Dept. Of Homeland Security To Cut Offices That Oversee Civil Rights Protections

Another day, another department cut by Trump administration

It’s another day, which means another round of cuts by the Trump administration. The latest department cutting back is Homeland Security. DHS leaders confirmed with the Associated Press that it plans to make cuts to three key offices that oversee civil rights protections

DHS Spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said that the department is implementing a “reduction in force” in three offices: the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, the Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman, and the Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman.

McLaughlin said that while the DHS is committed to “civil rights protections,” the offices facing reductions have been roadblocks to immigration enforcement.

“These officers have obstructed immigration enforcement by adding bureaucratic hurdles and undermining DHS’s mission,” she said. “Rather than supporting law enforcement efforts, they often function as internal adversaries that slow down operations.”

Functions of DHS Offices That Oversee Civil Rights Protections

The Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties was created over two decades ago by the Homeland Security Act of 2002, following the September 11 attacks. Employees within the office investigate hundreds of complaints each year about the agency’s mission and recommend changes.

In contrast, the Office of Immigration Detention Ombudsman and the Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman are independent offices within Homeland Security.

The Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman is not connected to Immigration and Customs Enforcement or Customs and Border Protection. Its job is to ensure that immigration detention facilities are safe and humane. Meanwhile, the Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman resolves issues with the agency that oversees immigration benefits.

Democrats who oppose the cuts at DHS say the move by the Trump administration will hurt transparency.

“With Trump’s mass firing of the entire DHS Civil Rights and Civil Liberties workforce, he is ensuring in advance that there will be no transparency or oversight of his extreme agenda,” Rep. Bennie G. Thompson of Mississippi told the AP. Thompson is the top Democrat on the House Committee on Homeland Security.