Latest news with #HouseHomelandSecurityCommittee
The Hill
3 days ago
- Science
- The Hill
Calls for facial recognition alternatives are unsustainable
Despite being penned by House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green (R-Tenn.), Friday's opinion piece urging 'an alternative' to facial recognition technology offers a bizarre string of statements that do not make the case. Each biometric modality (fingerprint, iris, face, etc.) offers advantages that could make it the most effective for a specific purpose. But there are data-backed reasons facial recognition technology is widely adopted — including the ability to use existing hardware (cameras) and photos, rather than requiring specialized equipment and data collection processes. With rapid improvement through machine learning and neural networks, the leading technologies are now over 99 percent accurate across demographics according to National Institute of Standards and Technology data. Customs and Border Protection selected face recognition for its programs and has since verified more than 697 million travelers of all nationalities and ethnicities. More than 2 million U.S. air travelers use facial recognition technology every day to verify IDs at Transportation Security Administration checkpoints. Much is made about the risk of fraudsters getting the software to falsely match, but the figures cited are from research limited to unlocking personal phones, and conducted before Face ID was introduced on iPhones in 2017. Since then, presentation attack detection capabilities have been integrated into iPhones as well as higher security biometric applications. Fake videos, printed photos and masks are not a concern in an in-person setting where human detection of spoofing efforts would be immediate. The potential for fraud is with remote, online verification, where presentation attack detection measures are commonly combined with matching software. Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate is testing these technologies, showing so far, the leading presentation attack detection technologies detect spoofing attempts 100 percent of the time. Across the nation, facial recognition technology is successfully leveraged in law enforcement to find missing children, fight human trafficking and stop dangerous criminals. It's unclear how facial recognition technology alternatives would work, when the only evidence from a crime scene may be security video, recordings from by-standers or online media. We agree, China's use of technology 'to control its citizenry' is unacceptable. But this shouldn't deter U.S. agencies from leading the way in responsible use of (non-Chinese) technology under established privacy rules, bounded by the Constitution and subject to congressional oversight. Jake Parker is senior director of government relations for the Security Industry Association (SIA). He came to SIA with more than 12 years of experience on Capitol Hill, most recently as legislative director for Rep. Tom Latham (R-Iowa), a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Democrats demand testimony from Noem over Padilla handcuffing
Democrats on the House Homeland Security Committee called on their Republican counterparts to hold a hearing with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, saying she must be held to account for the treatment of Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.). Noem's security forcibly removed Padilla after he interrupted her press conference in Los Angeles on Thursday. He identified himself and tried to ask a question as he was pushed out of the room, onto the ground and handcuffed. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), joined by the other Democrats on the panel, said Padilla's effort to question Noem was inspired by 'an abysmal record of responding to inquiries and document requests from Capitol Hill.' 'Senator Padilla was doing his job when he attempted to communicate their outrage to Secretary Noem and ask questions about the administration's brazen actions in the State,' he wrote, describing Padilla's removal as 'a mortifying display for the Department and for the country.' Trump administration officials have said the security officers acted appropriately in removing someone they didn't recognize from the press conference. But Padilla was escorted to the event by federal security and used his name and title when interjecting. 'Secretary Noem was present and aware of what was happening and at no point attempted to intervene. She later gave the excuse that no one in the room recognized the Senator, which we know is not true,' wrote Thompson, the top Democrat on the panel. 