Statement Comes in Response to Recent Hearings in a Lawsuit Challenging the Shuttering of Civil Rights Offices Across the Department
Washington, DC — The Department of Homeland Security today announced that it will not abolish the Department’s Offices for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL), the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman, or the Immigration Detention Ombudsman, reversing a previous move to shutter the offices.
In short notes at the top of each office’s webpage, DHS notes that each of the three offices responsible for assisting immigrants and overseeing complaints of civil and human rights and constitutional violations by individuals interacting with immigration officials, including those in DHS detention, would remain open.
The reversal by DHS follows a lawsuit brought by Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, Southern Border Communities Coalition (SBCC), and Urban Justice Center (UJC)—represented by Public Citizen Litigation Group, Democracy Forward, and RFK Human Rights—against DHS and Secretary Kristi Noem. At a hearing on Friday, District Judge Ana Reyes instructed lawyers for DHS to clarify in a public statement that the offices are not being abolished.
“These DHS oversight offices perform essential functions and ensure that those who interact with DHS components have a pathway to report abuse and seek justice. The administration cannot eliminate hundreds of civil service jobs and undermine key government services with the stroke of a pen. After weeks of antics and obfuscations, tonight’s actions demonstrate the importance of holding this administration accountable,” said Michael Martinez, Senior Counsel at Democracy Forward. “We are proud to be alongside our partners in demanding transparency and safeguarding civil rights. We will continue to use every legal tool to defend people and our democracy.”
“As headlines of illegal and immoral deportations have dominated over the past two months, these offices have not been performing their vital functions,” said Karla Gilbride, attorney with Public Citizen Litigation Group. “The assault on constitutional due process by DHS has undermined protections for immigrants. Saying these offices continue to exist isn’t enough; DHS must allow these offices to do their jobs protecting the civil rights of vulnerable people caught in a system that is currently supercharged with extremism and hate.”
“Confronted in open court with harrowing accounts of sexual abuse and torture in immigration detention facilities and facing a court order, the Trump administration retreated,” said Anthony Enriquez, Vice President of U.S. Advocacy and Litigation at Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights. “It shouldn’t take a lawsuit for the President to follow the law. But as long as it does, we will continue to defend everyone’s human rights from government abuse.”
“Every day, migrants and border residents face civil and human rights violations at the hands of CBP, both in detention and throughout our borderlands,” said Lilian Serrano, Director of the Southern Border Communities Coalition. “A disclaimer on their website after extensive litigation is not enough. If DHS must fully restore these offices and ensure every complaint of abuse is thoroughly investigated.”
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Democracy Forward is a national legal organization that advances democracy and social progress through litigation, policy, public education, and regulatory engagement. For more information, please visit www.democracyforward.org.