Additional Coverage:
DHS Hunts for Leakers with Polygraph Tests
The Department of Homeland Security is giving its employees polygraph tests to find out who is leaking information to the media about immigration raids. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced this initiative on February 18th, aiming to stop the flow of information to the press.
Secretary Noem posted a video on social media Friday, stating that two leakers had been identified and would be prosecuted for jeopardizing law enforcement lives by revealing operational details.
A DHS spokesperson confirmed that polygraph testing has been underway for approximately three weeks, though the exact number of employees tested remains undisclosed.
These actions are part of the White House’s ongoing efforts to fulfill President Trump’s campaign promise of cracking down on illegal immigration. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a division of DHS, has conducted nationwide raids leading to thousands of arrests. Over 20,000 undocumented immigrants were arrested in February alone.
To support these efforts, personnel from other agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), have been called in.
Adding to the controversy, the Trump administration recently overturned a Biden-era policy that restricted immigration arrests near sensitive locations like schools and places of worship. This decision is currently being challenged in court.
In late January, Secretary Noem defended ICE’s practice of filming and publicizing raids, calling it an “accountability measure” and emphasizing the importance of transparency in law enforcement operations.