DHS Firings Hit FEMA, CISA as Secretary Noem Orders Lie Detector Tests
Across the board federal agencies are firing employees on probation, following President Trump's orders.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) fired 400 employees, with promises to remove more.
The employees were on probationary status and were said to be in non-critical positions.
“Today’s Department of Homeland Security personnel action will result in roughly $50 million in savings for American taxpayers and incalculable value toward accountability and cutting red tape,” said a DHS spokesperson in a statement.
DHS also promised further reductions noting that it is “actively identifying other wasteful positions and offices that do not fulfill DHS’ mission.”
FEMA Firings
The biggest cuts were at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), where approximately 200 employees on probation were fired.
The Washington Post reports that latency officials estimate they’ll be short about 1,000 employees because of the terminations and the deferred resignation program.
While Democrats worry it will hurt the agency’s ability to respond to disasters (FEMA is currently responding to about 100 across the nation), Republicans say change is needed.
“The federal government’s labyrinthine disaster response and recovery programs have not been subject to the scrutiny needed to assess whether it is achieving its goals or whether its funding would be better spent with limited strings attached at the state and local levels,” wrote Senator James Lankford (R-OK).
The firing of Chief Financial Officer Mary Comans is said to be particularly unsettling to FEMA employees. According to CNN, Comans is being made the scapegoat for sending money to state and local programs that were used to help undocumented immigrants. Earlier, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem ordered all such payments to stop, but did not specify the ending of payments to state and local governments for such purposes.
Other Firings
The cuts include 130 positions at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), which plays a role in helping the private sector prepare for cyberattacks, as well as physical risks.
50 employees at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) were let go.
Senior Leaders on the Chopping Block
Meanwhile, NBC News reports that the DHS is preparing to fire hundreds of senior leaders as soon as this week, to align leadership more with the administration’s goals.
The administration reportedly has a “centralized plan” and a list of people in high-level positions across every component of DHS slated for firing.
Lie Detector Tests Ordered
And DHS Secretary Kristi Noem told employees that polygraph tests will be used to catch leaks that are foiling immigration enforcement plants.
As reported by Bloomberg, Secretary Noem ordered that all DHS polygraphs administered must include a question about unauthorized communications with media and nonprofit organizations.