Trump admin uses lie-detector tests on employees to track immigration raid leaks: Report
ByHT News Desk | Written by Lingamgunta Nirmitha Rao
Mar 09, 2025 09:43 AM IST
Polygraph tests have been ongoing for three weeks and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said identified leakers could face up to 10 years in prison.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been conducting polygraph tests on its personnel to identify those leaking information about ongoing immigration raids to the media, CBS News reported, citing an agency spokesperson on Saturday.
Earlier on February 18, Noem announced that DHS would begin polygraphing employees to curb these leaks. (File)(via REUTERS)
Earlier on February 18, Noem announced that DHS would begin polygraphing employees to curb these leaks. (File)(via REUTERS)
According to the DHS spokesperson, the polygraph tests have been underway for about three weeks, but it remains unclear how many employees have been tested.
On Friday, in a video shared on the social media platform X, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said, "We have identified criminal leakers within @DHSgov and are preparing to refer these perpetrators to the @TheJusticeDept for felony prosecutions. These individuals face up to 10 years in federal prison. We will find and root out all leakers. They will face prison time & we will get justice for the American people."
Earlier on February 18, Noem announced that DHS would begin polygraphing employees to curb these leaks.
In late January, Noem told CBS News that filming and publicising ICE’s immigration raids served as an “accountability measure”.
"It's not a spectacle," Noem said. “This is our nation's law enforcement — judicial process. The scales of justice are equally applied to everybody. We want transparency on this. I believe that this is an accountability measure.”
Crackdown on illegal immigration
Since January, the White House has intensified efforts to fulfil President Trump's pledge to crack down on illegal immigration and carry out mass deportations.
More than 50,000 undocumented immigrants have been removed as the administration targets criminals, including killers, rapists, and drug traffickers, according to White House data. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), under DHS, has conducted nationwide raids, leading to thousands of arrests. Last week, Noem announced that over 20,000 undocumented immigrants were detained in February alone.
Mexico has deployed 10,000 troops to its border to curb illegal immigration and fentanyl smuggling, while Canada introduced new measures against fentanyl production and trafficking following Trump's tariffs on both countries. Additionally, Trump secured the extradition of 29 Mexican drug cartel leaders to face charges in the US
Other federal agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), have been directed to support immigration enforcement efforts.
The administration also rescinded a Biden-era policy that limited immigration arrests near schools, religious sites, and other sensitive locations, a decision now facing legal challenges.
In February, illegal border crossings hit a record low—down 94% from last February and 96% from the Biden administration's peak.
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