Management
ICE and the Ever-Widening Surveillance Dragnet
ICE agents have used facial-recognition technology on state driver’s-license photos, turning a public database into a de facto criminal database.
Defense
Immigration Officials Use Secretive Gang Databases to Deny Migrant Asylum Claims
Legal experts and human rights advocates say they were not told about the databases and question their reliability.
Management
NSA Still Grappling With Controls to Guard Against Surveillance Abuse
Watchdog also finds gaps in security of internal data systems.
Defense
Inside the Secret Border Patrol Facebook Group Where Agents Joke About Migrant Deaths and Post Sexist Memes
The three-year-old group, which has roughly 9,500 members, shared derogatory comments about Latina lawmakers who plan to visit a controversial Texas detention facility on Monday, calling them “scum buckets” and “hoes.”
Management
‘Children Were Dirty, They Were Scared, and They Were Hungry’
An immigration attorney describes what she witnessed at the border.
Management
Why a Government Lawyer Argued Against Giving Immigrant Kids Toothbrushes
The sheer effrontery of the government’s argument may be explained, but not excused, by its long backstory.
Management
Years Ago, the Border Patrol’s Discipline System Was Denounced as 'Broken.' It’s Still Not Fixed.
An expert panel’s pleas for swifter, more consistent, more transparent punishment of rogue agents languish.
Management
Homeland Security Employees Aren’t Disciplined Consistently for Misconduct
Lengthy survey by watchdog faults vague definitions, poor record-keeping for the lack of standard consequences across agencies within the department.
Pay & Benefits
Appeals Court: ICE Did Not Have to Bargain Over Pay Changes
A three-judge panel found that Immigration and Customs Enforcement was within its rights to reduce overtime pay for employees because the change complied with a governmentwide rule.
Management
Thousands Of Asylum Seekers Left Waiting At The U.S.-Mexico Border
As part of a new "metering" policy, U.S. officials are turning asylum seekers away at ports of entry along the southern border. Thousands wait, straining the resources of Mexican border towns.
Management
Viewpoint: Vetting Foreigners’ Facebook Feeds Won’t Make Americans Safer
The federal government wants visa applicants to cough up their social-media handles.
Management
ACLU Alleges Coast Guard Detained and Abused Fishermen
A lawsuit says the agency accused innocent men of drug smuggling, chained them to decks, and sailed with them straight into a hurricane.
Management
Homeland Security Watchdog Retires After Flap Over ‘Feel Good’ FEMA Reviews
11-year veteran Kelly told staff on Monday he accelerated his move after criticism.
Defense
FBI and Homeland Security Hit for Softpedaling White Supremacy Threat
Democrats press for details on budget and staff cuts during debate over hate crimes.
Oversight
Surprise Inspections Reveal Widespread Violations at Immigrant Detention Facilities
Poor conditions add to the expanding list of crises caused by the influx of migrants at the souther border.
Management
Lawmakers Voice Bipartisan Concern Over 'Chaos' at Homeland Security
Top watchdogs also say turnover is hurting the department.
Oversight
DHS Expedites Replacement Wall Construction on Same Day Top Auditor Warns of Ineffective Efforts
Homeland Security issues waivers to quickly build new barriers as GAO cautions of insufficient planning.
Management
TSA Agents Say They’re Not Discriminating Against Black Women, But Their Body Scanners Might Be
The full-body scanners at airports across the country frequently give false alarms for Afros, braids, twists and other hairstyles popular among black women.
Management
TSA Air Marshal Whistleblower Fired for Second Time
Robert MacLean continues to claim retaliation for his disclosures of safety risks.
Defense