"Congress created the Office of Immigration Detention Ombudsman (OIDO) in 2019 to investigate detainee deaths, detainee access to medical care, and employee misconduct, among other issues. In a statement to NPR, DHS said the office shut down because of the current funding lapse in Congress targeting immigration enforcement."
"Even before the shutdown, the Trump administration had been stripping down the office's functions and laying off staff in civil rights areas. That comes as the number of people who have died in immigration custody has reached an all-time high for the fiscal year."
"Immigration advocates say that oversight is particularly needed to prevent abuses and deaths. And they say the funding lapse shouldn't have affected the ombudsman's office since it's separate from ICE and Custody."
The Department of Homeland Security's Office of Immigration Detention Ombudsman (OIDO), established by Congress in 2019 to investigate detainee deaths, medical care access, and employee misconduct, is winding down operations due to a congressional funding lapse. DHS attributes the closure to Congress excluding immigration enforcement functions from recent appropriations legislation. However, the measure did not mandate OIDO's closure. Prior to the shutdown, the Trump administration had already reduced the office's functions and laid off civil rights staff. This occurs as immigration custody deaths reach fiscal year highs. Immigration advocates argue that oversight is essential to prevent abuses and deaths, and contend the funding lapse should not have affected the ombudsman's office since it operates separately from ICE and Border Patrol.
Read at www.npr.org
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