Trump administration officials have vowed that there will be no change to “essential” ICE operations during the ongoing government shutdown – but the office that inspects detention centers to ensure humane standards has gone dark.
ICE, thanks a massive $170 billion infusion of funds to its parent agency the Department of Homeland Security this summer, is in a better financial position than most government agencies at the moment, but that hasn’t stopped officials from temporarily shuttering ICE’s Office of Detention Oversight, despite an ongoing surge in detainee deaths
Homeland Security confirmed to The Washington Post on Monday that the office was closed for the time being, blaming Democrats for causing the shutdown.
That means the department lacks its primary oversight tool to inspect conditions for the roughly 60,000 migrants being detained in government and private facilities across the country, at a time when detainees and lawyers say conditions in immigration detention are deteriorating rapidly.
The Independent has contacted ICE for comment on whether the agency is still conducting other forms of oversight during the shutdown.
At least 17 people died in immigration detention this fiscal year, which ended in September, up from 12 in the previous period, marking one of the deadliest years for immigration detainees in the last two decades.
While DHS operations continue at a rapid clip, including controversial heavily armed deployments to cities like Chicago, other agencies have suffered greater losses during the shutdown.
DHS has said it expects to furlough about 8 percent of staff, while the Environmental Protection Agency expects to furlough 89 percent, the Education Department may furlough up to 87 percent, and the Department of Commerce could furlough 81 percent.
The Congressional Budget Office has estimated some 750,000 federal employees will be furloughed each day of the shutdown, with some agencies like the Defense Department experiencing massive changes, with plans to furlough up to 334,000 members of its civilian workforce.
The impact of these furloughs and reduced operations are already being felt on the ground.
Seven million mothers and young children on the Women, Infants and Children food aide program could lose benefits within the next two weeks, and national park lands have already scaled back operations and staffing.
