Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is making immigration a central focus of a new interview with Pod Force One, framing the issue as both a political maneuver and a national security threat. Gabbard is arguing against what she describes as the “open borders” policies created by past Democratic administrations that she says were designed with long-term partisan advantage in mind — a claim Democrats have long rejected as unfounded.
According to Gabbard, the Obama and Biden administrations saw an opportunity “to shift the political dynamics in America” by increasing population counts in specific districts ahead of redistricting. She said the result was an influx of migrants without adequate vetting, including what she called “known and suspected terrorists,” and asserted that the consequences of those policies are still playing out.
Gabbard, who leads the nation’s intelligence community under President Donald Trump, pointed to her own visits to the U.S.-Mexico border as proof of what she described as systemic flaws. She claims that she saw discarded passports and identification documents, which she interpreted as an indication that many migrants were attempting to obscure their identities. Under current policy, she claimed, migrants were often processed, then transported at taxpayer expense to destinations of their choosing, sometimes with lodging and cell phones provided.
Gabbard linked these accounts to her ongoing work with agencies like the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, saying the intelligence community is actively tracking and removing individuals who pose potential threats. But, she added, “we still don’t know the extent of it,” estimating — without citing specific sources — that as many as 20 million people may have entered the country illegally over the past four years.
Her comments also carried a personal dimension. While reflecting on the September 11, 2001 attacks, she said that the events shaped her decision to enlist in the Hawaii Army National Guard and later deploy to Iraq in 2005. Serving in a medical unit during one of the war’s most violent periods, she said, deepened her awareness of the human cost of conflict and reinforced her commitment to preventing future attacks on U.S. soil.
In recounting the loss of fellow service members, Gabbard is now drawing a connection between her military experience and her current role, hoping for what she called “the best, most objective, relevant intelligence” to guide presidential decisions. She also warned against what she described as the “weaponization” of intelligence — referencing the flawed prewar assessments that preceded the U.S. invasion of Iraq.
It’s very clear that Gabbard is holding the party line with a president and lawmakers who treat illegal immigration as more of a national security concern than a domestic policy.
