DHS: We're Making Workers Take Lie Detector Tests

Staffers at the Department of Homeland Security may soon find themselves hooked up to lie-detecting sensors, if they haven't been already. Sources tell NBC News that the federal agency has begun administering polygraph tests to workers in an effort to suss out leaks to the media that some say are derailing immigration arrests. "The authorities that I have ... are broad and extensive, and I plan to use every single one of them to make sure that we're following the law, that we are following the procedures in place to keep people safe, and that ... we're following through on what President Trump has promised," Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told CBS News' Face the Nation on Sunday, per the AP. NBC notes it's not clear how many DHS workers have been polygraphed so far, or how many are set to be. More:

• Initial whispers: Bloomberg first reported on the possible polygraph plans last month, after an internal directive issued by Noem blasted the "deleterious effects" of said leaks. The outlet notes that Noem mandated a question during the polygraphs that asks about "unauthorized communications with media and nonprofit organizations."
• Disruptors: Both Noem and Trump border czar Tom Homan have claimed that leaks from within the agency have messed up planned ICE arrests in California and Colorado in recent weeks.
• Polygraphs in general: Per NBC, it's not terribly unusual for lie detector tests, which typically aren't admissible in court, to be used in the DHS, including for screening new hires—especially in its Customs and Border Protection arm. But the devices "are now being used to ask employees across the agency specific questions about leaking classified documents or sensitive law-enforcement information on ICE operations," the outlet notes.

• DHS reaction: "The Department of Homeland Security is a national security agency. We can, should, and will polygraph personnel," the agency says in a statement.
• More from Noem: In a Friday post on X, Noem noted that two "criminal leakers" have already been tracked down and are set to face federal prosecution. "These individuals face up to 10 years in federal prison," Noem wrote. "We will find and root out all leakers. They will face prison time & we will get justice for the American people." It's not clear if these two individuals had been subjected to a polygraph.

(More Department of Homeland Security stories.)