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Civil Rights

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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.

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Retention Memo to CBP for CRCL Investigation Concerning Detention and Care of Pregnant Individuals

CRCL opened complaints alleging that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) violated the civil rights and civil liberties of pregnant individuals held in their custody. Allegedly, the standards governing the detention of pregnant individuals and the provision of their healthcare were insufficient and inconsistently applied, and where standards did exist, they were routinely violated. 

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Retention Memo to ICE for CRCL Investigation Concerning Detention and Care of Pregnant Individuals

CRCL opened complaints alleging that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement violated the civil rights and civil liberties of pregnant individuals held in their custody. Allegedly, the standards governing the detention of pregnant individuals and the provision of their healthcare were insufficient and inconsistently applied, and where standards did exist, they were routinely violated.

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Expert Recommendations Memo for Onsite Investigation at Worcester County Jail in Snow Hill, Maryland

CRCL conducted an onsite investigation into conditions of detention for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees at the Worcester County Jail in Snow Hill, Maryland. The onsite occurred on November 13-15, 2019.

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SurveyMonkey

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS or Department) will use SurveyMonkey to create online surveys for external relations (communications/outreach/public dialogue).  DHS will also ​use SurveyMonkey to meet a mandate by the Federal CIO to provide customer satisfaction surveys on public-facing websites. DHS Office of Public Affairs (OPA) serves as the executive agent for the department’s use of SurveyMonkey and controls who at the Department has access to use the service.

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Retention Memo to CBP for CRCL Investigation Concerning Rio Grande Valley Sector

In July 2014 and July 2018, CRCL conducted onsite investigations in the Rio Grande Valley Sector. Soon after the 2014 investigation, CRCL provided U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) with informal preliminary findings and recommendations, and, in September 2017, CRCL submitted to CBP a formal report and recommendations memorandum. Following the 2018 investigation, during which CRCL enlisted the assistance of an expert in conditions of detention, CRCL provided CBP with an expert report and recommendations.

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Expert Recommendations Memo for Onsite Investigation at Cibola County Correctional Facility in Milan, New Mexico

CRCL conducted an investigation into conditions of detention for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainees at the Cibola County Correctional Center in Milan, New Mexico. The onsite investigation occurred on August 13-15, 2019 in response to allegations received concerning civil rights and civil liberties violations of medical and mental health care, conditions of detention, and environmental health and safety at the facility. Additionally, CRCL reviewed violations that impacted detainees housed in the facility's dedicated transgender housing unit.

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Retention Memo for Onsite Investigation at the Denver Contract Detention Facility in Aurora, Colorado

CRCL conducted an onsite investigation related to complaints alleging that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) violated the civil rights or civil liberties of individuals held in custody at the Denver Contract Detention Facility in Aurora, Colorado. CRCL found significant concerns at the facility, and, following the onsite, CRCL issued 37 recommendations in November 2018 in the areas of medical and mental health care, suicide prevention and intervention, and conditions of detention.

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Retention Memo for Onsite Investigation at Immigration Centers of America in Farmville, Virginia

CRCL received allegations that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) violated the civil rights and civil liberties of detainees at the Immigration Centers of America in Farmville, Virginia. The allegations raised issues regarding conditions of detention, medical and mental health care, suicide prevention and intervention, sexual abuse and assault prevention and intervention, and environmental health and safety.

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Retention Memo to ICE for CRCL Investigation Concerning Implementation of ICE's Sexual Abuse and Assault Prevention and Intervention Program

Since its inception, CRCL has investigated sexual abuse allegations and recommended improvement in policies designed to protect individuals from sexual abuse while in DHS custody. In March 2014, DHS issued a final rule, Standards to Prevent, Detect, and Respond to Sexual as Abuse it applies and Assault (DHS PREA Standards), implementing PREA to DHS in confinement facilities. Since 2014, ICE has been actively engaged in implementing the specific requirements in the DHS PREA Standards, and CRCL has worked with ICE as part of that process. With the passing of the fifth anniversary of the DHS PREA Standards, CRCL conducted a periodic review of ICE's Sexual Abuse and Assault Prevention and Intervention Program with a particular focus on how ICE Headquarters has established and implemented the requirements in the DHS PREA Standards.