When governments hold people in detention, you'd expect there's someone watching to ensure proper conditions and conduct. But a crucial independent agency tasked with this very oversight for immigration facilities just shut down, leaving a significant gap.
The Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman (OIDO) recently ceased operations due to a funding lapse, sparking concerns about accountability.
OIDO was created by Congress in 2019 to provide independent oversight of immigration detention facilities under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).