The Department of Homeland Security has shut down its Office of Immigration Detention Ombudsman (OIDO) due to a funding lapse in Congress, even as detention numbers and deaths rise. - OIDO was created in 2019 to investigate detainee deaths, medical care, and misconduct.
- Staff was reduced from over 100 to just five employees before the shutdown. - Deaths in immigration custody have reached an all-time high this fiscal year.
- Over 2,100 people have been detained for more than a year in the last six months. The closure raises concerns about oversight of detention conditions and potential abuses.