Top 7 Major Homeland Security Issues Facing the U.S. in 2024

---

Table of Contents#

1. Domestic Violent Extremism (DVE): The Top Domestic Terror Threat
2. Cyber Attacks on Critical Public and Private Infrastructure
3. Climate Change-Driven Disasters and Cross-Border Instability
4. Transnational Fentanyl and Human Trafficking Networks
5. Critical Supply Chain Vulnerabilities
6. Disinformation Threats to Democratic Processes and Public Safety
7. Emerging Technology Risks (AI, Drones, Biotech)
8. Cross-Cutting Challenges to Effective Homeland Security
9. Conclusion
10. References

---

1. Domestic Violent Extremism (DVE): The Top Domestic Terror Threat#

DHS’s 2023 Strategic Framework for Countering Terrorism and Targeted Violence lists DVE as the deadliest and most persistent domestic terror threat facing the U.S., responsible for 75% of fatal domestic terror attacks between 2018 and 2022.

• Threat profile: DVE actors include white supremacist groups, anti-government militias, anti-LGBTQ+ extremists, and violent incel communities, many of whom are radicalized online via unregulated social media platforms.
• High-profile incidents: The 2021 January 6 insurrection, the 2022 Buffalo supermarket shooting that killed 10 Black shoppers, and the 2023 mass shooting at a Nashville Christian school are all tied to DVE ideologies.
• Mitigation gaps: Efforts to monitor DVE are complicated by First Amendment protections, concerns about over-policing of marginalized groups, and inconsistent information sharing between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.

2. Cyber Attacks on Critical Public and Private Infrastructure#

Cyber threats are the fastest-growing homeland security risk, with state actors (Russia, China, Iran, North Korea) and criminal ransomware groups targeting systems that support daily life for millions of Americans.

• Common targets: Power grids, water treatment plants, healthcare systems, K-12 schools, and energy pipelines. The 2021 Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack disrupted 45% of East Coast fuel supplies for 6 days, leading to widespread panic buying and $90 million in ransom payments. In 2023, 14 water treatment facilities in Pennsylvania were targeted by a Russian state-linked hacking group, putting drinking water safety for 300,000 residents at risk.
• Growing trend: Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) kits have lowered barriers to entry for non-technical criminal groups, leading to a 13% rise in ransomware attacks on U.S. critical infrastructure between 2022 and 2023, per the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).

3. Climate Change-Driven Disasters and Cross-Border Instability#

DHS’s 2023 Climate Action Plan classifies climate change as an existential homeland security threat, as it stretches emergency response resources and drives global displacement.

• Domestic disaster impacts: 2023 saw 28 separate weather and climate disasters in the U.S. that caused over $1 billion in damages each, including the Maui wildfires that killed 100 people and Hurricane Idalia that flooded large swathes of Florida and Georgia. FEMA faced a$3 billion funding shortfall for disaster response in 2023, leading to delayed aid for thousands of affected households.
• Border impacts: The UN High Commissioner for Refugees estimates 21.5 million people are displaced globally by climate disasters each year, leading to rising levels of migration at the U.S. southern border from climate-vulnerable countries in Central America and the Caribbean.

4. Transnational Fentanyl and Human Trafficking Networks#

Transnational criminal organizations, primarily Mexican drug cartels, pose a direct threat to U.S. public safety and border security.

• Fentanyl crisis: The CDC recorded over 70,000 fentanyl-related overdose deaths in the U.S. in 2022, making fentanyl the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 49. Most illicit fentanyl is manufactured from chemical precursors sourced from China, smuggled across the southern border, and distributed via domestic criminal networks.
• Human trafficking: DHS estimates 100,000 people are trafficked into the U.S. each year for forced labor, sex work, and exploitation by cartels, who often smuggle migrants in exchange for work in drug production, retail, or domestic service.

5. Critical Supply Chain Vulnerabilities#

Disruptions to supply chains for critical goods create national security risks that impact every sector of the U.S. economy.

