Executive Order 13753: Amending the Order of Succession in the Department of Homeland Security
President: Barack Obama
Revised the statutory and executive line of officials who could act as Homeland Security Secretary.
Status: Revoked. Is Executive Order 13753 still in effect? No. Executive Order 13753 was revoked. See Federal Register record.
What does Executive Order 13753 do?
EO 13753 amended EO 13286 to place the Deputy Secretary, Under Secretary for Management, FEMA Administrator and other officials in the DHS succession line, subject to the Federal Vacancies Reform Act. DHS later used its separate authority under 6 USC 113(g)(2) to issue department-specific succession delegations. Disputes over 2019 changes contributed to GAO and court findings about acting-secretary appointments, so the 2016 order is not a complete statement of the current sequence.
Before and after
Before the order
EO 13286 contained the previous DHS acting-secretary sequence.
After the order
The 2016 list applied until later departmental designations asserted statutory priority.
Who had to do what
| Agency / office | Action | Timing / position |
|---|---|---|
| Listed DHS officials | Act when eligible and conditions were met | Historical sequence |
| DHS Secretary | Maintain statutory succession order | Continuing under current designations |
| GAO and courts | Review compliance when legally presented | Case-specific |
What happened next
EO 13753 amended the sequence.
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
6 USC 113(g), the Federal Vacancies Reform Act and valid DHS delegations determine current acting service.
Sources by type
If a source is unavailable, first check the cited publisher or another official repository. The cited publisher remains the authority.
Primary and official sources
Orders, laws, court records and official implementation material.
- GAO — DHS acting appointments decision (opens in a new tab) Official record
- U.S. Code — 6 USC 113 (opens in a new tab) Official record
How we checked this
Last checked against the sources above on September 15, 2026. How we research →