Former DHS watchdogs warn oversight gaps after civil‑rights job cuts
Former employees of three congressionally mandated Homeland Security oversight offices — the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL), the Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman and related staff — say the Trump administration’s cuts to hundreds of positions have removed routine inspections and complaint investigations for ICE detention centers. The ex‑workers, some of whom have joined a lawsuit challenging their terminations, warn the staffing reductions coincide with an expansion of ICE detention capacity and with at least 15 deaths in immigration custody in fiscal year 2025, increasing risks to detainee health and civil‑rights protections.
Politics
Public Safety
Immigration
📌 Key Facts
- Hundreds of federal staff were cut from three DHS oversight bodies that conducted detention visits, reviewed complaints and reported to Congress.
- The article cites at least 15 deaths in immigration custody during fiscal year 2025 and quotes former oversight staff saying the cuts raise the risk of more deaths and unaddressed civil‑rights violations.
- Four former employees interviewed by NPR are part of a lawsuit challenging their terminations; DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin provided a statement defending current operations.