U.S. Representative Don Beyer (D-VA) today led 26 U.S. Representatives in pressing the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to immediately withdraw Postal Inspectors from the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) immigration task force. They warned that diverting USPS resources to DHS priorities jeopardizes USPS’ abilities to fulfill its essential responsibilities, including interdicting dangerous drugs, stopping theft, and investigating and preventing crimes against children.
They wrote to Acting Postmaster General Doug Tulino:
“We write with grave concern over the reported diversion of essential Postal Service law enforcement resources away from critical tasks like drug interdiction, anti-theft measures, and the prevention and investigation of crimes against children.
“As supporters of drug interdiction, anti-theft measures, and the protection of children, we are deeply concerned over reports that USPIS is being diverted away from those core missions to work on Department of Homeland Security (DHS) priorities. According to those reports, inspectors are spending time assisting DHS with painstaking review of individual letters and packages to locate individual immigrants targeted by DHS. That new task comes only a year after the Government Accountability Office (GAO) specifically recommended that USPIS continue its “increasingly important” efforts to align its resources with current mail security needs—not external priorities.
“At a time when the Postal Service is seeing year-over-year increases in serious crimes, both to employees and to mailboxes themselves, as well as mail theft, USPIS needs to focus on its core mission and not be subsumed into playing support staff for another agency’s priorities. If DHS needs additional staff and resources for their investigations, they can request additional appropriations from Congress as well as end reduction-in-force plans and hiring freezes that limit their ability to allocate and maintain appropriate staffing.
“On behalf of the countless Americans who are concerned about illegal narcotics, mail theft, child protection, we ask that you immediately end USPIS’ participation in DHS’ immigration task force and allow the service to renew its focus on its essential law enforcement efforts. Please provide an update as to the status of this request by Friday, August 1, 2025.”
The letter to Acting Postmaster General Tulino was sent by U.S. Representatives Don Beyer (VA), Suzanne Bonamici (OR), André Carson (IN), Troy Carter (LA), Greg Casar (TX), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL), Judy Chu (CA), Yvette Clarke (NY), Steve Cohen (TN), Lou Correa (CA), Danny Davis (NC), Dwight Evans (PA), Dan Goldman (NY), Al Green (TX), Jonathan Jackson (IL), Pramila Jayapal (WA), Henry Johnson (GA), Zoe Lofgren (CA), Sarah McBride (DE), LaMonica McIver (NJ), Jimmy Panetta (CA), Bobby Scott (VA), Mark Takano (CA), Paul Tonko (NY), Marc Veasey (TX), Nydia Velázquez (NY), and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC).
Full text of the letter follows below, and a signed copy is available here.
