Congressmen Goldman, Garcia Request Update an Addressing Violent Domestic Extremism within Department of Homeland Security
Letter Follows Reports of Customs and Border Protection Agents Using Racial Slurs, Making Jokes About Killing Migrant Children
Read the Letter Here
Washington, DC – Congressmen Dan Goldman (NY-10) and Robert Garcia (CA-42) today sent a letter to Secretary Mayorkas of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the acting head of Customs and Border Protection requesting an update on actions the Department has taken to address the threat of racism and white nationalism within the Department.
A HuffPost article from April 30, 2024, titled “Border Patrol Agents Joked About Killing Migrant Children, Records Show” raised concerning questions from the lawmakers as it highlighted a continuing pattern of unacceptable and derogatory rhetoric from border patrol agents. Documents retained by HuffPost under the Freedom of Information Act reveal widespread use of the derogatory slur “tonk”, along with further examples of inhumane rhetoric from CBP agents, including references to beating migrants, killing children in custody, lacing Rice Krispy Treats with cyanide, and more.
"For far too long, violent domestic extremism and racism has spread within the ranks of the Department of Homeland Security," Congressman Dan Goldman said. "Recent reports describing the despicable and appalling comments made about killing migrant children run counter to our country's core values. These uniquely vulnerable children often arrive here without a choice and simply seek a better life. They must be treated with the dignity, respect, and care that every child deserves. The Department must take immediate steps to hold accountable those responsible for this unacceptable conduct.”
Congressman Robert Garcia said, “The HuffPost reporting revealed that Custom and Border Patrol Agents have been saying racist and disgusting things about families seeking safety from violence. As lawmakers, it is our duty to hold agencies accountable for their actions and ensure that all individuals, regardless of their background, are treated with dignity and respect. I look forward to hearing from Secretary Mayorkas and learning more about what is being done to address these concerns and to prevent any further incidents of hate speech or violence within the Department of Homeland Security.”
In July of last year, Goldman and Garcia, along with Senator Ed Markey (D-MA), led 63 fellow members of Congress in sending a letter to Secretary Mayorkas requesting an update on the actions the Department has taken to address the threat of domestic violent extremism within the DHS. The Members asked whether DHS had an authoritative definition of ‘domestic violence extremism,’ what DHS policies or protocols exist for agents’ interactions with vigilantes, militia, or paramilitary groups, how does DHS ensure that agents are not collaborating with actors engaged in extremist activities, as well as other questions aimed at understanding what capabilities DHS has to root out and address potential domestic terrorism threats within the department.
Congressman Dan Goldman is committed to combatting the threat of violent domestic extremism in the United States.
In March, Goldman led 23 Democrats in a letter to President Biden requesting an update on the Administration’s implementation of the National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism (the National Strategy). The lawmakers also urged the Biden Administration to name a senior level Domestic Terrorism Director at the National Security Council and release a public version of any Strategic Implementation Plan so that Congressman may provide additional support to the fight against domestic extremism.
In February, Congressman Goldman cosponsored the ‘Preventing Private Paramilitary Activity Act,’ which would federally prohibit individuals in private paramilitary organizations such as the white supremacist Proud Boys and Oath Keepers from conducting activity with firearms.
Read the letter here or below:
Dear Secretary Mayorkas and Mr. Miller,
I write to you in regards to the ongoing efforts by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to eliminate racism, domestic extremism, and all forms of bigotry from its ranks. In a November 13, 2023, response to a previous Congressional inquiry into domestic violent extremism within DHS led by Representative Goldman and myself, DHS outlined several steps it is taking to “prevent, detect, and respond to domestic violent extremism” including preliminary background checks, enrollment in the continuous vetting program, annual Insider Threat Training, as well as investigative and disciplinary actions.
While I commend the efforts that DHS and CBP are making to resolve this ongoing problem, a HuffPost article from April 30, 2024, titled “Border Patrol Agents Joked About Killing Migrant Children, Records Show” raises concerning questions and highlights a continuing pattern of unacceptable and derogatory rhetoric. Documents retained by HuffPost under the Freedom of Information Act reveal widespread use of the derogatory slur “tonk”, along with further examples of inhumane rhetoric from CBP agents including references to beating migrants, killing children in custody, lacing Rice Krispy Treats with cyanide, and more.
Treating all migrants and asylum seekers with dignity and compassion must be a bipartisan priority. In order to make sure that robust policies are in place to prevent CBP agents from violating human rights of migrants under any administration, I am requesting an update on the efforts DHS is currently taking to eradicate this problem. Specifically:
Since the November 13, 2023, DHS response, (a) how many employees have been reviewed by the CBP Discipline Review Board (DRB) for discipline in findings of discrimination, (b) of those, how many employees did the DRB propose action for, and (c) for how many employees did deciding officials sustain the proposed disciplinary actions?
Since the November 13, 2023, DHS response, how many complaints from the public alleging violations of civil rights or civil liberties have been investigated by the DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties’ Compliance Branch, and of those, how many investigations have resulted in disciplinary action against DHS employees?
Since the publication of the HuffPost article on April 30, 2024, have there been any investigatory or disciplinary steps taken in response to the revelations of derogatory rhetoric and potential misconduct by CBP employees as demonstrated in the HuffPost article?
What patterns and trends in misconduct have been identified since the implementation of CBP’s mitigation dashboard?
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