GovernmentExecutive.com

A key Senate Republican has launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding a controversial Halloween party at the Homeland Security Department, in which an agency director approved of a racially insensitive costume.

Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs ranking member Susan Collins, R-Maine, said Wednesday she asked her staff to question Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Julie Myers over the incident.

Myers, whose confirmation is pending in the Senate, had judged an employee's costume of dreadlocks, dark makeup and prison stripes as the most original at an ICE party last week and even posed for photographs with the worker.

Collins said she is now withholding judgment whether to support Myers' nomination.

"I've directed my staff on the committee to question her about exactly what happened and what her response was," Collins said.

Collins said she expects the report within a week. Myers has apologized for the incident and said it was inappropriate. Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff on Tuesday said he launched an inquiry into the incident, and placed the employee who wore the costume on administrative leave.

COMMENTS

• Those who do not believe that the investigation is necessary are the ones who benefit from racism against people of African descent. If Congress is interested in any meaningful investigation, they should subpoena all employment applications for management and attorney positions from 2003 within ICE and USCIS. There would be no doubt in anyones mind that African-Americans with superior qualifications are being denied equal opportunity to the benefit of less/unqualified white applicants. You don't have to take my words for it, just subpoena those documents and see for yourselves. I know that nothing would come of what happened, because the so-called Congressional Black Caucus are impotent, because they are more interested in making excuses for the discriminators, in the name of tolerance, that they are utterly useless in addressing the concerns of Black employees and their sufferings under DHS racism. Doesitmatter Posted November 30, 2008 7:07 PM
• Looks like this episode had no effect on Mrs. Wood's confirmation. At least she's a lame duck! ICEd Posted January 4, 2008 12:12 AM
• Anything new to report, or has this too been swept under the rug, like most bad news about DHS, ICE and CBP? ICEd Posted November 30, 2007 12:44 PM