In a move that underscores the ongoing tension between government agencies and the media, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has announced that employees under her leadership will soon face polygraph tests.
These tests are designed to determine whether staff members have engaged in unauthorized communications with the media, as reported by Bloomberg News. This directive, issued last week, mandates that all polygraphs administered by the Department of Homeland Security include questions about leaks to both media and nonprofit organizations. The information was disclosed to Bloomberg Government by two individuals who were not authorized to speak publicly.
According to Mediaite, this development comes amid President Donald Trump's ambitious deportation agenda, which has yet to achieve its intended outcomes. Despite a significant increase in resources, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is struggling to meet the administration's deportation targets. ICE has also ceased the public reporting of its deportation statistics.
Data from the Department of Homeland Security indicates a decline in ICE arrests, dropping from approximately 800 per day in late January to fewer than 600 in the first half of February. The administration has decided to release these figures on a monthly basis, citing resource conservation as the reason. This is a stark contrast to the administration's goal of 1,200 to 1,500 arrests daily.
Noem's push for polygraph tests is part of her broader effort to address what she describes as the "deleterious effects" of leaks on ICE's enforcement capabilities. She stated, "DHS components that have polygraph programs may use them to assess whether personnel can have initial or continued access to classified information and whether theyre eligible to hold a sensitive position."
In a post on X, Noem expressed her frustration with the FBI, labeling it as "corrupt" and vowing to collaborate with any agency to curb leaks and prosecute "crooked deep state agents" to the fullest extent of the law. This post was a reaction to an LA Times article discussing a potential large-scale immigration enforcement action in Los Angeles.
Defending the department's use of polygraphs, DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin emphasized the necessity of such measures, stating, "DHS is a national security agency. As such, it should and will polygraph personnel." This stance reflects the administration's commitment to safeguarding sensitive information and maintaining the integrity of its operations.
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