Developing Civil Rights Measures in US Homeland Security

Human Rights Watch has been working with administration officials, congressional aides, and other nongovernmental colleagues to develop civil rights oversight and accountability mechanisms within the Department of Homeland Security. The Migration Policy Institute recently released a report that analyzed the impact of the U.S. government's policies on domestic security and civil liberties. The report, which was prepared by a team of experts on national security, immigration and civil liberties issues, recommends, among other things, that a senior-level position devoted to monitoring civil liberties be created within the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security, a recommendation that Human Rights Watch has urged the administration to adopt.