Latest news with #DNAFingerprintActof2005
New York Post
a day ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Sen. Chuck Grassley demands probe of ‘bureaucrats' who sidelined CBP whistleblowers — and were promoted
WASHINGTON — Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is demanding an investigation of US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials who allegedly retaliated against whistleblowers who flagged failures to fingerprint potentially dangerous criminal migrants, The Post can exclusively reveal. The Senate Judiciary Committee chairman fired off a letter Monday to CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott naming and shaming those 'bureaucrats' who were promoted even after they sidelined whistleblowers Fred Wynn, Mike Taylor and Mark Jones. 'To ensure that retaliation does not happen again at [Department of Homeland Security], CBP, or any of the Department's other component agencies, the bureaucrats that retaliated against Mr. Wynn, Mr. Taylor, and Mr. Jones must be held accountable,' Grassley told Scott. Advertisement 6 Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is demanding an investigation into US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials who allegedly retaliated against whistleblowers pointing out failures to fingerprint criminal migrants in custody. REUTERS 'Although it's unclear to me whether all retaliators have faced consequences, I've been made aware that some have been promoted,' he added. The Iowa Republican singled out Ronald Ocker, assistant commissioner of CBP's Office of Intelligence, and Juan Fernandez, the executive director of that office, for having 'improperly removed' the whistleblowers nearly a decade ago from a pilot program to implement the DNA Fingerprint Act of 2005. Advertisement Jones, Taylor and Wynn worked in the agency's Weapons of Mass Destruction Division between 2016 and 2018 — and found out that federal law enforcement officers weren't enforcing the statute. 6 All three CBP agents worked in the agency's Weapons of Mass Destruction Division between 2016 and 2018 — and uncovered that federal law enforcement officers weren't enforcing the statute. James Keivom As a result, DNA from criminal arrestees hadn't been collected since 2009, allowing 'subjects subsequently accused of violent crimes, including homicide and sexual assault, to elude detection even when detained multiple times by CBP or Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE),' according to an earlier investigation by the US Office of Special Counsel (OSC). Those 'exceptions to DNA sample collection from criminal arrestees' had been approved by former Attorney General Eric Holder during the Barack Obama administration. Advertisement 'I believe that if you could get the totality for that period of time [since 2009] … of how many Americans ended up being killed as a result, I think it probably exceeds the number of Americans who died on 9/11,' one source with direct knowledge of the security failure previously told The Post. 6 In his April confirmation hearing, CBP commissioner-designate Rodney Scott had promised Grassley he would 'look into' the case and 'hold people accountable if they've violated policies.' Paul Martinka When the whistleblowers drew attention to the issue, they faced professional and financial consequences — including being kicked off of the WMD pilot program by Ocker and Fernandez, according to Grassley's letter. Jones, who served as acting director of the pilot WMD fingerprint program, was passed over for the director position at a new office called the Operational Field Testing Division, which conducted similar law enforcement work Advertisement Taylor lost retirement benefits and had his pension payments stopped. Both he and Jones were also stripped of their guns and badges. 6 But when they drew attention to it, the CBP whistleblowers faced professional and financial consequences — including being kicked off of the WMD pilot program by Ocker and Fernandez, according to Grassley's letter. Catherine Herridge Reports OSC's investigation concluded that CBP officials 'retaliated against' the three agents 'for actual or perceived disclosures of wrongdoing,' Grassley noted in his letter. 'OSC also noted that Fernandez did not name Mr. Jones Acting Deputy Director of Operational Field Testing Division (OFTD), despite stating in a March 6, 2018, email that it would happen,' the senator also stated. 'Further, OSC found that both Ocker and Fernandez engaged in retaliation when they passed Mr. Jones over for Director of the OFTD when it stated, 'the agency does not have strong evidence in support of its stated reason or decision not to interview Mr. Jones or fairly consider him for the OFTD Director position.'' 6 Grassley had also relayed details of their case to DHS Inspector General Joseph Cuffari in May 2024. REUTERS Jones, Taylor and Wynn were only given new supervisory roles, backpay and their retirement benefits back in May after Grassley highlighted the 'seven-year nightmare these brave whistleblowers endured.' In his April confirmation hearing, Scott had promised Grassley he would 'look into' the case and 'hold people accountable if they've violated policies.' Advertisement 'Thank you for always stepping up and supporting the whistleblowers. I think it's a critical part of our government, it pushes transparency,' Scott also told the Republican senator. 6 The trio received new supervisory roles, backpay and retirement benefits in May after Grassley highlighted the 'seven-year nightmare these brave whistleblowers endured.' AP 'I do know those three, and I know one allegation that's never been levied against them is a challenge of their integrity.' Grassley had also relayed details of the case to DHS Inspector General Joseph Cuffari in May 2024. That office is still believed to be investigating the matter as well. Reps for CBP did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
