Biden sets succession order for the Department of Homeland Security

President Joe Biden signed a January 3, 2025 executive order setting who could act as secretary of homeland security if the secretary, deputy secretary, under secretary for management, and any DHS-designated acting officials were unable to serve. The order placed the Transportation Security Administration administrator first, followed by the under secretary for intelligence and analysis, the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers director, and FEMA’s Region 3 administrator. It relied on the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, revoked a 2016 DHS succession order, and removed an older provision from Executive Order 13286. The action mattered because DHS oversees immigration, disaster response, transportation security, cyber and infrastructure security, and border functions, so leadership continuity can affect major public-safety systems.