Evidence from credible sources supports the statement as accurate. Learn more in Methodology.
DHS workforce records or other official federal personnel data confirm DHS has more than 80,000 officers and agents and that this headcount is larger than other federal law enforcement components on a comparable basis.
The Department of Homeland Security’s own official materials state that it is “the largest federal law enforcement agency” and that it has “approximately 80,000” law enforcement officers across nine agencies and offices, aligning with the quoted description of “more than 80,000 officers and agents.” Independent data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics for FY 2020 show that DHS and its Office of Inspector General employed about 66,410 full-time federal law enforcement officers—nearly half (49%) of all such officers nationwide—while the Department of Justice had about 30%, indicating DHS is by far the largest federal law enforcement employer. Although specific counts depend on definitions and time period, no available federal statistics identify any other department with more sworn federal law enforcement personnel than DHS. Therefore, the statement is True because DHS officially reports about 80,000 law enforcement officers and credible federal statistics confirm that DHS is the largest federal law enforcement agency by officer count.