Kristi Noem during her Senate confirmation hearing in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 17 to become secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg
Ecclesiastes 5:8 If you see the poor oppressed in a district, and justice and rights denied, do not be surprised at such things; for one official is eyed by a higher one, and over them both are others higher still
Important Takeaways:
- Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem warned employees that polygraph tests will be used to help crack down on leaks that agency officials say have foiled immigration enforcement plans.
- Noem cited the “deleterious effects” of leaks on border and interior immigration enforcement and said DHS components that have polygraph programs may use them to assess whether personnel can have initial or continued access to classified information, and whether they’re eligible to hold a sensitive position.
- US Customs and Border Protection is the primary user of polygraphs within DHS, as federal law requires the agency to use the examinations for all law enforcement positions.
- Noem and White House border czar Tom Homan have blamed alleged leaks for disrupting planned immigration enforcement operations in Colorado and California over the past month.
- Critics of polygraphs have questioned the reliability of the tests, which, for example, are often considered inadmissible in court proceedings. Republican lawmakers have pushed to eliminate the polygraph requirement for Border Patrol applicants, noting a high failure rate.
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