As President of ACHSIA, Matt leads the organization’s Board of Directors and collaborates with the Executive Director and board members to oversee day-to-day operations. His priority is to support and grow ACHSIA’s membership while fostering a strong connection with HSI leadership and employees across the nation. Matt is dedicated to ensuring ACHSIA’s mission aligns with the needs and interests of its members.

Mr. Allen retired in December 2021 from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) after a distinguished career of almost 37 years, including 32 years as a Special Agent. HSI, the principal investigative component of the Department of Homeland Security, investigates, disrupts, and dismantles transnational criminal organizations and terrorist networks that threaten or seek to exploit the customs and immigration laws of the United States.

In his last year, he served as the Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Deputy Director at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with oversight of ICE’s day-to-day operations and its 20,000 operational and mission support personnel assigned to more than 400 domestic and international offices. He administered an annual budget of over $8 billion.

Mr. Allen previously served as the Deputy Executive Associate Director (EAD) for HSI and several other senior roles within HSI headquarters including as the Assistant Director for Domestic Operations and Assistant Director over HSI’s Investigative Programs Division. In these positions, Mr. Allen was responsible for the daily operational oversight of HSI’s investigative activities. In his leadership roles, Mr. Allen has testified before the United States Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives and has briefed the President of the United States.

From 2008 to 2016, Mr. Allen served as the Special Agent in Charge for HSI Phoenix, one of the largest domestic field offices within HSI, with oversight of the full spectrum of HSI’s investigative and operational activities in the State of Arizona. During his tenure in Arizona, he oversaw Operation Paisano, the HSI investigation which resulted in the capture (and recapture) of “Chapo” Guzman-Loera, the leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, in 2014. Guzman-Loera was extradited to the United States and convicted after trial in the Eastern District of New York.

Mr. Allen began his federal service in 1985 in New York City, where he was born and raised.