Acting director Nick Andersen said a binding operational directive is en route for agencies, and that more specific discussions need to happen with critical infrastructure owners.
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin arrives to testify before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the Department of Homeland Security in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on June 2, 2026. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
He told lawmakers that he wants approximately 600 more people than it has now, which would still be well below personnel numbers prior to Trump’s second term.
Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., talks with reporters outside the U.S. Capitol after the last vote of the week on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
Madhu Gottumukkala, acting director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, testifies during the DHS oversight hearing in the Cannon House office building on Jan. 21, 2026. (Photo by Heather Diehl/Getty Images)
The move follows a story about criticisms of CISA’s performance during the first year of the Trump administration, with Madhu Gottumukkala’s leadership a point of contention.