New York Post
05-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Trump promotes CBP whistleblowers who called out failure to collect criminal DNA at border
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is elevating three Customs and Border Protection whistleblowers who sounded the alarm more than seven years ago about their agency not collecting fingerprints from detainees, potentially letting thousands of criminals loose into the US. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced Monday that CBP agents Fred Wynn, Mike Taylor and Mark Jones will now hold supervisory roles and receive seven years of backpay and retirement benefits after paying an 'unjust price' for flagging that collection practices had run afoul of federal law since 2009. 'These men had the courage and patriotism to speak up against the Biden Administration's deliberate efforts to destroy our national security. They paid an unjust price for doing so — betrayed by an administration that protected lawbreakers and punished law enforcement,' Noem said. 5 The Trump administration is promoting three Customs and Border Protection whistleblowers who sounded the alarm about their agency not collecting fingerprints from detainees, potentially letting loose thousands of criminals into the US. James Breeden/Shutterstock for NY Post 'Under President Trump's leadership, we are restoring what is right and true and getting these patriots back to doing the work they love.' Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) spearheaded the effort to reinstate the trio of 'brave' whistleblowers for noting in February 2018 that DHS wasn't abiding by the DNA Fingerprint Act of 2005. 'Today is a victory for Fred Wynn, Mike Taylor, Mark Jones and the rule of law. At long last, these patriotic men will be made whole again,' Grassley said. 5 'These men had the courage and patriotism to speak up against the Biden Administration's deliberate efforts to destroy our national security. They paid an unjust price for doing so,' Homeland Security Secretary Krisi Noem said. AFP via Getty Images 'I'm very grateful to the leadership at the Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection, who worked with me to bring these whistleblowers back to their rightful roles,' he added. 'Once again, the Trump administration has shown its respect for people that blow the whistle on wrongdoing.' During the first Trump administration, US Office of Special Counsel Henry Kerner informed the president and Congress in August 2019 that the 'agency's noncompliance with the law has allowed subjects subsequently accused of violent crimes, including homicide and sexual assault, to elude detection even when detained multiple times by CBP or Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).' 5 Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) spearheaded the effort to reinstate the trio of 'brave' whistleblowers for noting how DHS wasn't abiding by the DNA Fingerprint Act in 2018, more than a decade after it was implemented as a law. AP A source familiar with the effects of that dereliction of duty has told The Post: 'I believe that if you could get the totality for that period of time [since 2009] … of how many Americans ended up being killed as a result, I think it probably exceeds the number of Americans who died on 9/11.' The noncompliance began with a decision by Obama's Attorney General Eric Holder to 'allow exceptions to DNA sample collection from criminal arrestees' in 2010. Despite being enacted in 2005, the DNA Fingerprint Act was not interpreted as a federal rule until late 2008 and went into effect the following year. 5 CBP scooped up fewer than 40% of DNA samples from illegal immigrants in 2023 — the year that border crossings hit an all-time high under Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images Under former President Joe Biden, CBP scooped up fewer than 40% of DNA samples from illegal immigrants in 2023 — the year that border crossings hit an all-time high — forcing the Democrat to hastily reverse course during an election year. All three whistleblowers suffered professional and financial consequences for their actions the same year — including losing performance awards and being taken off a team targeting MS-13 gang members — with Taylor having his retirement coverage and future pension payments stripped. Each also had their guns and badges taken 'without cause,' the source familiar with the fiasco said. 5 Former President Barack Obama's Attorney General Eric Holder had made the decision to 'allow exceptions to DNA sample collection from criminal arrestees' in 2010. James Breeden/Shutterstock for NY Post All three had previously been members of CBP's now-defunct Weapons of Mass Destruction Division between 2016 and 2018, which had been picked to institute a pilot program to implement the DNA Fingerprint Act. Wynn has now retired but Jones and Taylor will have their badges and firearms returned. Grassley was also instrumental in elevating and helping to reinstate IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler for alerting Congress to a Justice Department cover-up of Hunter Biden's tax felonies.
