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Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

Safeguarding civil rights and civil liberties is elemental to all the work we do at DHS.

  • Retention Memo to ICE Concerning La Palma Correctional Center

    CRCL received complaints alleging that ICE violated individuals’ civil rights and civil liberties at the La Palma Correctional Center (LPCC) in Eloy, Arizona. The purpose of this memorandum is to notify ICE of the complaints and describe the allegations, inform ICE that CRCL will retain the complaints for investigation and conduct an onsite investigation, and explain how CRCL will work with ICE during our investigation.

  • Complaints, Compliance Reviews, and Designated Staff

    This presentation provides information on what is needed to complete the DHS Civil Rights Evaluation Tool, which may assist recipients in meeting their administrative requirements.

  • Retention Memo to ICE Concerning Otero County Processing Center

    CRCL opened complaints alleging abuses of the civil rights and civil liberties of individuals in the custody of ICE at the Otero County Processing Center in Otero, New Mexico. The purpose of this memorandum is to notify ICE of the complaints, describe the allegations, inform ICE that CRCL retained the above-referenced complaints for investigation, and conducted a virtual onsite investigation at the facility. 

  • Retention Memo to ICE Concerning Otay Mesa Detention Center

    CRCL has received allegations that ICE violated the civil rights and civil liberties of detainees at the Otay Mesa Detention Center (OMDC) in San Diego County, California. The purpose of this memorandum is to notify ICE of the complaints, describe the allegations, inform ICE that, consistent with its authority, CRCL will retain them for investigation and conduct an onsite investigation at OMDC on October 26-28, 2020, and explain how CRCL will work with ICE during the investigation.

  • Recommendations Memo Concerning Richwood Correctional Center

    CRCL conducted an onsite investigation into conditions of detention for ICE detainees at the Richwood Correctional Center in Richwood, Louisiana on February 20-21, 2020. CRCL's review of Richwood focused in large part on operations in the areas of medical care, mental health care, environmental health and safety, and conditions of confinement.

  • DRAFT DHS Environmental Justice Strategy FY21-FY25

    The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has revised its 2012 Environmental Justice Strategy and is currently accepting public recommendations. The deadline for submitting recommendations is November 1, 2020. All recommendations received by DHS from the public will be conveyed to the Environmental Justice Interagency Working Group.

  • Recommendations Memo to CBP Concerning Treatment of Children with Disabilities

    This memorandum provides policy recommendations to protect the well-being of children with disabilities and promote the family unity of families including children with disabilities “to the greatest extent operationally feasible” while in (CBP custody. Accordingly, this memorandum provides policy recommendations with an aim to reinforce existing CBP policy as stated in CBP’s National Standards on Transportation, Escort, Detention, and Search (TEDS) (October 2015) to maintain family unity to the greatest extent operationally feasible.

  • Recommendations Memo Concerning the Pine Prairie Detention Center

    CRCL conducted an investigation into conditions of detention for ICE detainees at the Pine Prairie Detention Center in Pine Prairie, Louisiana.  CRCL's review of Pine Prairie focused in large part on operations in the areas of medical care, mental health care, environmental health and safety, and conditions of confinement.

  • DHS Statement on Safety and Enforcement During the 2020 Wildfire Season

    On July 2, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued the following statement on Safety and Enforcement During the 2020 Wildfire Season:

    U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are concerned about the potential impact of the 2020 wildfire season to western and southwestern portions of the United States, including the current wildfires in Arizona, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada. Our highest priority remains the preservation of life and safety.  In consideration of these circumstances, there will be no immigration enforcement initiatives associated with evacuations or sheltering related to the wildfires, except in the event of a serious public safety threat.

  • DHS Implementation Plan and Annual Reports for the U.S. Strategy on Women, Peace, and Security

    Around the world, conflict and disasters adversely and disproportionately affect women and girls, yet women remain under-represented in efforts to prevent and resolve conflict, and in post-conflict peace-building or recovery efforts. Research has shown that peace negotiations are more likely to succeed, and result in lasting stability, when women participate.