Congress requires the GAO to review DHS’s largest acquisition programs every year, and this 11th annual review examined 27 major programs — border tech, Coast Guard ships, cybersecurity tools, airport screening systems, and more — worth over $55 billion combined. GAO found that most programs are meeting their current goals, but those goals keep slipping. Of 19 programs with approved baselines, 15 have revised them, and total costs have grown $11.4 billion (26%) since programs first set targets. Twelve programs are delivering later than originally planned.
This comes as DHS’s oversight capacity is in flux: several programs lost significant staff, and DHS dissolved its central acquisition oversight office in October 2025 without a clear replacement plan. At the same time, money is pouring in — 12 programs will get a combined $14.3 billion from the 2025 Budget Reconciliation Act, while the Border Wall and new Arctic Security Cutter programs received roughly billions more outside GAO’s regular review. Rapid growth in funding alongside weakened oversight could be problematic.