Bipartisan leaders push suicide prevention program, more mental health support for DHS law enforcement

The Homeland Security Department would establish a new mental health support program for its law enforcement employees under a bipartisan bill put forward by the top lawmakers overseeing the agency. 

The measure would require DHS officials to set up within the department’s medical office a mental health and wellness program for law enforcement personnel. Departmental components including Customs and Border Protection, the Secret Service, the Transportation Security Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the inspector general’s office would benefit from the program’s guidance and resources. Reps. Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., and Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., the top Republican and Democrat on the House Homeland Secuirty Committee, respectively, introduced the DHS Suicide Prevention and Resiliency for Law Enforcement Act (H.R. 6548) on Wednesday. 

The lawmakers cited an increase in assaults on DHS frontline personnel—something the Trump administration has highlighted in recent months—as well as an uptick in suicides within its workforce as necessitating the bill. 

“It is more important than ever to support our frontline personnel in every aspect of their homeland security mission, especially their emotional well-being,” Garbarino said. “The DHS Suicide Prevention and Resiliency for Law Enforcement Act will help ensure that these brave men and women have access to the care, resources, and support they and their families deserve.”

As part of the program—which would be set up within 180 days of the bill’s enactment—the department would gather research and best practices on mental health for law enforcement personnel. It would also collect data on suicides and, if possible, attempted suicides, which have been a growing issue within the department.

Between 2007 and 2024, according to figures maintained by DHS and reported by The Big Bend Sentinel, 149 CBP employees died by suicide. That peaked at 15 such deaths in 2022.  

“With the known suicide rate of DHS’s law enforcement workforce unfortunately on the rise in recent years, I am sponsoring this much-needed bipartisan legislation to address this clear health care crisis,” Thompson said. “By establishing a department-wide Mental Health and Resiliency Program, we are giving DHS the tools it needs to better support its workforce.”

The program would offer training and education to raise mental health awareness, prevent suicides, eliminate stigma associated with seeking help and supporting colleagues who have experienced trauma. Program officials would oversee mental health efforts at the department’s component agencies, and the components would assign a representative to report back to the central program office. 

Employees would have access to internal and external resources including mental health clinicians, service animals and other services. They would be able to tap into those resources anonymously and would be safeguarded against any adverse or disciplinary action, including any automatic fitness for duty referral. Each component would also establish a peer-to-peer support network. 

Families of DHS law enforcement personnel would also have access to a suicide prevention and resiliency support program. 

Sens. Gary Peters, D-Mich., and Josh Hawley, R-Mo., put forward similar legislation (S. 2645) in the Senate earlier this year, which has yet to receive any vote.