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File a Civil Rights Complaint

About the Complaints Process

Under 6 U.S.C. § 345 and 42 U.S.C. § 2000ee-1, the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL) reviews and assesses information concerning abuses of civil rights, civil liberties, and profiling on the basis of race, ethnicity, or religion, by employees and officials of the Department of Homeland Security.

In 2011, CRCL undertook a review of its complaints process and made many improvements. Review a flowchart (PDF, 1 page - 77 KB) of our process.

CRCL reviews and assesses complaints such as:

  • Discrimination based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, or disability
  • Violation of rights while in immigration detention or as a subject of immigration enforcement
  • Discrimination or inappropriate questioning related to entry into the United States
  • Violation of right to due process, such as right to timely notice of charges or access to lawyer
  • Violation of the Violence Against Women Act's confidentiality requirements
  • Physical abuse or any other type of abuse
  • Any other civil rights, civil liberties, or human rights violation related to a Department program or activity

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File a Complaint

If you wish to file a complaint with the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, please download this fillable complaint form (PDF, 7 pages - 212 KB) and e-mail it back to crcl@dhs.gov, or provide a detailed written description of the pertinent events.

  • Contact information. Full name, date of birth, A-number if applicable, phone number, mailing address, and e-mail address if available.
  • A written description of the specific circumstances. This should include date, time and location; name(s) and contact information of any witness(es); and name and agency or component of the individual(s) alleged to have committed the violation, if available. Please be as specific as possible in describing the circumstances surrounding your complaint so that we can determine on what basis you are alleging abuse.
  • Relevant documents. Copies of any paperwork related to the complaint or its circumstances.
  • A summary of other steps taken, if any, to resolve this complaint. For example, steps could include e-mail communications with a Department component agency regarding your complaint, or letters written to the Department Office of the Inspector General.
  • Complaints filed on behalf of a third party. If you are writing on behalf of someone else and wish to receive information which relates to them or their complaint, you must provide express written consent from that individual authorizing the Department to share information with you about the complaint. You must also provide your name, organization (if any), and contact information.

Complaints are accepted in languages other than English, including (but not limited to):

If your complaint is more appropriately handled by a different federal office, we will refer it to that office. In order to investigate your complaint, CRCL will disclose the information regarding your complaint to other appropriate Department of Homeland Security offices, including the Office of the Inspector General. CRCL may also disclose certain information from your complaint if we are required by law to do so or if there is no privacy impact. For example, we send reports to Congress every three months about complaints submitted by the public. Those reports describe the types of complaints, and do not include personal information. Read our past reports.

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DHS Complaint Avenues Guidance 

The Department has many avenues for the public to make complaints involving DHS employees or programs, alleged violations of civil rights and civil liberties, immigration filing, travel redress, and other types of grievances. This guide brings together information about these avenues.
 

Submit Your Complaint

You can contact this office to file your complaint in a number of different ways.

  • E-mail: crcl@dhs.gov (the fastest method to submit your complaint)
  • U.S. Postal Mail: (this method can take up to 20 business days)
    Department of Homeland Security
    Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
    Review and Compliance
    245 Murray Lane, SW
    Building 410, Mail Stop #0190
    Washington, D.C. 20528
  • Package/Overnight Delivery: Please contact CRCL for information on sending a package.
  • Telephone:
    • Local: 202-401-1474
    • Toll Free: 1-866-644-8360
    • Local TTY: 202-401-0470
    • Toll Free TTY: 1-866-644-8361

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