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  3. CRCL Recommendation and Investigation Memos Collection

CRCL Recommendation and Investigation Memos Collection

The DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties reviews and investigates civil rights and civil liberties complaints and alleged abuses filed by the public regarding DHS policies and activities. The investigations involve a range of alleged abuses, including violation of rights while in immigration detention. CRCL issues recommendations to the relevant DHS Component aimed at addressing any civil rights or civil liberties concerns identified as part of its investigation. Redacted memos and other documents related to these investigations are included in this library.

  • Retention Memo to ICE Concerning Otay Mesa Detention Center

    CRCL has received allegations that ICE violated the civil rights and civil liberties of detainees at the Otay Mesa Detention Center (OMDC) in San Diego County, California.

  • Recommendations Memo Concerning Richwood Correctional Center

    CRCL conducted an onsite investigation into conditions of detention for ICE detainees at the Richwood Correctional Center in Richwood, Louisiana on February 20-21, 2020. CRCL's review of Richwood focused in large part on operations in the areas of medical care, mental health care, environmental health and safety, and conditions of confinement.

  • Recommendations Memo to CBP Concerning Treatment of Children with Disabilities

    This memorandum provides policy recommendations to protect the well-being of children with disabilities and promote the family unity of families including children with disabilities “to the greatest extent operationally feasible” while in (CBP custody. Accordingly, this memorandum provides policy recommendations with an aim to reinforce existing CBP policy as stated in CBP’s National Standards on Transportation, Escort, Detention, and Search (TEDS) (October 2015) to maintain family unity to the greatest extent operationally feasible.

  • Recommendations Memo Concerning the Pine Prairie Detention Center

    CRCL conducted an investigation into conditions of detention for ICE detainees at the Pine Prairie Detention Center in Pine Prairie, Louisiana.  CRCL's review of Pine Prairie focused in large part on operations in the areas of medical care, mental health care, environmental health and safety, and conditions of confinement.

  • Retention Memo for Onsite Investigation at Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas

    CRCL received complaints alleging that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has violated individuals’ civil rights and civil liberties at the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas. The allegations raised and reviewed involved medical care, food, and disability access. 

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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. 

  • 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.