The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today condemned the Trump administration’s closure of critical oversight offices within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL), the Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman, and the Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman as “a dangerous erosion of critical accountability mechanisms intended to safeguard civil and constitutional rights.”
CAIR, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, notes that these offices were already significantly understaffed and played an essential role in training and oversight to ensure that DHS agencies—including Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and others—respected constitutional rights and civil liberties of all Americans and residents.
In a statement, CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert S. McCaw said:
“The closure of DHS’s Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and related ombudsman offices represents a dangerous erosion of critical accountability mechanisms intended to safeguard civil and constitutional rights.
“These offices were among the few accessible avenues for American Muslims to file complaints when their rights were violated by federal law enforcement or during immigration proceedings, border crossings, and airport security screenings.
“Eliminating these oversight offices exacerbates the dangers posed by the Trump administration’s increasingly aggressive domestic policies targeting Muslim and Arab community members, including the recent extrajudicial arrests and deportations targeting students and activists protesting Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
“Without CRCL and the ombudsman offices, Americans and residents facing abuse by federal authorities will be left without crucial protections. By dismantling vital safeguards and eliminating channels for public accountability, the Trump administration makes our nation less safe and less free.
“CAIR urges Republicans and Democrats in Congress to work together to intervene immediately with the Trump administration to reverse these dangerous actions and restore essential oversight functions to protect the constitutional rights of all who live in the United States.”
Yesterday, U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Dick Durbin, Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to Secretary Kristi Noem warning such cuts violate federal law and significantly undermine DHS’s ability to safeguard civil liberties and conduct critical national security missions effectively.
CAIR remains committed to advocating for the restoration of these critical offices and calls on lawmakers, civil society, and communities nationwide to demand accountability and transparency from the Trump administration.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | TikTok | Website | YouTube
Do you like reading CAIR press releases and taking part in our action alerts? You can help contribute to CAIR’s work of defending civil rights and empowering American Muslims across the country by making a one-time contribution or becoming a monthly donor. Supporters like you make CAIR’s advocacy work possible and defeating Islamophobia an achievable goal. Click here to donate to CAIR.
You are receiving this email due to your interest selection from commercial media databases. If you would like to join CAIR’s media list, please sign up here: https://action.cair.com/a/newsletters — For more information, email: info@cair.com, CC ihooper@cair.com
END
CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com