Kevin McAleenan, acting secretary of homeland security and 2019 Wash100 Award winner, swore in former judge Robert Bonner and lawyer Leon Fresco as new members of the Homeland Security Advisory Council at a recent meeting. McAleenan also discussed a set of homeland security matters with the council during the public session, DHS said Tuesday. The acting secretary also unveiled a new HSAC mission to protect religious organizations in the U.S.Â
Bonner formerly led the Drug Enforcement Administration and served as commissioner of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Fresco served as deputy assistant attorney general at the Department of Justice’s Office of Immigration Litigation for a tenure of almost three years. He helped executive branch cabinet members assess litigation risks in this former role.
HSAC consists of lawmakers, government representatives, first responder officials, academic representatives and industry executives who work to advise the secretary on homeland security issues.