'If it was true that neither the Secretary nor anyone who works for her was able to identify one of the two Senators of a State in which her Department is executing widespread immigration raids, she should take responsibility and apologize for the fact their ignorance resulted in the Senator being treated as a criminal. Instead, the Secretary has been slandering the Senator, falsely suggesting that he never identified himself and that he lunged at her. Video footage of the incident demonstrates both accusations to be patently false.' The letter was addressed to Chair Mark Green (R-Tenn.), who announced this week he plans to resign from Congress to pursue an opportunity in the private sector. Thompson asked Green to 'summon the Secretary of Homeland Security to testify about the egregious treatment of Senator Alex Padilla.' Neither Green nor Noem's office immediately responded to request for comment. Noem did meet with Padilla shortly after the incident. 'I think everyone would agree that wasn't appropriate,' she said during the press conference. 'When I leave here I'll find him and visit and find out really what his concerns were. I think everybody in America would agree that that wasn't appropriate, that if you wanted to have a civil discussion, especially as a leader, a public official, that you would reach out and try to have a conversation,' she said. Padilla has said his treatment raises questions about what happens off camera. 'I will say this: If this is how this administration responds to a senator with a question, I can only imagine what they're doing to farmworkers, to cooks, to day laborers out in the Los Angeles community and throughout California and throughout the country,' he said in a press conference after meeting with Noem. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
13-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Democrats demand testimony from Noem over Padilla handcuffing
Democrats on the House Homeland Security Committee called on their Republican counterparts to hold a hearing with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, saying she must be held to account for the treatment of Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.). Noem's security forcibly removed Padilla after he interrupted her press conference on Thursday. He identified himself and tried to ask a question as he was pushed out of the room, onto the ground, and handcuffed. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), joined by the other Democrats on the panel, said Padilla's effort to question Noem was inspired by 'an abysmal record of responding to inquiries and document requests from Capitol Hill.' 'Senator Padilla was doing his job when he attempted to communicate their outrage to Secretary Noem and ask questions about the administration's brazen actions in the State,' he wrote, describing Padilla's removal as 'a mortifying display for the Department and for the country.' Trump administration officials have said the security officers acted appropriately in removing someone they didn't recognize from the press conference. But Padilla was escorted to the event by federal security and used his name and title when interjecting. 'Secretary Noem was present and aware of what was happening and at no point attempted to intervene. She later gave the excuse that no one in the room recognized the Senator, which we know is not true,' wrote Thompson, the top Democrat on the panel. 'If it was true that neither the Secretary nor anyone who works for her was able to identify one of the two Senators of a State in which her Department is executing widespread immigration raids, she should take responsibility and apologize for the fact their ignorance resulted in the Senator being treated as a criminal. Instead, the Secretary has been slandering the Senator, falsely suggesting that he never identified himself and that he lunged at her. Video footage of the incident demonstrates both accusations to be patently false.' The letter was addressed to Chair Mark Green (R-Tenn.) who announced this week he plans to resign from Congress to pursue an opportunity in the private sector. Thompson asked Green to 'summon the Secretary of Homeland Security to testify about the egregious treatment of Senator Alex Padilla.' Neither Green nor Noem's office immediately responded to request for comment. Noem did meet with Padilla shortly after the incident. 'I think everyone would agree that wasn't appropriate,' she said once the press conference began. 'When I leave here I'll find him and visit and find out really what his concerns were. I think everybody in America would agree that that wasn't appropriate, that if you wanted to have a civil discussion, especially as a leader, a public official, that you would reach out and try to have a conversation,' she said. Padilla has said his treatment raises questions about what happens off camera. 'I will say this: If this is how this administration responds to a senator with a question, I can only imagine what they're doing to farm workers to cooks to day laborers out in the Los Angeles community and throughout California and throughout the country,' he said in a press conference after meeting with Noem.
