More than 1,300 U.S. Department of Homeland Security employees were recognized in this year's annual DHS Secretary's Awards.
This year's 1,341 DHS Secretary's Awards winners came from 43 states, countries, territories and districts, according to a March 21 news release. The full breakdown of 2023 Secretary's Awards honorees, recognized for their work, sacrifice, and professional excellence, came from all across all of the department.
"Every day, the men and women of the Department respond to cyberattacks; save lives by sea and air; secure our nation’s borders and critical infrastructure; and deploy across the country to help Americans recover from disasters; and so much more," Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas said in the news release. "Their achievements aren’t only on the front lines, but also extend behind the scenes to modernize and streamline the Department’s processes in order to better relationships between the Department and the people we serve. It is the honor of my life to lead this Department and to recognize some of the extraordinary public servants who safeguard our nation and keep us all safe."
This year's honorees are the largest number ever recognized in the Secretary's Awards and were selected for "extraordinary achievements and commitment to the DHS mission," the news release said.
Recipients this year were recognized for increasing the speed in which noncitizens are processed at the nation's southwest border; responding to natural disasters; investigating cybercrime; developing a new and more efficient system for asylum applications; resettling almost 90,000 Afghan refugees; providing resources to strengthen cybersecurity resilience; establishing a process for Ukrainian nationals seeking refuge in the United States; and securing the 2022 midterm elections, the release reported.
Mayorkas and other department leadership planned eight regional ceremonies across the nation, including a ceremony in March 21 Tucson, Ariz. Ceremonies are expected to pay tribute to the more than 32,000 "plank holders" who joined DHS at its founding and are still employed by the Department and building on that commitment, according to the release.
DHS employs the third-largest workforce of any federal agency, behind the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, and has the most sworn law enforcement personnel — 92,000 officers — of any department in the federal government, the release reported. The Department's 12 priorities, introduced by Mayorkas in February, include promoting the department's workforce and improving employees' experience.
