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Civil Servants
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Checks and Balances
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Immigration
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Immigration
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Policies & Analysis

Learn more about the policies and actions taken by the Trump-Vance administration, and how they threaten communities, freedoms, and democracy.

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The Trump-Vance Administration is trying to

End avenues for civil rights & immigration oversight

What we know

These layoffs effectively close the offices that investigate abuses and civil rights violations in DHS.

Formal Name

Closure of DHS Oversight Offices

Status
Challenged
Formal Identifier

DHS RIFs

March 21, 2025

Anticipated Impact

DHS is seeking to close their Office of Civil Rights & Civil Liberties, Office of Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman and Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman. The agency is pursuing massive layoffs which will hinder, if not entirely prevent, these offices from completing their statutorily created functions of resolving benefit issues, ensuring adequate detention conditions, and investigating violations to civil rights and civil liberties. This immediately puts individuals involved in the immigration system at risk of abuse and harm.

By the Numbers

Partner Analysis

People are fighting back

How communities are responding

Democracy 2025 and our partners are ready to counter threats to people's rights, justice, and equality in courtrooms and communities across the country. Learn more about how people and communities are responding to this harmful policy:

Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights v. Department of Homeland Security

Three nonprofit organizations filed suit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), challenging the elimination of three statutory offices within DHS: the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL), the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman Office (CIS-Omb), and the Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman (OIDO). CRCL is responsible for receiving and adjudicating civil rights complaints, CIS-Omb assists individuals and employers with immigration-related issues, and OIDO monitors and reports on legal compliance and professional standards at detention facilities. The plaintiffs allege that the defendants exceeded their authority by shuttering these offices and that the actions violated the separation of powers and the Administrative Procedure Act. The plaintiffs ask the court to set aside Defendants' actions.

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Join the Fight for Democracy

Help us counter unlawful, anti-democratic actions from the Trump-Vance administration and protect people, freedom, and justice.

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