On March 27, 2025, HSI agents participated in a criminal search warrant operation at Old McDonald’s Farm in Sackets Harbor that resulted in the arrest and detention of a mother and her three children. The action, intended to investigate child exploitation, sparked significant community backlash and criticism from immigrant rights advocates for its heavy-handed approach.

Homeland Security Investigations agents conducted interviews with Haitian cane cutters and workers at Central Romana's expansive Dominican plantation amid forced labor allegations. The inquiry may pave the way for criminal accountability for labor exploitation in corporate supply chains.

Congressman Robert Garcia reintroduced the ICE Security Reform Act to elevate Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) from a directorate within ICE to an independent agency, aiming to enhance oversight, accountability, and refocus on core law enforcement priorities in response to authoritarian mass deportation tactics.

During a detailed congressional hearing on September 18, 2024, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) was questioned for diverting significant personnel resources to support Secret Service operations—including protection details for former President Trump—instead of focusing on its core missions such as combating transnational crime, child exploitation, and drug trafficking. Lawmakers raised concerns about potential overreach in surveillance and immigration enforcement practices, as well as the push for Title 21 authority that could further expand HSI’s powers without sufficient oversight, potentially harming marginalized communities and undermining civil liberties.

HSI, a division of ICE under DHS, is deploying a suite of surveillance technologies—including consensual and non-consensual interceptions and non-consensual surveillance without court orders—as part of its criminal investigations and national security efforts. A Privacy Impact Assessment is underway to document the privacy protections associated with these methods, raising concerns about potential authoritarian overreach.

A House Committee investigation led by Chairmen Green and Bishop on November 6, 2023, revealed evidence that the Department of Homeland Security, in collaboration with Big Tech and affiliated NGOs, used a ticketing system to flag, suppress, and remove online content. The process, which involved government employees using official email channels and coordinated outreach to social media companies, has raised serious concerns over the infringement of First Amendment rights and the abuse of public power. As a division of DHS, Homeland Security Investigations is implicated in this broader pattern of censorship laundering.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced process enhancements that streamline deferred action requests for noncitizen workers who are victims or witnesses of labor rights violations. This initiative aims to reduce immigration-related retaliation from exploitative employers and strengthen labor enforcement efforts.

On July 31, 2019, Steve Francis, assistant director of HSI’s Global Trade Investigations Division, signed a memorandum of understanding with Liberty Shared to enhance efforts in prosecuting corporations that benefit financially from forced labor. This initiative aims to strengthen investigations into corporate supply chains to identify and hold accountable those involved in forced labor and human trafficking.

HSI provided written testimony before a Senate Committee outlining its broad enforcement operations against trade fraud, intellectual property violations, and counterfeit goods. The testimony detailed coordinated efforts with multiple federal, state, and international partners to protect U.S. economic interests and public safety.