Time of India
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
‘Is it safe to be Jewish?': Explosive DHS hearing on rise of anti-Israel extremism in America
Watch live as the House Homeland Security Committee's Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence to confront the surge of anti-Israel extremist groups and their growing threat across the United States. Show more Show less
New York Post
10-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
House panel demands records of over 200 NGOs that nabbed billions of taxpayer dollars to ‘fuel' border crisis
WASHINGTON — A House Republican panel is demanding records from more than 200 non-governmental organizations that nabbed billions of dollars in taxpayers' money to settle migrants in the US under ex-President Joe Biden. One of the targeted groups is among those embroiled in the anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles. House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green (R-Tenn.) and Subcommittee Chairman Josh Breechen (R-Okla.) fired off letters to the 215 organizations Tuesday, accusing each of having 'helped fuel the worst border crisis in our nation's history.' 5 House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green (R-Tenn.) fired off letters to 215 non-governmental organizations Tuesday accusing them of having 'helped fuel the worst border crisis in our nation's history.' Bloomberg via Getty Images The powerful Republican chairman and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee leader said the groups created a 'pull factor' in providing taxpayer-funded transportation, translation, housing and other services to migrants, most of whom were released into the country after crossing the border illegally. 'The Committee remains deeply concerned that NGOs that receive U.S. taxpayer dollars benefitted from the border crisis created by the Biden Administration, and stand ready to do so under future Democrat administrations,' Green and Breechen wrote, citing a 'near-total lack of accountability' for how the money was spent. They also noted that they are investigating how much the funding incentivized 'human trafficking and smuggling' operations as well as whether the 'NGOs are now actively advising illegal aliens on how to avoid and impede law enforcement officials.' 5 The ICE crackdown in Los Angeles rounded up convicted sexual abusers, drug dealers and gang members to put into removal proceedings, federal officials said. REUTERS One of the groups, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), took nearly $1 million in DHS grants to 'offer both citizenship instruction and naturalization application services to lawful permanent residents' starting in 2021. Its last tranche of funding was yanked by the Trump administration in March. CHIRLA organized a rally Thursday to denounce the ICE arrests of illegal immigrants in Los Angeles before protests devolved into full-blown riots that destroyed property and led to the assaults of federal law enforcement. 'We have not participated, coordinated, or been part of the protests being registered in Los Angeles other than the press conference and rally,' a CHIRLA rep previously told The Post in a statement. The group did not respond to a Post request for comment Tuesday. The ICE crackdown in the city rounded up convicted sexual abusers, drug dealers and gang members to put into removal proceedings, DHS officials said. 5 'The committee remains deeply concerned that NGOs that receive U.S. taxpayer dollars benefitted from the border crisis created by the Biden Administration,' Green wrote. REUTERS Southwest Key Programs, another group being probed by Green's panel, was the largest housing nonprofit for unaccompanied migrant kids who entered the US and took around $3 billion in taxpayer funding from Biden's Health and Human Services — before Trump officials pulled the plug in March. Between 2021 and 2023, Southwest Key's top five executives saw their salaries inflated on average from $420,000 to $720,000 — even as the organization outspent its revenue by millions of dollars. The Justice Department sued Southwest Key Programs in July 2024, alleging that some supervisors and employees had committed 'severe' and 'pervasive' rape and sex abuse against kids between 2015 and 2023. The civil suit was dropped by the DOJ in March 2025, the same month that Trump's HHS cut off federal funding for the organization. 5 Green led the GOP charge in the House to impeach former Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. AP Southwest Key 'strongly denied the claims relating to child sexual abuse in our shelters,' a rep previously said. The group did not respond to a Post request for comment Tuesday. Of the more than 550,000 migrant kids who entered the country between February 2021 and January 2025, at least 291,000 were released from federal custody to domestic sponsors — thousands of whom have since been flagged as sex abusers or gang members — and 32,000 went missing entirely, according to an August 2024 report from DHS's inspector general. On average, 2.4 million immigrants entered the US every year between 2021 and 2024, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Roughly 60% crossed the border illegally, a Goldman Sachs analysis found. DHS subagencies such as ICE and the Federal Emergency Management Agency were tapped to 'coordinate with nonprofit organizations that provide services such as food, shelter, and transportation' for those non-citizens who were released, according to a Government Accountability Office report in April 2023. 5 President Trump pulled taxpayer funding for many immigration NGOs after returning to the White House. AP A March 2023 DHS Office of Inspector General audit revealed that 'more than half' of FEMA funding that went to NGOs couldn't be accounted for, Green notes in his letter. The GOP leader has previously called out $81 million in possibly 'illegal' funds that helped cover migrant stays in luxury New York City hotels. Conservative immigration groups have previously estimated that the influx of migrants cost New York City residents as much as $10 billion and bilked US taxpayers up to $150 billion in 2023, the year when illegal border crossings reached their highest level in recorded history. Green led the GOP charge in the House to impeach former Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for allegedly failing to comply with federal immigration law and lying to Congress that the border was 'secure.' The Republican missive requests the total dollar amount of federal grants, contracts or payments received by the NGOs between Jan. 19, 2021, and Jan. 20, 2025. It also demands to know whether any organization sued the feds and what services it provided to migrants. Influential left-leaning groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union, Amnesty International and the Southern Poverty Law Center have all been asked to respond to the queries.
