ICE Closes Watchdog Office Investigating Abuse in Detention Centers Amid Surge in Force Use The Trump administration has shut down the Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman, an independent agency tasked with investigating allegations of abuse and excessive force in immigration detention centers, even as the use of force against detainees has reached record levels. The closure follows a dramatic reduction in staffing, with the office’s workforce slashed to just five people—a 96% cut from its previous size. The decision has drawn criticism from advocacy groups, which argue it reflects a broader strategy to deter immigration by subjecting detainees to harsher conditions. The Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman, which operated outside the Department of Homeland Security, reviewed complaints about civil rights violations, excessive force, and misconduct by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers. An internal email obtained by HuffPost attributed the closure to a lack of funding in the Homeland Security appropriations bill, despite the law requiring the office to remain operational. A DHS spokesperson stated that Congress, not the agency, ended the office’s existence, citing the passage of the appropriations bill without objection and its subsequent signing into law. The office’s public website, which provided guidance for families and attorneys to file complaints, is now offline. An archived version of the site contains outdated information, raising concerns about transparency and accountability. The closure coincides with a sharp rise in the use of force by ICE officers and detention staff.#ice #homeland_security #customs_and_border_protection #washington_office_on_latin_america #huffpost
