DHS Outlays Estimated at $1.4 Trillion Since 9/11

The Sept. 11 attacks produced sweeping changes to U.S. national security, including the creation of the Department of Homeland Security in 2003, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Transportation Security Administration. TSA federalized airport screening after the attacks exposed major failures in intelligence sharing, passenger prescreening, checkpoint procedures and onboard security. DHS has since expanded far beyond counterterrorism into border and immigration enforcement, customs, cybersecurity, critical infrastructure and disaster response. Its funding has grown from about $31 billion in its first full year to a proposed $118 billion for 2027 under the current Trump administration, while total spending since its creation has exceeded $1 trillion. Critics question whether the department and ODNI remain necessary in their current forms and whether taxpayers have received commensurate benefits, particularly as some DHS programs have shifted away from terrorism prevention.