Letter Accuses US Security Agency of Turning ‘Blind Eye’ to Gaza Suffering

The letter, exclusively obtained by Al Jazeera, underscores frustration with the department's lack of acknowledgment and support for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

It calls attention to the absence of recognition, backing, and sorrow for the over 19,000 Palestinians who have been killed in Israeli genocidal war since October 7. Dated November 22, the letter emphasizes the Department's obligation to respond to the “grave humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the conditions in the West Bank”.

The letter highlights internal discord within President Joe Biden's administration, following previous criticisms for the government's Gaza policy. Last month, over 500 officials across 40 agencies urged Biden to push for an immediate Gaza ceasefire. Additionally, a separate plea signed by 1,000 US Agency for International Development (USAID) employees echoed the same sentiments.

Despite internal pressure, Biden's administration has refrained from condemning Israel's ongoing military offensive in Gaza. Secretary Mayorkas, echoing Biden's stance, denounced the "horrific terrorist attacks in Israel on October 7," but neglected to address the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

The letter's 139 signatories, including DHS staff and affiliated agencies like Customs and Border Protection (CBP), FEMA, ICE, and USCIS, raised concerns about the department's apparent disregard for the bombing of refugee camps, hospitals, and civilian infrastructure in Gaza.

While some staff members chose to remain anonymous due to potential repercussions, the letter urges DHS to ensure an environment allowing respectful expression without fear of professional consequences.

Despite attempts to elicit a response from DHS, the agency remained silent as of the publication's time.

However, speaking anonymously to Al Jazeera, two DHS employees expressed dissatisfaction with the department's inadequate response to Gaza's escalating death toll and the ongoing Israeli siege that led to a humanitarian crisis.

The letter calls for DHS to take actions equivalent to past humanitarian crises, proposing the establishment of a humanitarian parole program for Palestinians and the consideration of "temporary protected status" for residents of the Palestinian territories.

While discussions about implementing TPS have occurred, obstacles rooted in politics pose challenges in recognizing Palestine as a foreign state, impeding potential relief efforts.

This bureaucratic inertia and lack of action, particularly in addressing the conflict in Gaza, have taken a toll on the mental health of DHS staff, leaving them demoralized and questioning the agency's commitment to its humanitarian mission.

The senior official lamented Biden's approach to immigration policies, expressing disappointment in the administration's tepid response to the Gaza crisis compared to other recent humanitarian situations. “There have been a lot of serious systemic and programmatic obstacles driven purely by politics,” the staff member said.

Part of the challenge arises from the US not recognizing Palestine as a foreign state, casting uncertainty on its eligibility for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). "We don’t recognize Palestine as a state. We don’t code them with that," clarified a DHS official. "This spans across Customs and Border Protection, ICE, and USCIS. Obstacles have been raised at the highest levels of these agencies."

The official suspects a core reason behind this reluctance, stating, "They’re worried about their own operations in terms of removing or deporting people to Gaza and the West Bank if they were to change these codes." This inertia has taken a heavy toll on the mental health of DHS employees, according to individuals who spoke to Al Jazeera.

One recounted how colleagues with family in Gaza received no support from DHS leadership in efforts to ensure their relatives' safety. Another, a senior staff member with over a decade in federal government service, shared experiencing nightmares about losing their children.

"The knowledge that we’re not actually doing all that we can to provide programs and relief for the Palestinians" haunts this individual upon waking, they expressed. "It’s distressing and dispiriting to feel like, for political considerations, we’re not addressing [the conflict] in the same way we would other recent humanitarian crises, like Ukraine."

Expressing dismay, the senior official highlighted the similarities between Biden’s immigration policies and those of his predecessor, Donald Trump. Biden faces mounting pressure to curtail arrivals in the US, especially amid increased migration across the US-Mexico border.

"The Biden administration has been reluctant to take decisive steps on immigration and is primarily focused on the southern border and its political implications," the official remarked. This tepid approach has left numerous anonymous DHS officials feeling demoralized, prompting them to question their sense of mission. "We have the ability to do anything, something, and we’re just not," expressed one of the officials.

The prevailing sentiment among these anonymous DHS officials is a sense of disillusionment and frustration with the government's perceived reluctance to take meaningful action to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.