People enter the California City Immigration Processing Center, the state's newest and largest ICE prison, on March 25, 2026 in California City, California. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
Press Release
Closure of Crucial DHS Watchdog is Part of a Larger Pattern to Dismantle Government Oversight
As the administration’s deportation campaign continues, we need more oversight of our immigration detention centers, not less
Washington, D.C. — New reporting revealed that the Department of Homeland Security is shuttering a critical watchdog office tasked with investigating misconduct and abuse in the immigration detention system. Katherine Hawkins, Senior Legal Analyst at The Constitution Project at the Project On Government Oversight (POGO), issued the following statement:
“More than 30 people died in ICE detention in 2025 — three times the number of deaths in 2024. And as of May 1, 18 more people have died in ICE detention this year. That alone should be reason enough to increase oversight of the immigration detention system.
But instead, right as the administration is working to expand its detention campaign, Congress and DHS are shuttering the Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman, the office responsible for investigating abuse and misconduct in detention centers across the country.
“This is part of a broader, dangerous push from the administration and its allies to dismantle the systems of oversight that keep our government accountable to the people. Advocates for a more accountable government — and a more accountable DHS— cannot let this stand.”
