Today, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the creation of the Homeland Intelligence Advisory Board (the Board), which will advise the Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis on national and homeland security intelligence matters. The Board will provide information and advice to the Under Secretary and the DHS Counterterrorism Coordinator on homeland intelligence activities and issues, including those around operational adherence to the principles of privacy and civil liberties.
The Board was established pursuant to the Secretary’s authority under § 871(a) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002. In recognition of the sensitive nature of its intelligence-related discussions, the Secretary exempted the Board from the public notice, reporting, and open meeting requirements of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), 5 U.S.C. ch. 10. The Board will convene on at least a quarterly basis, and it will comprise up to 40 members appointed by the Under Secretary.
The Board builds upon the success of the Homeland Intelligence Experts Group (Experts Group) established May 23, 2023, to provide a range of different views and perspectives on the intelligence issues and challenges facing I&A and the homeland security community.
The Board’s members will represent diverse perspectives from a variety of communities, including intelligence and homeland security, privacy and civil liberties, law enforcement, state and local government, private industry, and academia, without regard for political affiliation. The Under Secretary will seek to include the 19 members of the Experts Group when constituting the Board. The Under Secretary will leverage the Board’s meetings as a forum for discussion—a source of ideas and an external, independent forum for debate and critical assessment of our intelligence activities.