Senator warns DHS watchdog's independence under threat from Noem

A Democratic US senator has raised a formal alarm that the independence of the Department of Homeland Security's internal watchdog office is being compromised under Secretary Kristi Noem. In a letter obtained by NBC News, Senator Tammy Duckworth warned that repeated assertions of the secretary's authority to terminate investigations, coupled with an unprecedented demand for information on all active probes, create a chilling effect on the Office of Inspector General.

Details of the senator's concerns

Senator Duckworth's letter details that DHS Inspector General Joseph Cuffari was told multiple times by the department's general counsel that Secretary Noem "has the power to kill investigations." Furthermore, on January 29, the OIG was asked to disclose "every active audit, inspection and criminal investigation"—a request Duckworth described as "extremely unusual, perhaps even unprecedented." She argued these "repeated tacit threats" could weaken the watchdog's operational independence, especially following the fatal shooting of a US citizen by Border Patrol agents.

Legal context and expert analysis

While federal law—specifically the Inspector General Act of 1978—does allow a cabinet secretary to block an investigation on national security grounds, experts note this power is virtually never used. Former Interior Department Inspector General Mark Greenblatt confirmed the provision exists but stated, "In my experience that provision has never been invoked by any agency across the federal government." He also criticized the request for a list of criminal investigations as highly irregular, noting, "The FBI doesn't tell everyone what they are investigating in advance."

Response from DHS and ongoing review

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin defended the department's actions, stating the authority "has been in place for decades" and suggesting Congress could change the law if it wished. Separately, the DHS OIG announced Thursday it is launching a review of the department's immigration enforcement practices, including ICE hiring, detention conditions, and the deployment of agents in major cities like Los Angeles and Chicago. This suggests the watchdog continues its work, albeit under heightened political scrutiny and pressure from the department it is meant to oversee.