Washington: A Democratic senator is raising alarms about the potential erosion of independence within the US Department of Homeland Security’s internal watchdog. The concerns stem from repeated reminders by the department’s legal team that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has the authority to terminate investigations.

According to Anadolu Agency, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, in a letter to Noem obtained by NBC News, highlighted that DHS Inspector General Joseph Cuffari had been repeatedly informed by the department’s general counsel about the secretary’s power to “kill investigations” conducted by the Office of Inspector General (OIG). Duckworth also noted an unusual request made on January 29 for the OIG to disclose all active audits, inspections, and criminal investigations, which she described as “extremely unusual, perhaps even unprecedented.”

The senator expressed concern that these “repeated tacit threats” could undermine the inspector general’s operational independence, particularly following the fatal shooting of US citizen Alex Pretti by Border Patrol agents. Former Interior Department inspector general Mark Greenblatt commented that while federal law under the Inspector General Act of 1978 does permit Cabinet secretaries to block investigations if national security is at risk, this authority has never been exercised in practice. Greenblatt emphasized that notifying a Cabinet secretary about criminal investigations is highly atypical, comparing it to the FBI’s practice of not disclosing its investigations in advance.

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin defended the longstanding authority, indicating that lawmakers have the ability to amend the law if they see fit. Meanwhile, the DHS Office of Inspector General announced on Thursday that it is reviewing the department’s immigration enforcement practices, including areas such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement hiring, detention conditions, and the deployment of agents in cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, and Minneapolis.