Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Gary Peters call the office's goals "admirable," but say that it is "potentially a vehicle for cronyism and waste."

The news comes days after he was passed over for another role as director of the National Economic Council.

Nielsen served at DHS chief of staff to former Secretary John Kelly until he was moved to the White House in July to be President Trump's chief of staff.

Devices larger than a cell phone will now be subject to additional airport screening on domestic and international flights.

Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly laid out the new administration’s priorities for his department Tuesday, listing cybersecurity alongside defending the nation’s borders and stopping terrorist attacks — but providing far fewer details about the online defensive mission than about the other two.

Mandating certain non-citizens give up their social media passwords as a condition of entry into the country would undermine their security and privacy, a group of tech and civil liberties organizations said Monday.