Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced new leadership at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Sunday and pledged to increase lie detector tests for employees to identify potential leakers of sensitive information to the media.
“The authorities I have within the Department of Homeland Security are broad, and I will use every single one to ensure we are following the law and keeping people safe, in line with President Trump’s promises,” Noem told CBS’ Face the Nation.
Although polygraph results are not typically admissible in court, they are commonly used by federal law enforcement and national security agencies for personnel screenings. “The Department of Homeland Security is a national security agency. We can, should, and will polygraph personnel,” said DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin.
The White House has previously expressed frustration over the slow pace of deportations, partly due to leaks exposing planned enforcement operations.
Noem’s leadership changes come less than two months into the Trump administration, reflecting the priority placed on advancing the president’s deportation agenda. Todd Lyons, the former assistant director of field operations for ICE’s enforcement division, will now serve as acting ICE director. Madison Sheahan, a former aide to Noem when she was governor of South Dakota and current secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, has been appointed as deputy director of ICE.
These leadership changes follow the reassignment of ICE’s acting director on Feb. 21 and two other senior immigration officials on Feb. 11, amid concerns over the pace of immigration arrests.
Additionally, Noem announced on Friday that two individuals have been identified for leaking information about planned enforcement operations. She stated that these leaks exposed vulnerabilities and could lead to federal charges with a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
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