Members of Congress clash over funding for Homeland Security after US strikes on Iran
Lawmakers are stepping up over funding for the Department of Homeland Security amid concerns the U.S. is at greater risk from U.S. and Israeli strikes in Iran.
After news of the attacks broke, members of Congress began clashing online with competing social media posts, arguing over whether the partial DHS shutdown, now in its third week, should result in a quick resolution. At a congressional hearing Tuesday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem accused Democrats of cutting off funding to her agency amid a heightened threat environment.
“As a result, critical national security missions, including border security, immigration control, aviation security, disaster response, cybersecurity, and critical infrastructure protection, are all under strain,” Secretary Noem told the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Why we wrote this
The U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran have political implications in Congress beyond its members’ support for action. Republicans are using Iran’s potential for retaliation as leverage against Democrats, who want immigration enforcement reforms before voting to defund the Department of Homeland Security.
The extent of what is “strained” is unclear and may involve the agency’s own actions. DHS has been reallocating staff to immigration enforcement, which some analysts say diverts resources from criminal cases that are critical to national security. Ms. Noem herself was attacked by some Republican senators during Tuesday’s hearing. Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican from North Carolina, called for his resignation and called his leadership of the agency a “disaster.”
DHS, which oversees security at the nation’s airports and borders, did not respond to the Monitor’s requests for clarity on which roles within the agency continue to receive paychecks tied to a mega spending bill approved last year. (Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, both part of DHS, received about $140 billion from this bill.)
A shooting over the weekend in Texas added to security concerns, particularly among Republican lawmakers who cited the incident in their argument for defunding DHS. Federal authorities are investigating Sunday’s deadly shooting in Austin — a day after the United States and Israel began bombing Iran — as a potential terrorist attack. Authorities say the now-deceased suspect was a naturalized U.S. citizen who appeared to be wearing a T-shirt with an Iranian flag. They said his motives were not known.
Although the measure is not expected to pass, House Republicans plan to vote again Thursday on fully funding DHS to force Democrats to formally oppose funding the agency. After federal law enforcement killed two U.S. citizens in Minnesota during immigration raids in January, Democratic lawmakers demanded immigration enforcement reforms before voting to defund DHS. They say national security can still be preserved.
“Rather than protecting Americans from terrorism, Democrats are playing politics and defunding the Department of Homeland Security, the agency charged with protecting us from this terrorism,” Sen. Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, told the Monitor.
Connecticut Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal said DHS “has sufficient resources to investigate potential security threats in the country,” pointing to funding for last summer’s legislation. “We have no reason to tolerate or encourage violations of constitutional rights and other illegalities in this country simply because we are fighting a war abroad. »
Among other concerns, “the Iranians, unfortunately, are very good at launching cyberattacks,” says Andy Keizer, a senior fellow at the National Security Institute at George Mason University.
“Congress would be wise to get its act together and fully fund DHS departments and agencies,” he said. “The situation in Iran could certainly last for days, weeks, or even beyond. »
Dealing with cyber risks
Created after September 11, DHS is a front-line agency responsible for preventing threats on American soil, including cyberattacks. As the intelligence community grows wary of Iran-backed cybercrimes, observers have expressed concerns about the reduction in staffing levels at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, a component of DHS.
Secretary Noem said the cybersecurity division “lost hundreds of workers who were put out of work.” Recently, key officials have also reportedly resigned or been replaced. A CISA spokesperson did not directly respond to questions about current employees and funding levels, but referred to previous official remarks and an agency webpage on threats from Iran.
In partnership with the FBI, CISA is “the primary DHS subgroup responsible for critical infrastructure and federal networks within the U.S. government,” says James Turgal, former executive assistant director of the FBI’s information and technology branch, now vice president of Optiv, a cybersecurity consultancy.
Critical infrastructure, such as water treatment plants and dams, are most at risk of an Iranian-backed attack, due to that country’s capabilities, Turgal says. But the potential for attacks is wide.
He says there has been evidence of cyberattacks following the US bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities last year. But now, he says, “you’re talking about total war…The United States has now eliminated the supreme leader,” he says.
Controversial changes within DHS
Some concerns about preparedness predate the shutdown.
Six Democratic-led states sued the administration for ending grants for targeted violence and terrorism prevention last year. DHS, which administers the funds, says on its website that the program is the only federal initiative “solely dedicated to helping local communities” achieve these prevention goals. The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit.
A division of ICE, called Homeland Security Investigations, handles a wide range of criminal investigations, including cybercrime and weapons smuggling cases. Yet on his first day back in office, Mr. Trump ordered HSI to focus on immigration enforcement as its “primary mission.” Republicans say it is necessary to strengthen immigration controls nationwide after the illegal immigration crisis under the previous administration. President Joe Biden’s own FBI director had warned of national security threats linked to southern border entries.
Although the scope of these reassignments – within and beyond HSI – is unclear, several news reports have confirmed them. In response, 29 Democratic senators and independent Sen. Angus King said in a letter to the administration in January that “the national security implications are dire.”
National security experts have also raised concerns about similar reassignments and layoffs within the Justice Department’s FBI, which reports say have led to a loss of agents with expertise in Iran. An FBI spokesperson said the agency does not comment on personnel matters but “maintains a robust counterintelligence operation” with teams ready to assist partners at all levels of government.
A role for local and state law enforcement
As the standoff at the Capitol drags on, national security experts say state and local law enforcement also plays a key role in detecting threats — and responding.
In Texas, Austin police confirmed that three people died in Sunday’s shooting and several others were injured.
Authorities say the suspect, who died in the shooting, was a Senegalese man who entered the United States on a tourist visa in 2000, obtained a green card in 2006, and then became a naturalized American citizen in 2013.
An FBI field office said it was investigating the incident through its joint terrorism task force “in close coordination” with Austin police. Seventy-one Texas state lawmakers, led by Republican Cole Hefner, called for full funding of DHS and a pause on all immigration until “appropriate oversight” is in place.
Meanwhile, local law enforcement across the country has stepped up their own preparation.
Following the Austin shooting, and in celebration of the Jewish holiday of Purim this week, officers “will maintain enhanced, high-visibility patrols in sensitive locations throughout the city,” the New York City Police Department said in a statement. A Chicago police spokesperson said the department is “paying special attention” to places of worship.
Staff writer Victoria Hoffmann contributed research from Boston.
