GAO: DHS has 39 priority recommendations still needing attention

The Government Accountability Office says the Department of Homeland Security still has 39 priority recommendations requiring attention, after implementing five recommendations and closing two that were no longer valid.

GAO’s report, Priority Open Recommendations: Department of Homeland Security, was published July 20, 2026, and publicly released July 27. The oversight update says GAO added seven new priority recommendations in July, bringing the total back to 39 after the earlier actions.

The report is an oversight assessment, not a new law, regulation or binding directive. It does not announce an immediate change to disaster aid, border enforcement or cybersecurity services. Instead, it identifies management and information issues that GAO says warrant timely and focused attention.

Three areas GAO highlighted

GAO focused on disaster preparedness and response, information technology and cybersecurity, and immigration and border-security policies and data.

In the disaster-response area, GAO said addressing the recommendations could improve DHS and Federal Emergency Management Agency service delivery to disaster survivors and communities. The report does not conclude that every FEMA or DHS operation has failed, and it does not identify a specific individual harm.

For cybersecurity, GAO said the recommendations are intended to help ensure that the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency provides agencies with the information they need to enhance cybersecurity and address risks. That concern extends beyond federal offices because information from CISA can support risk management by public agencies and organizations responsible for critical infrastructure.

GAO also cited immigration and border-security policies and data. It said stronger information could give decision-makers a more complete understanding of annual immigration detentions by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and help U.S. Customs and Border Protection strengthen interdiction efforts.

What the numbers mean

The 39 recommendations do not represent a net increase above the previous total. GAO identified 39 priority recommendations for DHS in May 2025. DHS implemented five of them, while GAO closed two because they were no longer valid. GAO then added seven new priorities in July 2026, leaving 39 open priority recommendations overall.

GAO describes priority recommendations as those that warrant attention from agency leaders because implementation could improve decision-making, reduce mismanagement, fraud or abuse, save money, or help address high-risk or duplicative government activities.

Separate border-metrics concerns

A separate GAO report publicly released June 24, 2026, found continuing problems with DHS reporting on border-security metrics. Federal law requires DHS to report annually on 43 specific measures of border-security effectiveness. DHS’s 2023 report, submitted in January 2025, included data for 40 of them, but GAO said 19 differed in scope or calculation from the statutory definitions.

GAO said six earlier recommendations on border-metrics reporting remained open as of May 2026. The agency cited unresolved questions about data reliability, communication with Congress and the use of a statistical model for estimating certain unlawful-entry metrics. GAO made no new recommendations in that report. It also did not say that every DHS data system is unreliable; the review addressed the quality and usefulness of required border-metrics reporting.

What to watch next

The next checkpoints are DHS implementation actions, GAO follow-up reviews and possible congressional oversight. Updated agency information could show which recommendations receive deadlines, resources or completed reforms.

For disaster survivors, the practical issue is whether DHS and FEMA improve preparedness and service-delivery systems. For public agencies and businesses, the cybersecurity question is whether CISA provides usable information for addressing risks. For taxpayers, voters and policymakers, the data issue is whether DHS reporting becomes complete and comparable enough to support oversight.

GAO’s update signals continuing accountability work at DHS, but it does not by itself change eligibility for federal assistance, immigration-enforcement policy or cybersecurity requirements.

Sources

• GAO: Priority Open Recommendations — Department of Homeland Security