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A whistleblower alleged Monday that a senior Trump administration official abused his authority by reaching a series of last-minute deals with the union of immigration and customs officers that could hamper sweeping political changes in the President Joe Biden.
The letter released by the Government Accountability Project, which was sent to congressional committees and the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security, alleges that Ken Cuccinelli, the former acting deputy in command of the department, signed a package of ‘deals with the ICE union, which endorsed former President Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020.
“The agreements grant [the union] extraordinary power and benefits – far more than DHS has agreed to with its other employee unions who have not endorsed President Trump. The agreements give the union the ability to indefinitely delay changes in immigration law enforcement policies and practices, ”said the letter, written by David Seide, an attorney for the Government Accountability Project. “In addition, under the agreements, ICE expressly waives statutory management rights that negotiating parties know better than to waive. Even more shocking, the agreements attempt to ban any challenge to their validity for eight years. “
According to the Government Accountability Project, the deal could give the ICE union “unprecedented veto power in many areas” and increase the use of the agency’s resources. The letter was first reported by The New York Times.
The group says it represents the whistleblower, who is a current government official and “has information regarding significant acts of misconduct” by Cuccinelli.
The controversial former acting deputy secretary also signed a series of agreements requiring DHS to notify changes in immigration policy to local courts to give them six months to review and submit comments. The state of Texas, which signed one of the agreements, ultimately sued DHS for its implementation of an eviction moratorium, claiming it violated the contract.
The letter says the government has 30 days to formally disapprove the union agreement.
A union representative did not immediately return a request for comment.
Cuccinelli told the New York Times that the agreement “is completely legal and appropriate, otherwise we would not have executed it.”
“I absolutely deny any mismanagement, waste of government funds and any abuse of authority,” he said.
In its first week, the Biden administration released new priorities for ICE agents starting February 1, including that they should focus on immigrants who have been seen as a threat to the security, were arrested at the border after November 1, 2020, or were convicted of an aggravated felony.
“This abuse of power is shocking,” concludes the letter from the whistleblower. “When the evidence is gathered – the timing of the last second of the agreements, their disproportionate transfer of power and benefits, their alleged invulnerability and the extraordinary involvement of Mr. Cuccinelli – it is clear that they are another example of the previous administration’s effort in its hour decline to cement a legacy at taxpayer expense. We urge you to investigate immediately and act swiftly as you see fit. “
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