DHS staffer was punished after she accidentally included reporter on email about upcoming ICE operation: report
Share and Follow

An employee at the Department of Homeland Security faced consequences recently for mistakenly including a journalist in an email concerning an upcoming federal immigration operation.

The unidentified employee told colleagues she inadvertently included the reporter from a conservative Washington-based newspaper on a January message, according to an NBC News report Thursday that cited former ICE chief of staff Jason Houser, a former DHS official and a current DHS official.

The email wasn’t classified, but still contained sensitive law enforcement information, including the time of the operation and possible homes that were targeted, the officials told NBC News.

When the staffer realized the screw up, she contacted the reporter, who agreed not to share the information, according to NBC News, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation went off without a hitch.

News of the error comes as cabinet members in the Trump administration face scrutiny and criticism after The Atlantic editor in chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, ended up on a private Signal chat discussing plans to attack Houthis terrorists.

Goldberg said national security advisor Mike Waltz placed him in the chat, in which Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth laid out a timeline for conducting strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen earlier this month.

While President Trump has defended his cabinet members tied to the snafu, the DHS employee was not as lucky.

She was placed on leave pending an investigation, officials told NBC News.

The unidentified employee was also notified last week that her security clearance would be pulled after she was asked to take a polygraph test and hand over her personal cell phone, which she declined, the officials reportedly said.

The staffer, who has worked in DHS since the George W. Bush presidency, has 30 days to appeal the clearance revocation, one official said. If she doesn’t get the clearance back, she cannot work for DHS, according to NBC News.

Houser, the ex-ICE chief of staff, vouched for the employee as someone who is “mission-focused” and “apolitical.”

“Targeting a career official who dedicated her service to protecting public safety and enforcing the law — while excusing political appointees who leaked sensitive war plans — shows this administration punishes integrity and protects recklessness,” Houser told NBC News.

“That doesn’t just betray her, it weakens every public servant who risks their career to do the right thing.”

DHS didn’t immediately return a request for comment.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
Hollywood erupts at Trump's 'vile' Rob Reiner post

Hollywood Reacts Strongly to Trump’s Controversial Comments on Rob Reiner

Hollywood is in an uproar following former President Donald Trump’s comments about…
Brown grad who’s survived two campus shootings recounts terror after police release detained suspect

Surviving the Unthinkable: Brown Graduate Shares Chilling Tale of Two Campus Shootings and Controversial Police Release

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — In a surreal twist of fate, a Brown University…
Marjorie Taylor Greene engaged to White House reporter Brian Glenn

Breaking News: Marjorie Taylor Greene Announces Engagement to White House Insider Brian Glenn

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene is set to tie the knot with her…
Brown University shooting victim identified as Ella Cook: 'An incredible light'

Brown University Shooting Victim Identified as Ella Cook: Remembered as ‘An Incredible Light

An Alabama native was tragically among the two students who lost their…
Arizona Cardinals' Andre Baccellia leaves on a stretcher after injuring neck on kickoff return

Shocking Injury Update: Arizona Cardinals’ Andre Baccellia Suffers Neck Injury During Kickoff Return

On December 14, 2025, Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Andre Baccellia sustained a…
One of the world's richest men rewards hero

Billionaire Recognizes Hero with Prestigious Award

In a remarkable act of bravery, a local hero who confronted and…
Flowers cover the Walk of Fame star for Rob Reiner Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Tragic Loss of Rob and Michele Reiner Disrupts Family’s Enduring Legacy

NEW YORK (AP) — The shocking double homicide on Sunday has shattered…
'Thank you for all you gave us': Hollywood reacts to Rob Reiner's death

Hollywood Pays Tribute: Industry Mourns the Loss of Iconic Director Rob Reiner

The unexpected passing of filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Reiner,…