DHS CIO Antoine McCord to exit agency

The Department of Homeland Security’s top technology leader is set to depart the agency, per two sources familiar with the matter. 

Antoine McCord joined DHS as chief information officer in March 2025. McCord also oversaw the Office of Biometrics and Identity Management and served as the acting CISO. The official kept a low profile while overseeing the law enforcement agency’s multibillion-dollar budget, forgoing media interviews and events. 

He was in the initial wave of CIO hires under the second Trump administration following the reclassification of the chief information officer position. The Office of Personnel Management moved the role from “career reserved” to “general,” easing restrictions on who could get tapped —though the DHS CIO role has historically been political. Prior to DHS, McCord held positions at defense technology company Anduril and within the U.S. Marine Corps and intelligence community. 

“The Department does not comment on personnel matters,” an agency spokesperson said via email in response to an inquiry about McCord’s exit. 

Under McCord’s leadership, DHS has ramped up its AI use, expanded its vast data estate, increased investment in biometric technologies and prioritized surveillance systems. Most of the efforts have been met with concern as advocates point to lagging governance controls and weakened transparency levers. 

DHS also reorganized its Office of the CIO at the direction of McCord. 

“The DHS Office of the Chief Information Officer was recently restructured to align with the Department’s approach to technology delivery,” a DHS spokesperson told FedScoop in June. “By streamlining operations and strengthening coordination within DHS Headquarters and across Components, the Department is better positioned to support frontline personnel, respond to evolving threats, and deliver results for the American people.” 

The agency did not respond to multiple, subsequent requests for comment about the details of the restructuring.

The reorg came at a time when there was a broader overhaul of DHS’s IT and information security leadership. McCord placed individuals from DHS headquarters into critical CIO positions at the component level, FedScoop previously reported. Sources described the environment at DHS as filled with “tumult” and internal friction.

With the announcement of his departure, McCord joins a growing list of other top technology leaders with plans to exit their respective agencies. Department of Transportation CIO Pavan Pidugu is set to leave his role next week, as well as Federal CIO Greg Barbaccia. The Department of Health and Human Services saw its CIO Clark Minor and CTO Zachary Terrell drop back to advising roles in July. Interior CIO Paul McInerney vacated his position earlier this summer. 

McCord’s departure will complicate operations at DHS, with McCord serving a “triple-hatted” role as the head of the Office of Biometrics and Identity Management and acting CISO, said a former DHS official.