DHS Cuts Three Civil Rights Offices for “Obstructing” Immigration Enforcement
The Trump Administration is essentially shutting down three civil rights-related offices in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Most of the employees in the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL), the Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman, and the Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman, were laid off.
DHS Spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said the agency is committed to protecting civil rights, but says the offices were obstacles to enforcing immigration law.
“These offices have obstructed immigration enforcement by adding bureaucratic hurdles and undermining DHS’s mission. Rather than supporting law enforcement efforts, they often function as internal adversaries that slow down operations,” said McLaughlin.
And DHS told USA Today that the cuts were “to eliminate redundant and counterproductive roles while reallocating resources to frontline enforcement, where they are most effective.”
CRCL, created in 2002 with the advent of DHS, had grown to a staff of around 150. It investigated civil rights violations in immigration enforcement.
The office’s responsibilities include reviewing immigration enforcements with local agencies. Statutory responsibilities of the office will be moved to other parts of DHS.
The Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman is an independent office within DHS whose mission is to make sure immigration detention facilities are safe and human.
The Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman is also an independent office in DHS responsible for helping people or businesses resolve issues with the agency that oversees immigration benefits.
Democrats Sound Alarm
Congressional Democrats demanded answers.
“A decision to eliminate the CRCL office or make significant reductions in CRCL staff will jeopardize DHS’s ability to comply with statutory requirements and to protect the civil rights and civil liberties of the American people,” wrote Democratic Senators. Gary Peters (MI) and Dick Durbin (IL) in a letter this week.
And Michelle Brané, who served as the immigration detention ombudsman in the Biden Administration, warned of dire consequences.
“They're eliminating all the oversight bodies within the Department of Homeland Security at a time when they are being more aggressive than ever and making more mistakes than ever," Brané said. "I think we'll see people die in custody as a result."
The cuts come as the Trump Administration makes workforce reductions across the federal government.