Reps. Vargas, Castro, Jacobs, Peters Introduce Amendment to Bar DHS from Funding Shadow Units
WASHINGTON - U.S. Representatives Juan Vargas (CA-52), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), and Scott Peters (CA-50) introduced an amendment to prevent the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from funding unsupervised “Shadow Units” or “Critical Incident Teams” within U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). This provision would prevent any future Administration from reinstating the independently operated Critical Incident Teams.
“From reports of abuse of power to interfering with investigations, Shadow Units were a dark chapter in Border Patrol history,” said Rep. Juan Vargas. “We need to ensure that the CBP officials we entrust to enforce the law are not acting outside of it. I’m glad that the Biden Administration put an end to the use of these unauthorized units in 2022. This amendment would help make sure something like this doesn’t happen again.”
In 2022, Rep. Vargas and his colleagues called for an immediate investigation into Critical Incident Teams after allegations that Border Patrol had “special, secretive units that work to cover up any wrongdoing when agents kill someone or otherwise use force in potentially problematic ways” were published in the San Diego Union-Tribune. While Critical Incident Teams were disbanded in 2022, this amendment would ensure that any Administration is blocked from reinstating these groups in FY 2025.
In May, Reps. Vargas, Castro, Jacobs, and Peters called for answers on Critical Incident Teams within CBP following a new report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) that these units were widespread - used in seven of nine U.S. Border Patrol sectors, including San Diego, on the southwest border - and operated for years with little to no oversight.
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