Prepared Opening Statement by Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa
Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee
“Oversight of the Department of Homeland Security”
Tuesday, March 3, 2026
Good morning.
I’d like to welcome everyone to the Judiciary Committee’s oversight hearing for the Department of Homeland Security.
This hearing comes amid a Democrat-led funding shutdown for Secret Service, FEMA, TSA and the Coast Guard. These agencies are vital to keeping our country safe.
The hearing also comes as our military is engaged with Iran. I offer my prayers and thoughts to our brave service members.
Now, more than ever, Democrats need to end this shut down.
The Trump administration has worked to deport those who don’t have a legal basis to be in this country.
Unfortunately, in the process, some DHS officers, migrants and protesters have felt threatened, were injured, and—in very rare instances—even killed. Mistakes have been made.
Let me be clear, one death is too many.
But officers should never be threatened or harmed while enforcing our laws. And there is a clear difference between the conduct protected by the First Amendment and unlawful obstruction.
From my perspective, I believe immigration enforcement and dignity aren’t mutually exclusive. Secretary Noem, I look forward to hearing how you’re addressing these important issues, while continuing the department’s mission.
And that mission is one of the most challenging in government.
The responsibilities of the Department of Homeland Security are immense.
Your department operates in a dynamic environment with increased threats against officers.
According to DHS, ICE officers have faced an 8,000% increase in death threats.
ICE officers have faced a more than 1,300% increase in assaults.
Federal law enforcement officers risk their lives finding and arresting criminals.
Those criminals have committed murder, sexual assault on women and children, and many have been part of criminal gangs.
According to DHS, ICE has arrested tens of thousands of potential national security risks.
And ICE has arrested over 1,500 known or suspected terrorists and made more than 7,000 gang arrests.
Criminals like this destroy the lives of innocent people and have no business being in our country. And many of them are here because of the Biden administration’s shameful open border policy.
Under your leadership, the Department has a renewed focus on removing criminals from our neighborhoods.
You’ve also accomplished what many of my Democratic colleagues have said could only be done through new laws: secure the southern border.
In 2025, border crossings decreased 93%.
According to DHS and Customs and Border Protection, zero illegal immigrants were released into the country for ten consecutive months.
And Customs and Border Protection has seized over 617,000 pounds of drugs.
For over a decade, I’ve done oversight of unaccompanied migrant children, known as UACs.
The Biden administration lost track of hundreds of thousands of children.
The Biden administration disgracefully released children to improperly vetted sponsors with addresses [that corresponded to] gas stations, shopping malls, movie theatres and even Disney World.
That ought to shock the conscience of every American.
The Trump administration has located over 145,000 of these children lost by the Biden failures.
And thank God for that.
The Department has taken important steps to ensure these children are located and removed from harm.
The examples I just shared are results that keep our communities safe.
You’ve also been more responsive than your predecessor to my oversight requests. Although, to be intellectually honest, the bar was very low.
In August last year, you provided updates regarding my longstanding Afghan evacuee oversight.
Since 2021, I’ve investigated the Biden administration’s failure to vet Afghan evacuees.
The Biden administration hid vetting failures from the public. And multiple Inspectors General have since confirmed those vetting failures.
As one example, the Biden administration failed to vet evacuees against all available Defense Department tactical data prior to being paroled.
On September 9th last year, DHS told my office that as of August 12, 2025, thousands of Operation Allies Welcome parolees were potential national security risks.
Records provided by DHS also show the Biden State Department recommended a Special Immigrant Visa for the Afghan national charged with shooting two National Guardsmen.
According to the Biden State Department, at that time, the terrorist “pose[d] no threat to national security.”
The Biden administration’s failures put this country at risk. Yet my Democratic colleagues keep trying to ignore that historical fact.
Now, I’m a strong supporter of Inspectors General and oversight.
Inspector General Cuffari has told my office several times that he’s been restricted by a DHS memo from speaking to certain congressional committees about a classified report.
That report’s about covert testing of the Transportation Security Administration’s checkpoint security screening.
I hosted a bicameral, bipartisan classified briefing with senior DHS officials on the matter last year to do what I can to bring about transparency.
I asked Inspector General Cuffari to attend, but he declined, asserting the DHS memo prevented him from doing so.
I’ve also commissioned the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to review the matter relating to that classified report.
GAO has said they’ve been unable to obtain possession of the report and access to relevant Transportation Security Administration personnel.
Inspectors General and GAO help bring about transparency.
Secretary Noem, if what my office has been told is accurate, these matters should’ve been ironed out long ago. If it isn’t accurate, I want to know.
Lastly, after your confirmation, you worked with me to restore three whistleblowers to their jobs.
Those whistleblowers had faced years of retaliation.
They blew the whistle on the government’s failure to comply with the DNA Fingerprint Act of 2005.
By executive order, President Trump has required compliance with that law.
Now, those whistleblowers have been elevated to supervisory roles.
They’ll receive back pay to cover years of financial losses.
For two of them who needed it, their law enforcement credentials, badges and firearms were re-authorized.
I often say whistleblowers are treated like skunks at a picnic.
The Biden administration failed to do right by these whistleblowers.
I appreciate your leadership in righting the wrongs against these patriotic whistleblowers.
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