Office of the New York State Comptroller DiNapoli - This Week: Remembering the Loss and Legacy of September 11

 

Remembering the Loss and Legacy of September 11

The Transformation of Lower Manhattan: 25 Years Later

Lower Manhattan has undergone a profound transformation in the 25 years since the terror attacks on September 11, 2001. According to a new report released by Comptroller DiNapoli, the area around Ground Zero has undergone an extraordinary evolution, doubling its residential population since 2000 and transforming into a bustling 24-hour neighborhood fueled by a diversified business community, major public transit investments, and a booming tourism sector. “Twenty-five years ago, it was impossible to imagine the neighborhoods around Ground Zero looking like they do today,” DiNapoli said, praising the incredible effort and investment that spurred the community’s rebirth.

A companion report highlights how the National September 11 Memorial & Museum honors the nearly 3,000 people who were killed, supports those affected by 9/11-related illnesses, and educates visitors from around the world.

As New York and America reflect on 25 years since the 9/11 attacks and mourn the nearly 3,000 men, women and children killed that day, Lower Manhattan continues to evolve. Today it is a vibrant, growing part of the city, with new retail corridors, businesses that have shifted from finance to business services and leisure and hospitality, and a booming residential community.

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Founder And Former CEO Of Artificial Intelligence Company Pleads Guilty To Securities Fraud

 

Ilit Raz Pleads Guilty in Connection With Scheme to Obtain $27 Million in Investments by Misrepresenting Her Company’s Customers and Revenue

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald, and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), James C. Barnacle, Jr., announced that ILIT RAZ, the founder and former Chief Executive Officer of Joonko Diversity, Inc. (“Joonko”), pled guilty to securities fraud for her role in a scheme to defraud investors and mislead them about core aspects of the company she founded, including the identity and quantity of Joonko’s customers and Joonko’s revenue. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein. 

“Fraud in the startup space hurts investors and makes it more difficult for other enterprising businesses to raise money,” said U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald. “Ilit Raz lied to investors about key aspects of her startup company, Joonko Diversity, Inc., and fabricated documents to support those lies, to obtain $27 million in investments. Her now-bankrupt company left victim investors with millions of dollars in losses.”

“The guilty plea makes clear that defrauding investors and misrepresenting essential facts about a company will not be tolerated,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr. “By admitting to her role in the scheme, Ilit Raz has acknowledged the seriousness of her actions and the harm caused to investors. Victims deserve justice, and the FBI will continue to work to ensure they receive it.” 

According to the allegations in the Superseding Indictment and other public filings in this case:

Joonko was a company that purported to offer an artificial intelligence-based product designed to help prospective employers identify and hire job candidates from diverse backgrounds. To induce prospective and existing Joonko investors to invest approximately $27 million in funding rounds in 2021 and 2022, RAZ made false claims regarding central aspects of Joonko’s business, including falsely representing how many customers Joonko had at the time, and falsely representing the identity of those customers. For example, RAZ falsely represented that Joonko’s customers included some of the world’s largest companies, including a credit card company, sports apparel brand, online travel company, and luxury fashion brand. In truth and in fact, and as RAZ knew, these companies were never Joonko customers. In addition to overstating the number of customers that Joonko had and the identity of those customers, RAZ also made false representations about Joonko’s actual and anticipated revenues.

After RAZ made false and misleading statements regarding Joonko’s customers and revenue, several investors who received those statements invested in a series of funding rounds with Joonko. Specifically, on or about June 1, 2021, several investors, including venture capital firms, invested a total of approximately $10 million in a Series A round with Joonko. On or about June 2, 2022, several investors, including venture capital firms, invested a total of approximately $17 million in a Series B round with Joonko.

In or about 2023, a Joonko investor (“Investor-1”) became suspicious about Joonko’s performance and requested certain information from Joonko, including bank statements. In response, on or about April 3, 2023, RAZ emailed Investor-1 a purported Joonko bank statement, which depicted that the company had an average balance of over $5,000,000. In truth and in fact, and as RAZ well knew, the bank records that RAZ emailed to Investor-1 were forged, and the actual bank records showed that Joonko’s true account balance was millions of dollars lower. Less than a week later, on or about April 8, 2023, RAZ emailed Investor-1 a set of purported purchase orders for Joonko customers. RAZ knew that many of the purchase orders she emailed to Investor-1 were fictitious, contained forged signatures, and were executed on behalf of purported customers that had no business relationship with Joonko.

