Samantha Deshommes, Acting Chief, Office of Policy & Strategy

Experience and Achievements

Samantha Deshommes was selected as the acting chief of the Office of Policy and Strategy on Jan. 20, 2025. She will serve as the acting chief until a political appointee is selected. In her permanent role, Deshommes served as the USCIS chief regulatory officer since Sept. 25, 2022. Deshommes also previously served as the acting deputy chief in the Office of Policy and Strategy for a brief period in 2023 during a leadership transition.

Deshommes began her federal career as a regulatory economist at USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service in 2002. She joined DHS in 2008 working for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement as a regulatory economist. While at ICE, she completed two rotational assignments: one with the Office of Management and Budget as a budget season analyst working on the Federal Credit Programs portfolio, and one with DHS’s Office of the General Counsel Regulatory Law Division as a regulatory economist. 

In 2010, Deshommes joined USCIS as a regulatory economist in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer. At the time, she was only the second economist hired in USCIS. In 2012, Deshommes joined the Office of Policy and Strategy and assisted in standing up the Regulatory Coordination Division (RCD). In November 2015, she was promoted to serve as the deputy chief of RCD. While serving in this capacity, Deshommes was also serving as the acting chief of RCD from January 2016 through July 2016, at which time she was promoted to be the chief of RCD.

Education

Deshommes has a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and Resource Economics from the University of Maryland, College Park. She also holds a graduate degree in Interdisciplinary Studies in Management from the University of Maryland, University College (now Global Campus). Deshommes is also an alum of the Graduate School’s Executive Potential Program and DHS’s Capstone Program.