Congress creates an immigration detention ombudsman in the 2020 appropriations act

President Trump signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020 (P.L. 116-93) on December 20, 2019, with Section 106 creating the Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman (OIDO). OIDO was granted independent authority to receive detainee complaints, conduct announced and unannounced facility inspections, review detention contracts, and report directly to the DHS Secretary and Congress. It was the first civilian oversight structure specifically designed for ICE detention since the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952.