• Key vulnerabilities: 80% of U.S. critical infrastructure supply chains rely on at least one high-risk foreign supplier, per 2023 DHS data. Shortages of semiconductor chips, generic prescription drugs, and medical supplies during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic exposed gaps that have yet to be fully addressed. A 30-day disruption to semiconductor imports from Taiwan would shut down 90% of U.S. auto manufacturing, costing an estimated $10 billion in lost output.
• Mitigation efforts: The 2022 CHIPS and Science Act and 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act allocate funding to onshore critical goods production, but implementation will take 5 to 10 years to fully reduce supply chain risks.

6. Disinformation Threats to Democratic Processes and Public Safety#

Foreign state actors and domestic bad actors use disinformation (intentionally false content) to erode public trust in government, incite violence, and interfere with elections.

• Election interference: CISA recorded a 300% rise in disinformation targeting polling locations, voter eligibility, and vote counting during the 2022 midterm elections, mostly propagated by Russian and Chinese state-linked accounts. Disinformation about the 2020 presidential election was a core driver of the January 6 insurrection.
• Public safety impacts: Disinformation spread during natural disasters, mass shootings, and public health crises leads to delayed emergency responses, harassment of first responders, and low uptake of life-saving public health guidance. During the 2023 Maui wildfires, false claims about “controlled burns” and false evacuation orders spread on social media, leading to avoidable deaths.

7. Emerging Technology Risks (AI, Drones, Biotech)#

Rapid, unregulated development of new technologies has created unaddressed homeland security gaps:

• Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI-powered deepfakes can be used to create realistic fake footage of political leaders declaring war, false footage of terrorist attacks, or fake election results to incite public unrest. DHS has warned that deepfakes will pose a major threat to the 2024 presidential election.
• Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones): Over 2,000 unauthorized drone incursions near U.S. airports were reported in 2023, leading to hundreds of flight delays and near-collisions with commercial aircraft. Drones are also used by criminal groups to smuggle drugs across the southern border and surveil critical infrastructure for future attacks.
• Biotechnology: Low-cost, accessible gene editing tools have lowered barriers to developing novel bioweapons that could be released in crowded public spaces, with limited ability for public health systems to detect and respond to outbreaks quickly.

8. Cross-Cutting Challenges to Effective Homeland Security#

Three overarching barriers limit the U.S.’s ability to address the above threats:

1. Balancing security and civil liberties: Efforts to monitor DVE, disinformation, and online radicalization often conflict with First Amendment free speech protections and raise concerns about surveillance of Black, brown, and LGBTQ+ communities.
2. Inter-agency coordination gaps: DHS works with over 50 state and 3,000 local law enforcement and emergency response agencies, but inconsistent information sharing and resource allocation lead to gaps in threat detection, as seen in the lead-up to the January 6 insurrection.
3. Equity gaps: Marginalized low-income communities are 2.5 times more likely to be impacted by natural disasters, cyberattacks on healthcare facilities, and DVE violence, but often receive less support from federal homeland security programs.

---

Conclusion#

The U.S. homeland security landscape today is far more complex than it was 20 years ago, requiring a whole-of-society approach that includes government agencies, private sector companies, community organizations, and individual citizens. Mitigating these risks will require not just increased funding for DHS programs, but also intentional efforts to address equity gaps, protect civil liberties, and adapt policies to keep pace with rapidly evolving technology and global threats.

---

References#

1. U.S. Department of Homeland Security. (2023). Strategic Framework for Countering Terrorism and Targeted Violence. Retrieved from dhs.gov
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). 2022 Drug Overdose Death Data. Retrieved from cdc.gov
3. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. (2023). 2022 Election Security Report. Retrieved from cisa.gov
4. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. (2023). Global Climate Displacement Report. Retrieved from unhcr.org
5. U.S. Department of Homeland Security. (2023). DHS Climate Action Plan 2023-2027. Retrieved from dhs.gov
6. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (2024). 2023 U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters Report. Retrieved from noaa.gov