US immigration agency creates ombudsman’s post
February 8th, 2012 - 1:39 pm ICT by IANSWashington, Feb 8 (IANS/EFE) US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Tuesday designated Andrew Lorenzen-Strait to be the agency’s first public advocate as part of “ongoing detention reform and other enforcement-related initiatives”.
Lorenzen-Strait will act as a “point of contact” for the public, including people who are subjected to immigration proceedings, non-governmental organizations and other community groups who want to express a concern or raise an issue with ICE.
“As our first public advocate, Andrew Lorenzen-Strait will work to expand and enhance our dialogue with the stakeholder community,” ICE Director John Morton said in a statement. “We want the public to know that they have a representative at this agency whose sole duty is to ensure their voice is heard and their interests are recognized.”
The creation of the post is one of the many reforms put into place in recent months by the Department of Homeland Security to devote federal resources to matters affecting public safety, border monitoring and the immigration system.
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has said on numerous occasions that the deportations conducted by ICE in recent months have focused on people with criminal records.
–IANS/EFE
rd
- US deports nearly 400,000 immigrants - Oct 07, 2010
- US deported 396,000 in 2011 fiscal year - Oct 19, 2011
- US to let illegal students stay and work - Aug 19, 2011
- US suspends deportation of Haitians after quake - Jan 14, 2010
- Janet Napolitano: the Justice Department to review Arizona immigration law - Apr 28, 2010
- Lawmaker arrested in immigration protest at White House - Jul 28, 2011
- 9/11 changed life along US-Mexico border - Sep 11, 2011
- Obama repeats promise of immigration reform - Jul 26, 2011
- US had 11.5 mn undocumented immigrants in 2011 - Mar 26, 2012
- US calls for vigilance against 9/11 threat - Sep 10, 2011
- Top US customs official quits - Dec 23, 2011
- US facing highest terror threat since 9/11: Homeland Security chief - Feb 10, 2011
- 40 migrants detained in raids on US restaurant chain - Apr 21, 2011
- Top US official to meet Chidambaram - May 11, 2011
- US agents seen carousing in El Salvador: Report - Apr 27, 2012
Tags: department of homeland, department of homeland security, deportations, director john, efe, federal resources, governmental organizations, immigration agency, immigration and customs enforcement, immigration proceedings, immigration system, janet napolitano, john morton, lorenzen, ombudsman, point of contact, public advocate, sole duty, stakeholder community, us immigration and customs enforcement