RAZ, 40, an Israeli citizen, pled guilty to securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.  

Mr. McDonald praised the outstanding work of the FBI. Mr. McDonald also expressed appreciation for the assistance of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. 

This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. 

Department of Justice Removes Alien Terrorist in First Use of United States Alien Terrorist Removal Court

 

Afghan Alien Supported Her Family’s Plans for Election-Day Shooting

In the first-ever case before the United States Alien Terrorist Removal Court (ATRC), Nazira Haji Zada, 47, an Afghan national previously residing in Fort Worth, Texas, was removed from the United States after conceding that she is an alien terrorist. As the matriarch in her family, she supported a plot to commit an ISIS-inspired mass shooting on Election Day in 2024 for which her son, Abdullah Haji Zada, and son-in-law, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, were previously arrested and convicted. The ATRC issued an order of removal on Aug. 20 that was unsealed earlier today following her return to her country of origin. This was the first case ever brought before the ATRC, which Congress established decades ago, and which no previous administration had used. Zada is now permanently inadmissible to the United States.

The application to remove Zada, certified by Attorney General Todd Blanche, was filed on July 15, and Zada appeared in open court for the first time on July 30. ATRC Chief Judge Joan N. Ericksen presided over that hearing and later signed the removal order. In compliance with the ATRC statute, the government used classified information to establish that Zada is an alien terrorist. Additionally, the government provided Zada and her lawyers, two federal public defenders, with approximately half a terabyte of documents supporting the government’s case. With her lawyers, Zada conceded that she is an alien terrorist and waived appeal of the removal order, terminating her previous status.

“This landmark case, resulting in the prompt removal of this alien terrorist to her country of origin, is a win for national security and the rule of law,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Those who support and condone terrorism should not be living in the United States, and this first-ever case before the ATRC shows how the Department will use every tool at its disposal to protect our country.”

“This is a historic and vitally important step in our work to protect the U.S. homeland from terrorism,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “An individual who supported a plot by ISIS-sympathizing family members to commit an attack in America has paid the price for that. She came to our country, betrayed it, and has now lost the right to live here and enjoy our democratic freedoms. This FBI and our Justice Department partners will protect the American people from the threat of terrorism, using all means necessary.”

“From the moment President Trump took office, he made clear that his Administration would put the safety and security of the American people first,” said Secretary Markwayne Mullin of the Department of Homeland Security. “The President’s direction to use the Alien Terrorist Removal Court to expel Nazira Haji Zada, an Afghan national who plotted with members of her family to carry out an ISIS-inspired attack on American soil, delivers on that promise. Thanks to the President’s leadership and the coordinated efforts the Departments of Homeland Security, Justice and State, Nazira Haji Zada’s final order of removal is now FINAL. Those who plot acts of terrorism against the United States have no place in our country. We will find them, and we will use every lawful tool available to remove them.”

“Zada supported her sons’ terrorist plot to attack the United States while she enjoyed the privilege of residing here as a resident alien,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “She abused our Nation’s hospitality and represented a clear threat to our national security. The United States is a safer place now that her sons are in custody and she has been deported.”

“Those who support terrorism against the American people will face the consequences,” said State Department Spokesman Tommy Pigott. “We will secure our borders, and we will use every tool to stop those who intend us harm from entering or remaining at-large in our country. Under the leadership of President Trump, the State Department, alongside the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security, will always work tirelessly to ensure the safety of our people and the security of our nation.” 

Tawhedi and Abdullah Haji Zada were arrested on Oct. 7, 2024, after purchasing firearms and ammunition to be used in an Election Day terrorist attack from an undercover FBI employee. Nazira’s son Abdullah, who was 17 at the time of his arrest, entered his guilty plea as an adult and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. As part of the plea agreement, Abdullah stipulated to the entry of a judicial order of removal from the United States to Afghanistan following his term of incarceration. Abdullah acknowledged that the order of removal would terminate his lawful permanent resident status, and waived his right to appeal the conviction except in limited circumstances or seek any form of appeal or relief from his removal and deportation, including but not limited to, seeking asylum. Tawhedi, 28, pled guilty to two terrorism-related offenses: conspiring and attempting to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization, and receiving, attempting to receive, and conspiring to receive firearms and ammunition in furtherance of a federal crime of terrorism on June 13, 2025, and is awaiting sentencing. 

