The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has eliminated the Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Bureau and fired staff responsible for oversight of Trump’s immigration policy. According to the New York Times, over 100 staff in the office have taken administrative leave for the next 60 days.
DHS has also removed the Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Bureau, Citizenship and Immigration Bureau, and Ombudsman office.
DHS stated that eliminating these offices aims to streamline surveillance and remove obstacles to enforcing their mission, as they feel that these offices hamper border security and immigration enforcement efforts.
However, critics argue that eliminating these offices silences voices that provide critical reviews of DHS policies and flag civil liberty concerns, and that this move will result in reduced transparency and accountability.
The move comes amidst widespread concerns over the Trump administration’s human rights policies, including the recent executive order allowing citizens of certain enemy countries to be removed without hearing.
President Trump has also used wartime powers to deport individuals from Venezuela to El Salvador, where they were then detained by the government.
