Chicago – March 22, 2025
The Department of Homeland Security is cutting jobs in oversight divisions focused on civil rights as part of a broader federal workforce reduction. Affected offices include 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.
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said these offices have hindered immigration enforcement by creating bureaucratic obstacles. The ombudsman offices oversee immigration detention and assist with issues involving ICE and USCIS.
McLaughlin stated the department remains committed to civil rights but must streamline oversight to prioritize border security and enforcement.
“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 Sens. Gary Peters, D-Mich., and Dick Durbin, D-Ill.
