Tuesday Challenge: Ombudsmen Matter! 

When the Border Patrol takes an immigrant’s papers—passport, documentation of persecution, medical records—who can get them back? When an immigration agent throws away medicines or clothes or precious family photos, who can hold them accountable? Who can hold officers accountable when they refuse to allow an immigrant to call their attorney? Right now, the answer is: probably no one.

On March 21, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) closed three critical oversight offices: Office of Immigration Detention Ombudsman (OIDO), Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL), and the CIS Ombudsman. These offices previously served as independent oversight bodies to address complaints, ensure transparency, and advocate for systemic improvements in immigration processes.

Each day this week, I commit to doing one small thing—a phone call, a letter, a comment on a regulation. I’m going to walk through my commitment right here on the blog, which will keep me accountable and might also get a reader or two to join me. Information and suggestions for today’s action from Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc (CLINIC).

These offices were created by statute. Closing them is illegal.

In 2024, the Ombudsman’s office alone received more than 30,000 complaints. Now there is no office to hear those complaints. 

These closures eliminate key avenues for accountability, leaving immigrants and advocates without recourse for abuse, delays, or injustice. With an administration that attempts to operate with covert policies that are not transparent to the public, it is all the more critical to have an independent agency serve in a critical watchdog role. Restoring these offices is essential for a fair and humane immigration system.

Action steps:

Contact your Congressional Representatives by phone or email. To find Minnesota Senators and Representatives click here.  

Or dial the U.S. Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121.

 Suggested Script: The closure of Department of Homeland Security ombudsman offices removes a critical safeguard for immigrants, families, and advocates. We urge you to act swiftly to restore these offices, which provide oversight, transparency, and a voice for the vulnerable. Without them, DHS operates without meaningful accountability.

Calls make more impact than emails, but any action helps.

Write letters to your senators and representatives. Tell them:

1. Closing key ombudsman offices in the Department of Homeland Security leaves immigrants and their families without a crucial path to get help when their physical safety is at risk or their rights are violated. 
2. Congress has already passed laws establishing these offices. Congress needs to reclaim its authority as the law-making branch of government and insist that these offices remain open and staffed.
3. During the budget process, make sure that these offices continue to be specifically funded.
4. Hold oversight hearings to investigate the closures and ensure a pathway for the public to raise concerns and seek redress.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.