"When Jennifer Ibanez Whitlock was an immigration attorney, she would tell clients in detention to look for the hummingbird logo. The hummingbird floated on the tablets of case managers working for the Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman, one of three oversight offices at the Homeland Security Department. Along with those from the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, these government employees were supposed to help immigration advocates like Whitlock handle the immediate needs of people in detention."
"Or it could be handling complaints about the use of solitary detention, sexual assault or issues with infants in detention. The Trump administration earlier cut hundreds of staff in these congressionally mandated offices in order to save money and because DHS argued they were "internal adversaries that slow down operations." This included federal employees who conducted regular visits to detention centers, reviewed and investigated complaints about detention conditions."
Former immigration attorney Jennifer Ibanez Whitlock directed detainees to look for a hummingbird logo on tablets of case managers from the Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman. The Ombudsman and the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties staffed personnel to address medication, culturally appropriate diets, solitary confinement complaints, sexual assault allegations, and infant-care concerns in detention. The Trump administration cut hundreds of staff in these congressionally mandated oversight offices, citing savings and labeling them internal adversaries. The staff reductions removed personnel who visited detention centers, investigated complaints, and prepared reports for Congress, leaving unclear who now monitors detainee civil-rights protections.
Read at www.npr.org
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