Washington, D.C. — President Donald Trump’s Department of Homeland Security is out of control, endangering the lives of Americans. The Center for American Progress has called for the administration to pull federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol agents out of Minneapolis and fire Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to prevent further tragedies.
But a new CAP report shows that the problems with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are far more widespread and demand meaningful reforms and accountability from Congress. The report recommends the following commonsense measures:
- DHS must be held to the same standard as local police and wear uniforms that clearly identify their agency, be unmasked, and be equipped with body-worn cameras during public enforcement actions.
- DHS must reform hiring, screening, and training to remove unqualified personnel.
- DHS personnel must be held accountable for improper use of force and allegations of misconduct.
- DHS must preserve Americans’ constitutional rights and operate within the rule of law.
- DHS must enhance accountability to Congress and the public.
This militarized, unaccountable behavior by the Trump administration’s DHS and other federal law enforcement agencies is unlawful and unsafe. As their mission becomes increasingly politicized, these agencies are behaving more like regime secret police than federal law enforcement officials protecting the American public.
Congress, the courts, and a future administration must demand and implement real reforms that keep our communities safe, protect rights and freedoms, and prevent overreach and abuse. DHS must follow the law and fulfill its role to enhance—not compromise—the security of Americans and the homeland.
Read the report: “The Trump Administration’s ICE and CBP Have Become a Threat to Americans: Congress Must Ensure That DHS Follows the Law and Adopts Commonsense Reforms,” by Dan Herman, Allie Preston, Gréta Bedekovics, Ben Olinsky, Ben Greenho, Rosa Barrientos-Ferrer, Silva Mathema, and Debu Gandhi
For more information, or to speak with an expert, please contact Sam Hananel at [email protected].