On September 12, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) held an awards ceremony hosted by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in New York City, where 158 employees received a Secretary’s Award in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the Department’s mission.
"Every single day, with great determination, integrity, and skill, the 268,000 men and women of the Department of Homeland Security ensure the safety and security of the American people,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “Thanks to these extraordinary public servants, our shores, harbors, skies, cyberspace, and borders are protected; fentanyl and other deadly drugs are prevented from entering our country; communities are able to recover and rebuild after a natural disaster; the scourges of human trafficking, forced labor, and online exploitation are mitigated; and so much more. The individuals we recognize today with our Department’s highest honor, the Secretary’s Award, reflect the very best of DHS – and in their selfless dedication to mission, the very best of public service.”
The DHS Secretary’s Awards are an annual program that recognizes extraordinary individual and collective achievements within its workforce. The 158 awardees recognized at today's ceremony represent USCIS, Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A).
“In recognizing these outstanding DHS personnel with a Secretary’s Award, we recognize all our talented personnel; the achievements of one are not possible without the contributions of others,” added Secretary Mayorkas. “We also express our appreciation to their families and loved ones; when one serves, the family serves too.”
This year’s award recipients developed policies associated with transitioning to a new pay system for TSA; launched initiatives targeting Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) operating through the Darien Gap region; arrested over 8,000 human smugglers; produced over 5,000 intelligence reports; seized over $38 million USD in real property; ensured over 2,300 vital alerts were provided to critical infrastructure owners against cyberattacks among other achievements.
This year marks nine Secretary’s Awards ceremonies across the country honoring over 1,700 employees—the most annual awardees ever.
Last year saw Secretary Mayorkas unveil 12 priorities for DHS including championing workforce transformation. DHS has committed to increasing female representation in law enforcement roles at DHS to 30% by 2030. Over 54,000 veterans make up nearly 21% of its workforce.
DHS operational components interact daily with more Americans than any other federal department through activities such as processing travelers at ports or handling immigrant services applications.
For more information on DHS's daily impact or a full list of this year's awardees visit: DHS.gov/TodayDHSWill or check out our 2024 Secretary's Awards page.