According to court documents, Tawhedi admitted that between June 2024 and October 2024, he conspired with at least one other individual to purchase two AK-47 rifles, 500 rounds of ammunition, and 10 magazines, with the intent to carry out a mass-casualty attack on or around Election Day, Nov. 5, 2024, on behalf of ISIS. According to a criminal complaint affidavit filed in the case, Tawhedi communicated with an ISIS facilitator about his plan to purchase firearms for use in the terror plot, including asking the individual whether 500 rounds of ammunition would be sufficient.

According to the criminal complaint, to raise funds for their attack, in 2024, the family started selling off their property, including furniture, computers, a mobile phone, and the family’s two vehicles. Zada signed a contract to sell the family house. The family also purchased one-way airfare for travel to Kabul, Afghanistan shortly before Election Day 2024 for its members, including for Zada and other minor children but not Abdullah and Tawhedi. 

The ATRC is a specialized federal court, which Congress established in 1996. The court has jurisdiction to swiftly remove alien terrorists from the United States when the government establishes by a preponderance of the evidence that an alien is a terrorist. See Title 8 of the United States Code, Sections 1227(a)(4)(B), 1531(1), and 1534(g). It is run and staffed by U.S. federal district court judges confirmed to the judiciary pursuant to Article III of the Constitution and then appointed to the ATRC by the Chief Justice of the United States. See Title 8 of the United States Code, Sections 1531 to 1537. 

The court allows the government to use classified information where disclosing that information to the public would pose risks to national security. The statutory provisions that establish the court provide paid counsel to the aliens if necessary and also permit either party to appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. 

This removal proceeding reflects the coordinated efforts of multiple federal agencies, including the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, the FBI, and the U.S. Marshals Service, as well as the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Permits Filed for 802 Westchester Avenue in Woodstock, The Bronx

 

Permits have been filed for a four-story mixed-use building at 802 Westchester Avenue in Woodstock, The Bronx. Located between Prospect Avenue and Union Avenue, the lot is just south of the Prospect Avenue subway station, served by the 2 and 5 trains. Remzi Kurbogaj of R&A Remodeling LLC is listed as the owner behind the applications.

The proposed 52-foot-tall development will yield 7,599 square feet, with 6,373 square feet designated for residential space and 1,226 square feet for commercial space. The building will have 12 residences, most likely rentals based on the average unit scope of 531 square feet. The masonry-based structure will also have a cellar and a 20-foot-long rear yard.

Chad Firmstone of C2B Architects PC is listed as the architect of record.

Demolition permits will likely not be needed as the lot is vacant. An estimated completion date has not been announced.

Illegal Alien from Mexico Sentenced to Federal Prison in Oregon for Gun Trafficking in Homeland Security Task Force Case

Twelve Firearms Found Hidden in Car to Secretly Transport to Mexico

Hugo Alberto Roman Aparicio, 42, was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release for a gun trafficking conspiracy. All guns were seized and forfeited.

According to court documents, Roman Aparicio and others, conspired to smuggle guns from Portland to Mexico. They hid 12 firearms in the spare tire compartment of a car, that Roman Aparicio obtained, to secretly transport the guns into Mexico.

Roman Aparicio, and others, arranged for the guns to be left with a co-conspirator in California, who was to complete the trip and smuggle the guns into Mexico. Investigators believe the guns were destined for cartels. The group was trying to impress a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) with the hope of receiving illegal drugs to sell in Oregon.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, with the assistance of the California Highway Patrol, located and stopped the courier in California before the guns could be transferred. The courier’s vehicle was searched, and law enforcement officers found the firearms hidden in the spare tire area.

On November 26, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a 2-count superseding indictment charging Roman Aparicio with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to traffic firearms.

On May 22, 2026, Roman Aparicio pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffic in firearms.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Tigard Police Department, Sherwood Police Department, and the California Highway Patrol. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul T. Maloney and James Kilcup.

This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Portland comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, DEA, USMS, IRS-CI, ATF, USPIS, CBP, TSA, U.S. Coast Guard, Oregon Air, Army National Guard Counterdrug program, and Oregon-Idaho HIDTA with prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.

