[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 43 (Thursday, March 6, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1587-S1588]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                              Immigration

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, my message today is to the 
administration and particularly to President Trump, who is very 
forcefully enforcing the immigration laws that were not enforced in the 
last administration, a message about bringing justice to some people 
who have been harmed by the previous administration.
  On January 20, President Trump's first day in office, he signed the 
Executive order that is called Securing Our Borders Executive Order. 
His Executive order properly instructs the Justice Department and the 
Department of Homeland Security to ``fulfill the requirements of the 
DNA Fingerprint Act of 2005.'' That is music to my ears because I have 
been involved in that issue in regard to the kids who have been lost in 
this system of immigration that the previous administration has not 
been able to follow. As I said, that is music to my ears.
  For years, my oversight has sounded the alarm on the Customs and 
Border Protection and the Department of Homeland Security's failure to 
fully implement the 2005 DNA Fingerprint Act.
  I have a lot of whistleblowers come to me on different subjects. 
Three whistleblowers--Mark Jones, Mike Taylor, and Fred Wynn--disclosed 
to their superiors that the Department of Homeland Security wasn't 
following the 2005 law. In other words, they were not taking DNA from 
the people whom they were supposed to be keeping track of. 
Specifically, these whistleblowers disclosed that the government wasn't 
collecting the DNA from individuals encountered at the southern border 
like the law requires.
  As you might expect, because it happens to so many whistleblowers, 
instead of being thanked for pointing out this failure, the Department 
of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection officials 
retaliated against these whistleblowers. That is why you hear me say so 
often that whistleblowers are a very--I would like to say they love 
their country. They want to see their government just simply enforce 
the law. Then we find out, as I am going to show you, how they are 
treated like a skunk at a picnic.
  Mr. Jones and Mr. Taylor had their law enforcement credentials 
removed. After 30 years of Federal service, Mr. Taylor lost his law 
enforcement retirement benefits. All three were subject to harassment.
  The Office of Special Counsel has the power to investigate and did 
investigate and substantiated their whistleblower disclosures and that 
retaliation occurred.
  President Trump and this administration, moving so forcefully to see 
that the laws are enforced, ought to appreciate whistleblowers who are 
telling the truth about the government not carrying out the law. In 
this case, I am asking President Trump to immediately remedy the 
situation of these whistleblowers.
  Last year, how I became acquainted with a lot of this--at least the 
details of it--I hosted an oversight roundtable with these 
whistleblowers. The roundtable exposed that the Department of Homeland 
Security and Customs and Border Protection failed to take the DNA of 
the individuals charged with the tragic murder of Rachel Morin despite 
having three opportunities to

[[Page S1588]]

take those fingerprints. Had the Biden-Harris Department of Homeland 
Security and Customs and Border Protection done their job, there is a 
chance that Ms. Morin would be alive today.
  This Executive action couldn't come soon enough. That is why I am 
pleading with President Trump or his staff to follow up and make sure 
that justice is brought to these three whistleblowers. Then the 
President is going to see that the law is enforced. I don't have any 
doubt about the President seeing that this law is carried out in the 
future because full compliance with the law will make our border 
stronger and our citizens safer.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.