Immigration Oversight Office Shutters Amid Rising Detention Numbers
The Department of Homeland Security’s internal office responsible for monitoring detention centers and conditions is ceasing operations. This development comes as the administration holds more people in detention for extended periods.
Established by Congress in 2019, the Office of Immigration Detention Ombudsman (OIDO) was tasked with investigating detainee deaths, access to medical care, and employee misconduct.
DHS explained to NPR that the closure resulted from a congressional funding lapse targeting immigration enforcement.
Last week, Congress ended the longest shutdown in U.S. history by funding most of DHS, while excluding some immigration enforcement activities.
“DHS did not shut down the Office of Immigration Detention Ombudsman—Congress did,” DHS stated to NPR. “The House passed the DHS appropriations bill without objection, and it was signed into law last week.”
Despite OIDO’s closure, the measure signed by President Trump to fund DHS did not mandate the office’s shutdown. Nonetheless, DHS has already archived related pages on its website.
Republicans consider using reconciliation to fund DHS, including ICE and Border Patrol, without Democratic support. However, OIDO’s reopening remains uncertain.
Even prior to the shutdown, the Trump administration reduced the office’s functions, laying off staff in civil rights areas. Meanwhile, deaths in immigration custody hit record highs.
DHS officials attribute the rising death toll to increased detention numbers, while advocates stress the need for oversight to prevent abuses and fatalities.
“Congress established OIDO to address the systematic record of abuse and medical mistreatment people have suffered in immigration detention,” said Jennifer Ibañez Whitlock from the National Immigration Law Center.
She emphasized that OIDO was intended to operate independently from ICE and CBP, providing redress for misconduct or rights violations.
The Trump administration previously cut staff in oversight offices like OIDO, arguing they were “internal adversaries that slow down operations.” OIDO’s staff dwindled to five employees from over 100 in early 2025, as noted by Ronald Sartini, acting deputy immigration detention ombudsman, in a court declaration.
Democrats argue that internal oversight is crucial to prevent overcrowding and delays in reporting detention deaths, especially during agency shutdowns.
OIDO’s reviews of detention deaths and facility inspections were vital. Without it, ICE violations may go unreported, former employees warned.
The office closure coincides with the administration’s expansion of detention capacity and a policy mandating detention for illegal entrants during deportation proceedings. This policy has led to prolonged detentions, doubling the number of people held for over a year to over 2,100 in six months.
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