Noem Is Out, but DHS’s Accountability Issues Remain

President Donald Trump announced yesterday that DHS Secretary Kristi Noem is stepping down at the end of the month, and that she will be replaced by Sen. Markwayne Mullin.

As an organization dedicated to democracy and transparency, we’ve been open about our concerns with the culture of secrecy and cruelty that defined DHS during Noem’s tenure. For nearly a year, DHS has repeatedly tried to dodge accountability for its actions — including by hiding details about the death of a third American citizen at the hands of an ICE agent, attempting to block congressional oversight in ICE detention facilities, and claiming they did not have access to officials’ text messages about its military deployment in American cities (a claim they walked back months later). 

In each of those cases, we have been able to use the courts to force DHS to do the right thing. But the overarching problem remains. As our Executive Director Chioma Chukwu put it, “the abusive and inhumane tactics that have defined this administration’s immigration enforcement were never about one official — they are the direct result of policies driven by the White House. Swapping out one political appointee for another will not undo the damage being inflicted on families and communities across the country.”

As long as DHS prioritizes “cruelty, secrecy, and political spectacle over the rule of law, our constitution, and basic human dignity,” we will be there to demand transparency and accountability.

What is DHS telling officers in training?

No matter who is leading DHS, we still need answers about how it is training its officers. This week, we sued U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), whose agents are usually stationed at U.S. borders and determine if people seeking entry are allowed in the country, for information about how it is training its officers and carrying out immigration enforcement operations.

CBP has faced increased scrutiny since January, when two of its agents shot and killed Alex Pretti, in Minneapolis. Like ICE, CBP is an immigration enforcement agency within DHS. Our last FOIA lawsuit against ICE revealed that agents killed another American citizen, Ruben Ray Martinez, last March. The documents also showed that ICE knew its use-of-force incidents had nearly tripled during the Trump administration. Now, we’re suing to find out more about how CPB is training its agents and how they are using force.

“When agencies expand their footprint and escalate force while withholding basic information about their authority and training from the public, it erodes trust and puts lives at risk,” Chukwu said. They owe lawmakers — and the American people — clear explanations about how the violence we have seen from federal agents was allowed to happen, and what steps are being taken to prevent it in the future. 

Public deserves full report on Trump’s mishandling of classified docs

Last week, FBI Director Kash Patel fired several FBI employees tied to the investigation into Trump’s alleged mishandling of national security documents. It turns out the fired agents also investigated threats from Iran.

The firings, which came just days after a Trump-appointed judge blocked the release of the special counsel’s report on the same topic, raise serious questions about what Patel and Trump are trying to hide. We’re still fighting for the release of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s full report on the FBI’s investigation into Trump’s mishandling of classified documents.

This week, we appealed the judge’s second denial of our motion to intervene in the case. 

Smith told the House Judiciary Committee last year that his investigation produced “proof beyond a reasonable doubt” that Trump unlawfully attempted to overturn the 2020 election. He also said he had uncovered “powerful evidence” that the president willfully retained highly classified documents after leaving office.

Trump’s and Patel’s personal vendettas shouldn’t jeopardize our national security. The public deserves to know what Jack Smith found.