ICYMI: Trump Nominee Dodges Warren’s Questions About Diverting Military Funds, Troops to Immigration Enforcement

ICYMI: Trump Nominee Dodges Warren's Questions About Diverting Military Funds, Troops to Immigration Enforcement

Warren: "DoD and DHS have no reimbursement agreement in place for FY2025. So it appears that DoD won't get back the billions of dollars it handed over to ICE that year. Money meant to fix barracks with sewage overflows is just gone."

Nominee also refused to say if it would be inappropriate to deploy the military to intimidate voters during the midterm elections and denied deploying troops to American cities hurts morale

Video of Exchange (YouTube)

Washington, D.C. - At a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Personnel, pressed Mr. Mark Ditlevson, nominee to be Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Americas Security Affairs, about the Homeland Security Department's failure to reimburse the military for supporting immigration enforcement reimbursements and the morale impact of deploying troops to American cities.

A December 2025 investigation led by Senator Warren and Representative Garamendi's offices found the Defense Department diverted over $2 billion in taxpayer funds to support immigration enforcement in 2025. The funds were diverted from projects like repairing military barracks, training service members, and repairing schools for service members' children.

Mr. Ditlevson could not answer how much the Pentagon would be reimbursed for these funding diversions, only saying they "expect to chase () down" FY 2026 funds, which he claims are reimbursable. Senator Warren pointed out the Defense and Homeland Security Departments have no reimbursement agreement in place for FY2025, meaning the military will not get that money back.

In December 2025, Mr. Ditlevson testified before the Armed Services Committee that domestic deployments "without a shadow of a doubt (are) not having a negative effect on the military's readiness or budget."

Senator Warren noted that public reporting indicated National Guard members feel "fatigue, confusion, and demoralization," along with shame and plans to quit. Mr. Ditlevson denied any knowledge, even though his current office regularly communicates with the Chief of the National Guard Bureau on domestic deployments.

Senator Warren also raised concerns that these deployments serve as a precursor for President Trump to deploy troops to intimidate voters at polling locations for the 2026 midterm elections. Asked if this would be an appropriate use of the military, Mr. Ditlevson refused to answer.

"(I)f you are not willing to just say 'no, it is not appropriate,' then I have real concerns about you in this job," Senator Warren responded.

Transcript: Hearing to Consider the Nomination Mr. Mark R. Ditlevson to be Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Americas Security Affairs
Senate Armed Services Committee
February 26, 2026

Senator Elizabeth Warren: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Service members enlist to protect our country from foreign adversaries. But President Trump seems hellbent on deploying our troops to American streets and against our own neighbors.

This is extremely dangerous for our communities and our democracy - and it is costly for DOD and our service members too. According to the Congressional Budget Office, Trump has already spent half a billion dollars on domestic deployments. And my investigation found that DOD spent over $2 billion in taxpayer money on immigration enforcement in 2025. Now, that is money that is coming straight from the military's budget for things like repairing military barracks, training our soldiers, repairing schools for service members' children.

DOD took this money from our service members even though the agency that is responsible for immigration enforcement, ICE, is swimming in a budget that's bigger than most other countries' entire militaries' budget.

Mr. Ditlevson, you're nominated to be Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Americas Security Affairs, and you're serving as a deputy in that office right now. How much of the $2 billion do you expect to get back from DHS?

Mr. Mark Ditlevson, Nominee to be Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Americas Security Affairs: I appreciate your concern on this issue and it's something that we're working toward on a daily basis-

Senator Warren: How much do you expect to get back?

Mr. Ditlevson: At the beginning of this fiscal year, FY26, the Secretary worked out a policy issue-issued a policy-saying that all support was on a reimbursable basis and on a day-to-day basis, Senator, that's what we prepare up to the Secretary for decision-

Senator Warren: Do you expect to get it all back?

Mr. Ditlevson: Senator, everything is on a reimbursable basis, so we expect to chase that down-

Senator Warren: I have to question your "everything." DoD and DHS have no reimbursement agreement in place for FY2025. So it appears that DoD won't get back the billions of dollars it handed over to ICE that year. Money meant to fix barracks with sewage overflows is just gone.

Now, in December, when asked about domestic deployments, you told this committee, "I can say without a shadow of a doubt this is not having a negative effect on the military's readiness or budget," but an internal study of the National Guard of the deployment in D.C. noted, "fatigue, confusion, and demoralization," a "wedge between citizens and the military." National Guard members have told reporters that this is "Not what I signed up to do," and that they feel ashamed to wear the uniform and that they plan to quit.

So Mr. Ditlevson, do you think "without a shadow of a doubt" that deploying the military in American cities has no negative effect on readiness?

Mr. Ditlevson: Senator, I'm unfamiliar with the report but I'm going to take that back with me and dig into it and if confirmed, I absolutely will be looking at this seriously because we want to make sure our support is appropriate for the mission.

Senator Warren: You haven't heard any of this-none of this- in your role? You have been sitting there in the office every day since the deployment. You haven't heard any of this?

Mr. Ditlevson: Senator, I haven't heard any feedback like that from the National Guard Bureau. I work closely with General Nordhaus, the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, and he has not expressed concern over the deployments to Washington, D.C.

Senator Warren: And that's your only source of information right now?

Mr. Ditlevson: Senator, he's the person I engage with most on this particular issue. Brigadier General Blanchard-

Senator Warren: You may want to widen your aperture for getting information here. Look, the stakes are high, and I fear they're only going to get higher. President Trump recently said he should have used troops to seize ballot boxes in 2020. And many Americans worry he will deploy the military to intimidate voters this fall.

Mr. Ditlevson, do you think it would be appropriate to station troops next to polling stations?

Mr. Ditlevson: Senator, I'm aware of the statute that governs the deployment of troops next to polling stations. And I want to emphasize that our focus is always to protect American citizens. And so, for any deployment of the National Guard, no matter what that may be, that is always going to be our number one objective, is to make sure that people are safe and secure.

Senator Warren: So, you are nominated for this position and I'm just asking if you think it's appropriate to station troops next to polling stations. A simple yes or no?

Mr. Ditlevson: Senator, it's speculative, the question and I don't want to speak about what threat levels may exist during an election cycle.

Senator Warren: I have to say, if you are not willing to just say "no, it is not appropriate," then I have real concerns about you in this job.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

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