June 03, 2020

Department of Homeland Security Law Enforcement Agencies Require Expanded Oversight

By: Carrie Cordero

Hundreds of Department of Homeland Security officers have been called up to serve along with other federal law enforcement officers and the National Guard to provide security within the District of Columbia. The presence of the U.S. Secret Service and Federal Protective Service—both Homeland Security agencies—is routine at the White House and other federal facilities. But less common is the use of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers alongside local and federal law enforcement to quell domestic unrest. Exactly how Homeland Security activities will expand on a day-to-day basis to directly engage in law enforcement activity in the District of Columbia or elsewhere is, as of yet, unclear. But the potential for expanded interior Homeland Security law enforcement activity raises questions about whether components of the department being called upon in the tense current environment are subject to appropriate training, preparation and accountability.

Read the full article in Lawfare.

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