Federal employees at the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) implementing the Trump administration's immigration policies faced a systematic intimidation campaign. The Guardian's four-month investigation, based on interviews with more than 30 current and former employees, showed that officers who objected to practices they believed were illegal were pressured with threats of dismissal, arrest, and polygraph tests.
According to employees' statements, polygraph tests were used not as a standard security procedure but as an intimidation tool. The individuals conducting the tests identified themselves as military personnel serving in the US Air Force. Interviewees said that vague suspicions regarding access to classified information were cited as justification, but no concrete accusations were made against any of them.
A former employee said, 'My rights were read to me. That only happens in criminal investigations. I felt like I was going to be arrested.' Refusing to take the officially voluntary tests meant revocation of security clearance and dismissal. The tests were conducted in small windowless rooms, with participants hooked up to pulse, respiration, and blood pressure sensors, and could last up to six hours.
Forced Transfers and a Blow to Refugee Policies
The pressure was not limited to polygraphs. Employees were often forcibly transferred to positions that did not match their experience, to units in different parts of the country. The complex structure of the department, which houses more than 20 agencies, turned transfers into an effective tool of coercion.
These pressures most affected units responsible for refugee, asylum, humanitarian protection, and family reunification policies. Under former Secretary Kristi Noem, more than 675,000 deportations were carried out, and the immigrant detention system was expanded to record levels. The refugee resettlement program was almost completely halted, family separation was reinstated, and the Guantanamo naval base began to be used as an immigrant detention center.
Harun Ahmed, a 17-year federal employee and former manager of the refugee law unit, said, 'We were asked to approve initiatives that we believed were immoral, illegal, or contrary to historical practice. Our expertise was disregarded; only our formal approval was sought.' Ahmed, noting that those who objected were removed from their posts, eventually had to accept the compensated resignation program offered by the 'Department of Government Efficiency' (Doge) run by Elon Musk.
Devastating Impact on Children and Families
The investigation revealed that the most severe consequences of the policies were seen on children and families. Wendy Hernandez Reyes, deported to Honduras, had her 3-year-old US citizen son killed by his uncle in her absence. While in detention, Reyes repeatedly requested to travel with her child, but she was not given a copy of her son's passport.
After the incident, four separate federal approvals were required for Reyes to return to the US. Her lawyer said, 'We had to ask for some time to bury the body.' Reyes was eventually allowed to enter the US on humanitarian parole for six months, but with a GPS ankle monitor. The department's internal civil rights office, which previously handled such cases, became dysfunctional: more than 100 employees were fired, and 600 investigations were suspended.
No Change Under New Secretary
In March 2026, President Trump removed Noem and appointed Senator Markwayne Mullin in her place. Although Mullin promised during his Senate confirmation 'not to make headlines every day,' employees say the real decisions come from the White House, particularly from Vice President Stephen Miller. One employee said, 'Miller runs the department; Mullin has no decision-making authority.' Dorothea Ley of the Jesuit Refugee Service commented, 'The desire to avoid media criticism does not mean an intention to abandon harsh policies.'
