Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told lawmakers on June 25 that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) plans to rebuild the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) workforce over roughly 12 months – and possibly longer – after the Senate confirms a new director.
Speaking during a House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security hearing, Mullin said the President has already met with the likely nominee to lead CISA.
The hiring plan would mark a significant shift after months of workforce reductions at CISA. It also contrasts with the Trump administration’s fiscal 2027 budget proposal, which calls for eliminating nearly 900 additional CISA positions.
CISA’s latest reported workforce totaled 2,389 employees, down from about 3,300 in January 2025. Acting CISA Director Nick Andersen told Congress during a March 2026 hearing that staffing had declined further during the 2026 DHS shutdown, though he did not provide updated figures.
Mullin said DHS does not intend to restore every eliminated position but wants to recruit roughly 600 talented individuals. He did not specify which positions this would cover.
“It’s going to take me probably 12 months to build this back. It may be longer … but I believe we can make significant strides in the first three months,” he said.
Beyond workforce issues, Mullin said DHS is also working to reduce internal bureaucracy by encouraging officials to “lean toward yes” rather than creating additional administrative barriers.
“[Congress] gives us authority, then we write the rules, and the rules sometimes handicap ourselves. So, we’re going back and looking at what was the actual intent of Congress, and then how many layers of rules have we put on ourselves to say no,” Mullin said.