ICE whistleblower accuses agency of retaliation: ‘When you report it, you become a target’
An agent has accused ICE of targeting and retaliating against whistleblowers, claiming that she was forced out of a job after she raised concerns about the immigration enforcement agency. ICE agent Lenicia Shannon shared her experience in an exclusive interview with Newsweek, saying, “When you report it, you become a target. … You’re the victim, and they make you the adversary.”
Workplace dispute with ICE began in 2022
The 46-year-old ICE deportation officer said her dispute with the agency began in November 2022, when she filed an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) complaint alleging discrimination, harassment and a hostile work environment involving her then-supervisor, which she said centered on how she was treated as a Black woman. She said she initially tried to resolve the matter internally. However, ICE’s anti-harassment procedures required her to report concerns through a supervisor, who happened to be the same person she accused of harassment. Shannon said she also objected to an image the supervisor displayed in a communal workspace showing a black lion surrounded by white sheep with blue eyes. “That is intimidation,” Shannon said. “It makes me feel uncomfortable.” About 10 months later, she was transferred out of the supervisor’s unit.
Emails obtained by Newsweek show that by early 2025, Shannon had repeatedly asked management to intervene while her EEO complaints remained pending. In a June 2025 disclosure to the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC), she alleged that leadership failed to address her complaints and allowed the supervisor to serve in acting leadership positions.
Complaints regarding ICE’s detention practices
Shannon also filed complaints concerning ICE’s detention practices. In a June 29, 2025, OSC disclosure, she alleged that ICE’s Miami Area of Responsibility was holding detainees overnight in temporary office space without beds, showers, medical staff or adequate emergency capabilities. “The facility is only authorized for short-term temporary holding, yet now being used outside it’s intended and regulated purpose, placing both detainees and staff at risk of legal liability and risk,” Shannon wrote in her complaint. “It lacks the infrastructure and resources for overnight detention, placing both detainees and staff at significant risk.”
In another disclosure dated September 28, she alleged that detainees, primarily women, were held for 72 hours or longer after ICE detainers expired and then placed under new holds. “It has come to my attention and direct observation that detainees — primarily female individuals — are routinely held in local custody for 72 hours or longer after the expiration of ICE detainers, in violation of federal law and established constitutional standards.” Although the filings document Shannon’s allegations, they do not establish whether the OSC substantiated them.
Lenicia Shannon accuses ICE of retaliation
In September 2025, Shannon reported that an ICE firearms instructor called her a “crazy b****” and threatened to “let me have it.” On September 24, ICE issued her a Letter of Counseling over incidents it characterized as disruptive or unprofessional. The document said it was not disciplinary and would not enter her official personnel file, but Shannon later characterized it as retaliation. A subsequent fitness-for-duty review sought medical information about her ability to perform law-enforcement duties. Medical documentation later stated that she was fit for duty without restrictions.
In February, Shannon filed a retaliation complaint with OSC, arguing that the counseling and fitness review followed her whistleblower disclosures. ICE records show she was placed on paid administrative leave on February 27 for what the agency called “allegations of misconduct.” ICE also accused her of being combative, disruptive or creating a safety concern during a February 26 reasonable-accommodation meeting. ICE also suspended her authority to carry agency-approved firearms and required her to surrender law-enforcement equipment.
A March 2 OSC filing alleged that her credentials, weapon, overtime opportunities and operational duties were removed because of her whistleblower activity.
‘The agency takes misconduct allegations very seriously’
In August, the DHS Office of Inspector General Whistleblower Protection Division declined to investigate Shannon’s retaliation complaint and directed her toward OSC and other administrative channels. An ICE spokesperson said the agency is “committed to ensuring that all those in its custody reside in safe, secure and humane environments under appropriate conditions of confinement.”
“The agency takes misconduct allegations very seriously — personnel are held to the highest standards of professional and ethical behavior, and when a complaint is received, it is investigated thoroughly to determine veracity and ensure comprehensive standards are strictly maintained and enforced,” the spokesperson continued.
The spokesperson added that employees and detainees can report concerns through the DHS Office of Inspector General, ICE’s Office of Professional Responsibility and the Detention Reporting and Information Line. ICE separately told Newsweek that, under U.S. privacy laws, it can not publicly discuss individual employees’ administrative matters. Records reviewed by Newsweek also show that, prior to the confrontation and alleged retaliation, Shannon received multiple commendations during her six years with ICE, including recognition for border operations in Laredo, a New Orleans assignment, a DHS leadership recognition letter and a Director’s Award for Distinguished Service in 2023, as well as leadership-development programs in 2024 and 2025.