How Does the Secret Service Work?

What is the Secret Service?
The U.S. Secret Service is a federal law enforcement agency under Homeland Security with two distinct jobs:

1. Protect the nation’s leaders.

2. Investigate financial crimes like counterfeiting, fraud, and cyberattacks on the nation’s financial infrastructure.

For those (like us) picturing ten dudes in sunglasses: the Secret Service is actually made up of over 8,000 men and women working across more than 150 offices in the U.S. and abroad.

Wait, financial crimes? 
That’s actually how the agency started. In 1865, Lincoln signed legislation creating the Secret Service… later that same day, he was assassinated. Its original purpose wasn’t presidential protection but fighting rampant counterfeiting that was threatening to destabilize the post-Civil War economy.

Presidential protection came later, following the assassination of President McKinley in 1901.

Who do they protect today? 
The Secret Service is tasked with ensuring the safety of the:

• President, Vice President, and their immediate families

• Former presidents, their spouses, and their children (15 and under)

• Major presidential and vice-presidential candidates

• Visiting foreign heads of state

By federal statute, the president and vice president cannot refuse this protection.

How does protection actually work? 
It’s layered. Before a protectee goes anywhere, agents gather intelligence, scout the area, and coordinate with local law enforcement. Security covers everything from airspace to chemical and explosive threats, with specialized agents on deck to respond to medical emergencies and neutralize risks before they arise.

Agents also safeguard places and events (think: the White House or the State of the Union).

How does someone become an agent?
It’s a long road. Candidates must be 21-40 years old with a bachelor’s degree (or three years of law enforcement experience), and must clear background checks, a polygraph, medical exams, and a fitness test.

New agents complete two training programs and at least three years of investigative work in a field office before ever joining a protective detail.

Want to hear more about what the life of a Secret Service agent is like? Catch Jason and Joe breaking it down in this week’s episode of the TPO Explains podcast.

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CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
The Secret Service exists because human leaders are vulnerable—but no security detail, no matter how elite, offers ultimate protection. Christians can honor those who put themselves in harm’s way for others while holding onto the truth that real safety isn’t something any agency can guarantee. 

“The king is not saved by a large army; a warrior is not delivered by great strength… We wait for the Lord; he is our help and our shield.” 
Psalm 33:16, 20 (CSB) (read full passage)

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