DHS Retaliates Against Whistleblowers

A recent memo has surfaced, indicating that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) retaliated against whistleblowers who exposed the agency's failure to comply with a law mandating DNA collection from unlawful immigrants. Whistleblowers Fred Wynn, Mike Taylor, and Mark Jones disclosed to reporter Catherine Herridge that the agency's tactics aimed to "bankrupt you, make you quit, die, kill yourselves, or basically, preferably, all the above." The memo from the U.S. Office of Special Counsel confirmed that the agency retaliated against these individuals for their disclosures of wrongdoing. The internal memo detailed significant changes in the whistleblowers' duties and working conditions, alongside a lack of performance rewards. The whistleblowers initially reported their concerns to Senator Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, who later obtained an internal directive stating that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is required to collect DNA samples from non-U.S. persons detained for immigration violations. Wynn expressed concern that the failure to enforce this policy may have contributed to the tragic August 2023 murder of Rachel Morin, emphasizing that proper DNA collection could have led to identifying suspects sooner. Despite the serious implications of non-compliance, the whistleblowers noted that no disciplinary actions were taken against those responsible for the oversight. They described personal repercussions, including the loss of law enforcement credentials and retirement benefits, which severely impacted their careers. House Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green confirmed that DHS had indeed failed to collect the required DNA data from migrants, raising further questions about the agency's accountability.