the educational, business, and science/medical fields.
L. Sue Baugh
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Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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•History

The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was created in response to the catastrophic failures of communication, coordination, and information-sharing within the U.S. federal government that contributed to the terror attacks of September 11, 2001. In a bid to create an agency that would protect the country from everything from natural disasters to hostile attacks, DHS incorporated the functions of multiple government agencies, including: The consolidation of, in all, 22 federal agencies made DHS...

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