We oversee the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) statistical reporting standards and ensure consistency in reporting to the public. To fulfill our responsibilities, OHSS reports and data must:
- Meet rigorous data quality standards, reflecting consistent reporting methodologies and definitions;
- Be credible and free from political influence;
- Be published on a regular and predictable schedule; and
- Be available in digital formats and released with the greatest possible granularity, consistent with appropriate privacy and law enforcement protections.
Report terminology changes over time. Reports and datasets retain the terminology as originally approved and published.
Report Publication Schedule
We publish regular reports and data on an annual, quarterly, or monthly basis. See our recurring publications page for a list of reports by publication frequency.
New Report Prioritization
- Directed by statute or executive order
- Independent reporting directed by the Secretary (including DHS reports that are delegated to OHSS)
- Directed by the Office of Management and Budget
- In response to Government Accountability Office or Office of Inspector General recommendations
- To establish reporting presence in all DHS mission areas
- To increase data transparency in consultation with external stakeholders
Governance
The Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 ("Evidence Act") requires that federal agencies appoint a Statistical Official, who directs and coordinates agency statistical policy and who works with the agency Chief Data Officer to establish agency data standards. We are led by the DHS Statistical Official and are supported by the DHS Statistical Official Council, which consists of senior career officials appointed as Statistical Officials for each agency that provides data to OHSS. Read more about the DHS Statistical Official and Statistical Official Council's roles and responsibilities.
Report Review and Clearance
We have established a robust review and clearance process to ensure the accuracy and objectivity of the products we publish. Read about our report review and clearance to find out about the process and who is involved.
Privacy and Data Disclosure
We recognize the importance of protecting the identity of individuals included in the data used to generate tabulations, reports, and research. More information on the DHS’s privacy policies is available on the Privacy Office website.
To protect the confidentiality of data and tabulations containing information about individuals, OHSS withholds some data when it could be linked to an individual. Read our data disclosure policy for more information.
Geographic Regions
We categorize countries into specific regional groups. See list of countries included in each region.
Glossary
We maintain a glossary of terms used in our products.
