When asked about the use of polygraph exams, DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement, "The Department of Homeland Security is a national security agency. We can, should, and will polygraph personnel."
McLaughlin said Homeland Security is “committed to civil rights protections” but said these offices were a roadblock to immigration enforcement.
“These offices have obstructed immigration enforcement by adding bureaucratic hurdles and undermining DHS’s mission. Rather than supporting law enforcement efforts, they often function as internal adversaries that slow down operations,” she said.
Here are some other WARNINGS reminders from that March article, including one from an employee of OCRL, who has probably been hooked up to a lie detector since trying to WARN explain to us what that office actually does.
"With Trump’s mass firing of the entire DHS Civil Rights and Civil Liberties workforce, he is ensuring in advance that there will be no transparency or oversight of his extreme agenda,” said Rep. Bennie G. Thompson of Mississippi, the top Democrat on the House Committee on Homeland Security.
A staffer who works in the Civil Rights and Civil Liberties office and asked not to be identified for fear of retribution stressed that the office’s mission stretches far beyond immigration and border security, noting that they look into allegations concerning all parts of Homeland Security, including the Transportation Safety Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.