I write to request that the U.S. Departments of Transportation (DOT), Defense (DoD) and Homeland Security (DHS) Offices of Inspectors General (OIGs) conduct an investigation into potential serious and alarming problems and deficiencies with interagency coordination, policymaking and management, as it relates to the operation of high-energy laser weapons that acquire, track and defeat Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) within the United States. The joint independent investigation should examine the incidents that led the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to issue a chaotic Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) in El Paso, Texas on February 10, 2026, and a TFR in Fort Hancock, Texas on February 26, 2026.
Call for and support a joint comprehensive investigation by the Inspectors General of the Departments of Transportation, Defense, and Homeland Security into deficiencies in interagency coordination, policymaking, and management related to the operation of high-energy laser counter-UAS systems within U.S. airspace, including incidents in El Paso and Fort Hancock, Texas.
Occurrences
U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth called on the Inspectors General of the U.S. Departments of Transportation, Defense, and Homeland Security to launch a joint investigation into the Trump Administration’s missteps and failed interagency coordination that resulted in chaotic airspace closures in El Paso and Fort Hancock, Texas.
I write to request that the U.S. Departments of Transportation (DOT), Defense (DoD) and Homeland Security (DHS) Offices of Inspectors General (OIGs) conduct an investigation into potential serious and alarming problems and deficiencies with interagency coordination, policymaking and management, as it relates to the operation of high-energy laser weapons that acquire, track and defeat Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) within the United States. The joint independent investigation should examine the incidents that led the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to issue a chaotic Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) in El Paso, Texas on February 10, 2026, and a TFR in Fort Hancock, Texas on February 26, 2026.
she would call on the Defense, Transportation, and Homeland Security Inspectors General to launch a joint investigation into the El Paso and Fort Hancock incidents
Evidence
Duckworth publicly said the Texas laser C-UAS situation demanded an independent investigation and that she would call on the Defense, Transportation, and Homeland Security Inspectors General to launch a joint investigation into the El Paso and Fort Hancock incidents.
Duckworth's office announced that she called on the Inspectors General of DOT, DoD, and DHS to launch a joint investigation into failed interagency coordination that resulted in airspace closures in El Paso and Fort Hancock, Texas.
In a signed letter, Duckworth requested that the DOT, DoD, and DHS Offices of Inspectors General conduct a joint comprehensive investigation into deficiencies in interagency coordination, policymaking, and management related to high-energy laser counter-UAS operations in U.S. airspace, including El Paso and Fort Hancock.
Duckworth asked the DOT, DoD, and DHS Inspectors General to conduct a joint comprehensive investigation into coordination, policymaking, and management failures tied to the El Paso and Fort Hancock incidents.
In a March 13, 2026 letter to the DOT, DHS, and DoD Inspectors General, Duckworth requested a joint comprehensive investigation into interagency coordination, policymaking, and management problems tied to the El Paso and Fort Hancock incidents.
Assessments
The claim is about whether Tammy Duckworth called for and supported a joint comprehensive IG investigation, not whether the investigation was completed. The evidence shows that on March 13, 2026, while serving in office, she formally sent a letter to the Inspectors General of DOT, DoD, and DHS requesting the exact joint investigation described in the promise, including the El Paso and Fort Hancock incidents and the coordination, policymaking, and management failures. That satisfies the promised oversight action in the same term.
The promise was to call for and support a joint comprehensive Inspectors General investigation, not to guarantee that the investigation was completed. Primary evidence shows Duckworth sent a signed March 13, 2026 letter to the DOT, DoD, and DHS Inspectors General requesting the exact joint investigation described in the claim, including the El Paso and Fort Hancock incidents and the interagency coordination, policymaking, and management issues. Her public statements and press release also show she publicly supported the same action. Because the promised action was her call for and support of the investigation, and she did that while in office, this counts as delivered in the same term.
Duckworth fulfilled the stated oversight promise during her current Senate term by formally requesting, in a signed March 13, 2026 letter, that the DOT, DoD, and DHS Inspectors General conduct the exact joint comprehensive investigation described, including the El Paso and Fort Hancock incidents. The promised action was to call for and support the investigation, not necessarily to secure completion of the investigation.