Kristi Noem targets press, leakers as homeland security secretary

May 20, 2025 | DHS secretary oversees ‘unprecedented’ use of polygraphs to identify leakers

March 9, 2025 | DHS secretary pledges to use lie detectors to identify leakers

March 7, 2025 | DHS secretary threatens to sue South Dakota newspaper over coverage

May 20, 2025 | DHS secretary oversees ‘unprecedented’ use of polygraphs to identify leakers

Under the leadership of Secretary Kristi Noem, Department of Homeland Security employees are being subjected to polygraph exams, The Wall Street Journal reported on May 20, 2025. Noem had announced her intention to use such tests as part of her efforts to clamp down on leaks.

According to the Journal, employees — ranging from agency leadership to designated media liaisons — are being specifically questioned about whether they’ve been sharing unapproved information with the media, even if it isn’t classified.

DHS employees told the newspaper that the scale of polygraphing is unprecedented, and that the seeming randomness of who is selected for an exam and why has had a chilling effect.

“Under Secretary Noem’s leadership, DHS is unapologetic about its efforts to root out leakers that undermine national security,” said Tricia McLaughlin, spokeswoman for DHS. “We are agnostic about your standing, tenure, political appointment, or status as a career civil servant—we will track down leakers and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.”

Both Noem and Madison Sheahan, deputy director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, have reportedly threatened employees with polygraphs and Noem has personally requested that certain employees be examined.

National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and FBI Director Kash Patel have also announced the use of polygraphs to identify leakers in their agencies.

March 9, 2025 | DHS secretary pledges to use lie detectors to identify leakers

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem vowed during an appearance on CBS News’ “Face the Nation” on March 9, 2025, that the department would subject employees to polygraph exams as part of its investigation into the source of leaks to the media.

Noem announced on March 7 that two individuals who allegedly leaked details about immigration enforcement operations have been identified and will face felony prosecution. She told CBS two days later that the leak investigations are ongoing and that she plans on using the full power of her office to ensure “that we’re following the law, that we are following the procedures in place to keep people safe.”

“Anyone who is leaking information outside of how something is planned for the safety of those law enforcement officers needs to be held accountable for that,” Noem added.

The Associated Press reported that while polygraphs are not typically admissible in court, they are often used by federal law enforcement, including for national security clearances.

“The Department of Homeland Security is a national security agency,” DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to the news agency. “We can, should, and will polygraph personnel.”

March 7, 2025 | DHS secretary threatens to sue South Dakota newspaper over coverage

A personal attorney for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem threatened on March 7, 2025, to sue The Dakota Scout, an independent newspaper based in Sioux City, South Dakota, after the outlet reported on Noem’s use of two taxpayer-backed credit cards.

The Scout and KSFL-TV reviewed thousands of pages of credit card receipts totaling approximately $650,000 from Noem’s tenure as the state’s governor. The bulk of the expenses were on airfare, rental cars and hotel accommodations for Noem’s security detail, in connection with her appearances at campaign rallies and as a speaker at conservative events, according to the Scout.

In a cease and desist letter emailed to the Scout in the early hours of March 7, Noem’s personal lawyer Trevor Stanley alleged that the outlet had published “false, misleading, and inaccurate statements” concerning the spending, KSFL-TV reported. Stanley specifically asserted that Noem had only personally charged $2,000, and demanded that the outlet stop reporting differently.

“Otherwise, we will consider all legal remedies, including a lawsuit seeking maximum compensatory and punitive damages, that we estimate at millions of dollars,” Stanley wrote.

According to a podcast with Scout co-founders and reporters Joe Sneve and Jonathan Ellis, they only obtained the receipts after filing a lawsuit to obtain the public records. They were also threatened with a restraining order to claw back the files after they were released.

Sneve said that Noem’s cease and desist letter is a blatant attempt to chill their reporting, and that he wouldn’t stand idle when individuals attempt to “saber rattle” in order to “intimidate good, honest reporters who are just trying to provide a service that shouldn’t even be hard to provide.”

The newsroom, he added, remains undaunted. “I would highly doubt they even file a lawsuit,” Sneve said. “And if they did, I’m not losing any sleep over that.”