1. United States
2. Utah
3. Letter

I am writing to express serious concern about Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's decision to divert Coast Guard resources from search and rescue operations to deportation activities. This policy shift fundamentally undermines the Coast Guard's core mission and puts American lives at risk. In February 2025, Secretary Noem personally ordered a Coast Guard C-130 plane pulled from an active search and rescue mission for a missing 23-year-old service member who went overboard in the Pacific Ocean. The aircraft was redirected to deportation duty instead. Despite a 190-hour search covering 19,000 square miles, the service member was never found. Under Noem's leadership, the Coast Guard is now using its resources for deportations approximately 10 times more than the previous administration, while search and rescue operations have been deprioritized below counternarcotics, training, and deportations. The Coast Guard exists to save American lives at sea. When a service member goes overboard, every minute matters and every available resource should be deployed. Pulling aircraft from active rescue missions to conduct deportations is an unconscionable misuse of these critical assets. Our military personnel deserve the full commitment of their government when their lives are on the line. This is not how we keep Americans safe. The Coast Guard's search and rescue capabilities represent a vital safety net for service members, mariners, and coastal communities. Degrading these capabilities in favor of immigration enforcement creates real danger for Americans who depend on Coast Guard response in emergencies. I urge you to demand that Secretary Noem immediately restore search and rescue as the Coast Guard's top operational priority and end the practice of diverting resources from active rescue missions. Our service members and all Americans who rely on Coast Guard protection deserve nothing less than the full commitment of these lifesaving capabilities.