A bell ringer on Monday claimed that a top official of the Trump administration had abused his authority by entering into a series of last-minute agreements with the union for immigration and customs enforcement officers that could hamper President Joe Biden’s comprehensive policy changes.
The letter released by the Government Accountability Project, which was sent to the congressional committees and the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security, claims that Ken Cuccinelli, the former acting deputy commander of the department, has a set of agreements with the ICE. trade union, in which former president Donald Trump endorsed in 2016 and 2020.
‘The agreements are granted [the union] extraordinary power and benefits – far more than DHS agreed with its other unions that did not endorse President Trump. The agreements give the union the ability to also delay changes to immigration enforcement policies and practices indefinitely, ”reads the letter, written by David Seide, a lawyer for the Government Accountability Project. “In addition, in terms of the agreements, ICE expressly waives legal management rights that bargaining parties know better than to waive them. Even more shocking, the agreements seek to challenge a challenge to their validity for eight years. ‘
According to the Government Accountability Project, the agreement could give the trade union ICE an ‘unprecedented veto in many areas’ and increase the use of agency resources. The letter was first reported by the New York Times.
The group says it represents the whistleblower, who is currently a government official and ‘has information about important misconduct by Cuccinelli’.
The controversial former acting deputy secretary has also signed a series of agreements requiring DHS to give notice of immigration policy changes to local jurisdictions to give them six months to comment. The state of Texas, which signed one of the agreements, eventually sued DHS over the implementation of a deportation moratorium, claiming it violated the contract.
The letter states that the government has 30 days to officially reject the trade union agreement.
A union representative did not immediately return a request for comment.
Cuccinelli told the New York Times that the agreement was “completely legal and appropriate, otherwise we would not have executed it.”
“I absolutely deny any mismanagement, waste of state money and any abuse of authority,” he said.
In the first week, the Biden government issued new priorities for ICE officials from 1 February, including that they should focus on immigrants who are considered a threat to national security, arrested at the border after 1 November 2020, or convicted of a felony.
“This abuse of authority is shocking,” the bell-ringer concluded. When the evidence is gathered – the final timing of the agreements, the extraordinary transfer of power and benefits, the alleged invulnerability and extraordinary involvement of Mr. Cuccinelli – it is clear that this is another example of the previous government’s attempt to weaken it. hours to confirm a legacy on taxpayers. We urge you to investigate immediately and act immediately as you deem necessary. “