DHS prompted criticism from Congress and elsewhere in July 2020 w hen it deployed poorly or unidentified agents in military-style uniforms to sweep people off the streets of Portland, Oregon, and hustle them into unmarked cars during protests outside the federal courthouse in the city.
This latest revelation prompted Sen. Ron Wyden to call on DHS to immediately turn over the inspector general report to Congress.
“If multiple government agencies were aware of this conduct and took no action to stop it, there needs to be serious consequences for every official involved, and DHS and the Justice Department must explain what actions they are taking to prevent this unacceptable conduct in the future,” said Wyden, an Oregon Democrat who has long sought more oversight of government surveillance.
Rep. Bennie Thompson, the Mississippi Democrat who chairs the House Homeland Security Committee, said, “If true, this abuse of government surveillance powers to target journalists, elected officials and their staff is deeply disturbing.”
CBP said in a statement over the weekend that its vetting and investigative practices are “strictly governed” and that the agency doesn’t investigate without a legitimate and legal basis to do so.
