The Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL) supports the Department's mission to secure the nation while preserving individual liberty, fairness, and equality under the law. CRCL builds in civil rights and civil liberties practices into all of the Department’s activities by:
- Promoting respect for civil rights and civil liberties in policy development and implementation by advising Department leadership and personnel, and state and local partners.
- Communicating with individuals and communities whose civil rights and civil liberties may be affected by Department activities, informing them about policies and avenues of remedy, and promoting appropriate attention within the Department to their experiences and concerns.
- Investigating civil rights and civil liberties complaints filed by the public regarding Department policies or activities, or actions taken by Department personnel.
- Leading the Department's equal employment opportunity programs and promoting workforce diversity and merit system principles.
Read about CRCL's Core Values.
Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia is the Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties.
CRCL's Programs and Compliance Division is made up of three branches:
- The Compliance Branch investigates complaints from the public alleging violations of civil rights and civil liberties in DHS activities.
- The Programs Branch provides policy advice to the Department on civil rights and civil liberties issues, and includes the following sections:
CRCL's Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Diversity Division directs the Department's EEO and diversity policies, products, and services to optimize the effectiveness of its personnel and operations. The Division is composed of three sections:
- Complaints Management and Adjudication leads the processing of the Department's EEO complaints.
- Diversity Management provides leadership, guidance, and technical assistance to DHS Components on the Department's EEO and diversity initiatives.
- Headquarters EEO Office supports all DHS Headquarters employees by enforcing compliance with EEO laws, regulations, and mandates.
The Office for Accessible Systems and Technology (OAST) leads the Department's application of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, which requires the federal government makes sure individuals with disabilities have equal access to information and data. OAST is jointly managed by CRCL and the Office of the Chief Information Officer.
Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
2707 Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue, SE
Mail Stop #0190
Washington, DC 20528-0190
Phone: | 1-866-644-8360 (toll free)
TTY: Dial 711 to connect to the Telecommunication Relay Service
E-mail: crcl@dhs.gov