U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Government Website

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Safely connect using HTTPS

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock () or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

  1. Home
  2. About DHS
  3. Site Links
  4. Keywords
  5. Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL)

Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL)

Last Updated: | Site Page

DHS Statement on Safety and Immigration Enforcement During Emergency Events

An archive of statements about the Department’s immigration enforcement posture during certain emergency events, including natural disasters.

Last Updated: | Publication

Expert Recommendations Memo for Onsite Investigation at Otero County Processing Center in Chaparral, New Mexico

CRCL conducted an investigation into conditions of detention for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement LGBTQ detainees at the Otero County Processing Center in Chaparral, New Mexico. The investigation focused on allegations received from the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico, the Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, and the Santa Fe Dreamers Project.

Last Updated: | Publication

Expert Recommendations Memo to ICE Concerning ICE Health Services Corps Medical/Mental Health Care and Oversight

CRCL conducted an investigation in response to information received from the DHS Office of Inspector General alleging that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Health Service Corps had systematically provided inadequate medical and mental health care, and oversight of that care, to immigration detainees in facilities throughout the United States.

Last Updated: | Publication

Expert Recommendation Memo to ICE Concerning Wakulla County Jail in Crawfordville, Florida

CRCL conducted an investigation into conditions of detention for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees at the Wakulla County Jail in Crawfordville, Florida.

Last Updated: | Publication

Retention Memo to CBP for CRCL Investigation Concerning Invalidating F1 Visas of Iranian Nationals

CRCL opened complaints alleging that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) violated civil rights or civil liberties by invalidating F1 student visas belonging to applicants from Iran, applying a five-year bar to admission to the applicants, and removing an applicant from the United States in violation of a court order, among other allegations. 

Last Updated: | Publication

Retention Memo to ICE for CRCL Investigation Concerning Medical Isolation and Quarantines in ICE Immigration Detention Facilities

CRCL received allegations concerning the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) medical isolation and quarantine processes throughout many of the immigration detention facilities used by ICE. With the increased concern about the rapid spread of infectious diseases, particularly in congregant settings such as detention facilities, CRCL is reviewing how ICE manages its medical isolation and quarantine processes and how ICE addresses medical and mental healthcare, law library access, access to legal services, and visitation for detainees who are medically isolated or quarantined.

Last Updated: | Site Page

U.S. Strategy on Women, Peace, and Security

The United States Strategy on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS Strategy), responding to the Women, Peace, and Security Act of 2017, seeks to increase women’s meaningful leadership in political and civic life.

Last Updated: | Publication

Retention Memo to ICE for CRCL Investigation on ICE's Oversight Concerning the Use of Segregation

CRCL assessed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's segregation oversight program and provide policy recommendations, if warranted, to help the Department ensure that its segregation oversight is complete, in accordance with requirements, and fulfilling the stated goal that, placement in segregation should occur only when necessary and in compliance with applicable detention standards. In particular, placement in administrative segregation due to a special vulnerability should be used only as a last resort and when no other viable housing options exist."

Last Updated: | Publication

Retention Memo to CBP for CRCL Investigation Concerning Age Determination and Birth Certificate Verification Procedures

From 2015-2020, CRCL received more than 100 allegations that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) violated the civil rights and civil liberties of unaccompanied minors when determining their ages or verifying the authenticity of their birth certificates. These allegations arose from reported incidents at both U.S. Border Patrol stations and ports of entry. These included similar allegations, such as CBP discarding and destroying birth certificates, pressuring and coercing unaccompanied minors into incorrectly claiming they are adults, and falsifying records of their ages. From these numerous allegations, CRCL chose a sample of 18 that represented the various types of allegations received by CRCL and opened them as complaint investigations.

Last Updated: | Publication

CRCL Recommendation Memo to CBP: Verification of United States Citizenship

This memorandum provides recommendations to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regarding a complaint alleging that CBP violated the civil rights and civil liberties of a U.S. citizen minor while detained at the Rio Grande City U.S. Border Patrol station.