The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has officially closed its immigration detention watchdog office, which was responsible for investigating abuse and misconduct within immigration detention facilities. This decision has sparked significant controversy as it occurs concurrently with reports of increased use of force and rising death tolls in ICE custody. The DHS attributes the closure to a funding lapse, effectively ending an independent agency role that monitored federal immigration detention abuses. The shutdown raises serious human rights concerns, especially given the recent spike in detainee fatalities.