On June 27, employees of the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) received word that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem signed off on an order to reduce the office by approximately 75%, reducing about 1,000 employees to 275.
Created after the September 11 terrorist attacks, I&A “disseminates threat information to state, local, tribal and territorial governments across the country.” No clear reason was given for its near-destruction. On top of the firings, some employees are expected to take an offered deferred resignation plan, which has been given as an option to employees in other offices, further dwindling the ranks of the intelligence group.
Furthermore, the workforce is being diluted.
The staffing decision was briefly put on hold, given budding concerns about Iranian threats on U.S. soil that stemmed from a Trump-ordered bombing of key Iranian nuclear facilities late last month, said one of the people, adding that around 10 or so I&A staffers were reassigned to other DHS units including the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
Nextgov/FCW
On top of this, 80 of the remaining 275 workers are to be dispatched to “fusion centers,” which are localized sites of collaboration between federal agencies, state, and local governments.
Matthew Kozma, nominated by Trump to head I&A, emphasized “strong enticements” to join the office. He will have difficulty offering such incentives in the midst of these wanton firings across the federal government, and particularly the intelligence community.