Former Postal Worker Convicted of Stealing Nearly $1 Million in Tax-Free Federal Disability Benefits

 

Luann Middleton, a former United States Postal Service (USPS) employee, of wire fraud in connection with her repeated submission of false workers compensation forms to the United States Department of Labor (DOL), in which she claimed total disability, and thereby received approximately $40,000 per year in federal workers’ compensation benefits for nearly 25 years.  The verdict followed a four-day trial before United States District Judge Gary R. Brown.  When sentenced, Middleton faces up to 20 years in prison, as well as financial penalties.

Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Matthew M. Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge, United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Field Office (USPS-OIG), announced the verdict.

“For more than 20 years and until her lies caught up to her, the defendant refused to come to work and instead collected tax-free disability benefits for a highly-exaggerated injury,” stated United States Attorney Nocella.  “Our Office and the Administration has made it a priority to hold accountable those who exploit government benefits programs for personal gain and steal funds that are designated for workers who truly need them.” 

Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the United States Postal Service Office of the Inspector General (USPS-OIG) and the United States Department of Labor (DOL) for their assistance with the case. 

As proven at trial, in August 1997, Middleton, who was in her mid-forties, claimed that she had sustained an injury to her lower back while performing her duties as a postal clerk.  Middleton submitted a claim for compensation to the DOL and began receiving workers’ compensation benefits approximately three months later.  Middleton briefly returned to work in a limited duty capacity in February 1999, after a medical doctor found that she was in fact capable of working; but then claimed she had a recurrence of her back injury, which rendered her totally and permanently disabled.  She again began receiving workers’ compensation benefits – roughly two-thirds of her annual salary, tax-free – from the DOL.  Between November 1997 and September 2022, Middleton regularly submitted medical evaluations and records to the USPS and the DOL claiming that she was incapable of returning to work, and that she was totally disabled.  The evaluations claimed, for example, that Middleton could sit, stand, walk, bend, lift and reach above her shoulders for zero hours and could not participate in any physical activities because of her excruciating back pain. 

However, the investigation revealed that between October 2015 and March 2022, Middleton engaged in numerous physical activities, including cleaning out a garage, sitting through a movie for more than two hours, standing for more than one hour at a cookie decorating class, climbing stairs and retail shopping.  Middleton was observed, and captured on video footage, carrying groceries and laundry bags, lifting and reaching for objects at heights she claimed she could not reach, bending to the floor to retrieve items, and hoisting a bag of potting soil from the bottom of her shopping cart into her vehicle.   Records from USPS and DOL indicate that Middleton received more than $900,000 in fraudulent workers’ compensation benefits as the result of her claimed physical limitations.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division).  The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people.  The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

Brooklyn Adult Daycare Owner Sentenced to Prison for Leadership Role in $64M Medicaid Fraud Scheme

 

A Brooklyn woman was sentenced to 76 months in prison in connection with her leadership of a vast $64 million Medicaid fraud and illegal kickback scheme at her two social adult daycare centers and home health care company. The defendant was also ordered to pay over $56 million in restitution and to forfeit $5 million in fraud proceeds, including two properties, cash, and gold jewelry seized during a search of her home, as pictured below. 

Photograph of cash seized when a search warrant was executed on Zakia Khan’s home.

Photograph of cash seized when a search warrant was executed on Zakia Khan’s home.

Photograph of jewelry seized when a search warrant was executed on Zakia Khan’s home.

“The Fraud Division will relentlessly hold accountable individuals who exploit Medicaid and take advantage of services meant to support our seniors,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “This sentence should put all Medicaid fraudsters on notice — if you steal from Medicaid, we will uncover your conduct, protect the beneficiaries you harm, and ensure you are brought to justice.”

“This sentencing sends a strong message of deterrence in our District,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. for the Eastern District of New York. “Our Office and the Justice Department are focused on protecting American taxpayers from fraudsters and as such, we will vigorously prosecute corrupt health care owners and operators in our district.”

“Social adult day care and home health services are designed to support seniors, not line the pockets of fraudsters,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Miranda L. Bennett of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “This sentence sends an important message that anyone who illicitly exploits the Medicaid program will be held accountable to the full extent of the law.”  

