A Guardian investigative report reveals that Homeland Security (DHS) officials faced severe intimidation tactics during the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.

The study, based on interviews with over 30 current and former DHS employees, details an 'extraordinary campaign of intimidation' involving prolonged polygraph tests.Officials described being placed in small, windowless rooms equipped with sensors to monitor breathing patterns, blood pressure, and heart rate.Some tests lasted up to six hours, with participants warned not to alter their breathing or risk invalidating results.

One employee recalled a blood-pressure cuff remaining inflated for extended periods, causing visible distress, while another felt suffocated by restrictions on deep breathing.The polygraphs were framed as voluntary but carried the threat of losing security clearance and employment.

The report highlights how these tactics aimed to extract information, with interrogators encouraging subjects to 'spill everything' or face accusations of immorality.The findings underscore systemic pressures within DHS during heightened immigration enforcement efforts.