Homeland Security Secretary Christie Norm will speak to staff at DHS headquarters in Washington, DC on January 28th.
Manuel Balce Ceneta/Pool/AFP via Getty Images
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Manuel Balce Ceneta/Pool/AFP via Getty Images
The Department of Homeland Security is cutting employment in the civil rights-focused surveillance sector as part of a broader reduction in federal government-wide enforcement efforts.
The affected offices confirmed by DHS spokesman Tricia McLaughlin are the Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL), the Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman, and the Office of Civil Rights and Immigration Services Ombudsman.
“These offices have hampered immigrant enforcement by adding and undermining bureaucratic hurdles. [the department’s] Missions “are often serve as an internal enemy that delays operations rather than supporting law enforcement efforts.
The two Ombudsman offices provide monitoring of the DHS immigration portfolio. This includes detentionby working with detained people facing issues regarding immigration and customs enforcement. and US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), helps to solve the problems of those seeking immigration-related benefits.
“DHS remains committed to protecting civil rights, but surveillance needs to be streamlined to enforce obstacles,” McLaughlin said. “Through these reductions, taxpayers will support the department’s core missions of border security and immigration enforcement.”
Governmentwide, federal agencies have announced plans for recruitment that the White House directed. Latest round of firing First reported by BloombergCome after the first round of February, focusing primarily on other parts of the agency that do not handle immigration enforcement. At the time, 405 DHS workers were fired beyond cybersecurity, disaster response, science and technology. USCIS lost less than 50 employees.
Last week, democratic ranking members of the Senate Hometown and Government Affairs Committee and the Judiciary Committee, which primarily oversees immigration issues prior to the cuts; I sent a letter to Christie Noem, Secretary of Homeland Security. Warnings against Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Offices. He points out that its role is “legally necessary.”
“The decision to eliminate the CRCL office or significantly reduce CRCL staff will endanger the DHS’ ability to comply with statutory requirements and protect American civil rights and civil liberties.”