“Khan acted with staggering greed, leading a scheme to defraud Medicaid of millions of dollars intended for people in need. She and her co-conspirators set up social adult day cares but, instead of providing care and services to our most vulnerable neighbors, they enriched themselves with cash, gold and property,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Pete Gizas of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York. “This sentence sends a message: we will be relentless in our pursuit of justice against fraudsters. HSI is working side by side with our law enforcement partners to uncover and dismantle complex fraud networks like this one.”

“Zakia Khan stole $64 million from the Medicaid program through bribes and kickbacks—money meant to support the most vulnerable,” stated NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch. “This was not only deeply illegal but also immoral, and the NYPC will continue to investigate anyone who exploits government programs for personal gain. I thank our NYPD investigators and all our partners in law enforcement for their work in stopping this criminal and bringing this case to a close.”

According to court documents, Zakia Khan, 55, of Brooklyn, New York, owned two social adult daycare centers—Happy Family Social Adult Day Care Center Inc. (Happy Family) and Family Social Adult Day Care Center Inc. (Family Social). She also owned a home health care fiscal intermediary called Responsible Care Staffing Inc. and an entity she used to receive and disguise fraud proceeds called Tanwee Services Inc.

From approximately October 2017 through July 2024, in exchange for kickbacks and bribes, a web of marketers referred Medicaid recipients to Khan’s social adult daycare centers. As depicted in the pictures below, Khan and the marketers paid kickbacks and bribes to the Medicaid recipients to induce them to sign up for services that Khan then billed to Medicaid. These services were never actually provided as represented to Medicaid. 

Between 2017 and 2024, Happy Family and Family Social fraudulently billed Medicaid approximately $64 million. Medicaid paid approximately $56 million based on these false and fraudulent claims. Khan and her co-conspirators used multiple business entities to launder the fraud proceeds and generate the cash used to pay kickbacks and bribes to the marketers and the Medicaid recipients. 

Zakia Khan on an undercover recording paying illegal kickbacks inside her office at Happy Family.

Medicaid recipients receiving illegal cash kickbacks in exchange for filling out false attendance sheets for Zakia Khan’s social adult daycare centers.

Medicaid recipients receiving illegal cash kickbacks in exchange for filling out false attendance sheets for Zakia Khan’s social adult daycare centers.

In August 2025, Khan pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States and pay health care kickbacks. 

HHS-OIG, HSI New York, and NYPD investigated the case. 

Deputy Chief Patrick J. Campbell and Trial Attorney Leonid Sandlar of the National Fraud Enforcement Division’s Health Care Fraud Section prosecuted the case, with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorney Claire Kedeshian for the Eastern District of New York who assisted with forfeiture matters.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

The Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion since 2007. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

Secretary Mullin Observes 25th Anniversary of 9/11 at Pentagon, Speaks at DHS Headquarters

 

To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the September 11th attacks, United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin joined President Donald J. Trump at the Pentagon, then delivered remarks at the DHS headquarters in Washington, D.C.

In the morning, Secretary Mullin joined President Trump, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and others in a memorial ceremony at the Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia.

Later in the morning, Secretary Mullin returned to St. Elizabeths, the DHS headquarters in Washington, D.C., to deliver remarks at the dedication of Resilience Plaza. The Plaza features several artifacts from September 11th, including an upright trident beam from the World Trade Center in New York City and several pieces of limestone from the Pentagon. Secretary Mullin was joined by Deputy Secretary Troy Edgar, Under Secretary for Management Brian J. Cavanaugh, and other DHS personnel.

The presenting of the colors in front of the World Trade Center trident beam at Resilience Plaza.

Under Secretary for Management Brian J. Cavanaugh (left), Deputy Secretary Troy Edgar (center), and Secretary Mullin during the ceremony.

Deputy Secretary Edgar delivers remarks.

Secretary Mullin delivers remarks.

The crowd in attendance, with St. Elizabeths in the background.

“As Secretary of Homeland Security, I serve with true patriots. 270,000 of us at the Department of Homeland Security wake up every single morning defending our homeland, every day. From the Coast Guard to Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, CISA, and Secret Service, and all the other components we have, our mission is to make sure that something like 9/11 never happens again,” said Secretary Mullin. “As a nation, we’re all Americans. Just like 25 years ago when they attacked the Pentagon, when they attacked the Twin Towers, and when all of our lives changed. Everybody’s life changed that day. We all came together. That fight isn’t done. And it never will be.”

DHS was created in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, launching on March 1, 2003 after the Homeland Security Act of 2002 was signed into law.

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