The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has laid off over 100 workers from three oversight offices, including the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, according to a Trump administration official and former officials. These layoffs were part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to reduce government spending. The affected workers were informed that they would be placed on paid leave as part of a restructuring plan. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin stated that these offices had hindered immigration enforcement efforts, adding bureaucratic hurdles and undermining DHS’s mission. McLaughlin added that the offices would be subject to layoffs. Trump has been cracking down on immigration since taking office, and the downsizing of these offices is part of a larger plan to reduce the size and scope of the federal government. The DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties investigates rights violations within the department and handles complaints from the public. Two other targeted offices were the Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman and the Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman, which served similar oversight functions. Thousands of workers who were fired in Trump’s efforts to reduce the government workforce have sued to have their jobs reinstated by federal judges.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/21/us-homeland-security-guts-three-oversight-offices