US Senator Condemns VA Data Collection on Non-Citizen Workers as 'Fear Tactics'
In a strongly worded letter to the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security, US Senator Adam Schiff has expressed profound alarm over revelations that the VA is systematically gathering data on its non-citizen workforce. This action follows a Guardian report detailing a leaked memo outlining an extensive data-collection operation targeting all non-citizens employed by or affiliated with the agency.
Schiff's Scathing Critique of VA Practices
Senator Schiff, a prominent Democratic lawmaker, described the VA's data request as "a thinly veiled effort to instill fear within the VA community" that would likely facilitate immigration enforcement actions. He emphasized that these intimidation tactics waste critical time and resources for VA personnel who are already operating under significant strain.
The senator's communication marks the second instance where lawmakers have formally criticized this initiative and demanded answers from VA Secretary Douglas Collins. In December, more than fifty members of Congress, led by Illinois Democrat Delia Ramirez, submitted a comprehensive inquiry requesting access to various records, including those documenting potential collaboration between the VA and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The Controversial Data-Gathering Operation
According to the leaked memorandum, the VA planned to compile information on all non-citizens connected to the agency, which employs approximately 450,000 individuals and maintains affiliations with most major medical institutions. Veteran advocates and congressional members have raised concerns that the broad terminology could encompass:
- Employees of VA contractors
- Medical students completing rotations
- Volunteers serving within the system
The report was scheduled for presentation to Secretary Collins on December 30th, though its current status remains uncertain according to congressional sources familiar with the VA's internal operations.
VA's Defense and Congressional Pushback
In response to the initial congressional inquiry, Secretary Collins defended the administration's actions in a brief January letter, characterizing the workforce review as "not new, not extraordinary, and not ideological." He maintained that this compliance exercise neither affects veterans' eligibility for care nor diverts resources from patient services.
However, a spokesperson for Senator Schiff indicated that the follow-up letter was prompted by the VA's inadequate response, which failed to clarify why the agency is specifically targeting non-citizen employees and affiliates who have already undergone thorough vetting procedures.
Broader Context of VA Challenges
This controversy unfolds against a backdrop of significant staffing difficulties within the Veterans Affairs system. The agency has experienced worsening personnel shortages in recent years, with the Guardian reporting in August that thousands of essential medical staff—including physicians, nurses, and psychologists—had departed since the beginning of the year.
An inspector general's report from the same month identified severe staffing deficiencies at all 170 VA medical centers nationwide. These challenges are particularly concerning given that the VA operates as the country's largest integrated healthcare network, serving approximately nine million veterans annually.
Conflicting Perspectives on Immigration Verification
Senator Schiff highlighted the existing background check and vetting protocols that all VA employees must complete, regardless of their immigration status. He emphasized that this established process ensures that current employees and affiliates are law-abiding individuals, questioning the necessity of additional targeted reviews.
Despite the VA's repeated assertions that their workforce review represents standard practice, the agency has not explained why it is exclusively focusing on non-citizens for this internal report, nor whether similar reviews will be conducted for citizen employees.
Secretary Collins has publicly dismissed concerns about the data collection, describing it as routine administrative maintenance during a Fox News appearance in December. He characterized the controversy as "what the 'outrage left' wants to talk about" and framed the initiative as simply updating records and background checks to verify that individuals are properly authorized to work within the system.
