US immigration agency creates ombudsman's post

Tampa Star (IANS) Wednesday 8th February, 2012

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

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