Cuts to immigration oversight and support agencies will worsen beleaguered process, attorney says

(FOX 2) - Key offices in the Department of Homeland Security that detail with immigration, supporting people with questions about their citizenship as well as offering oversight of the detention of immigrants have been cut.

Attorneys in metro Detroit worry it will turn a beleaguered immigration system into a nightmare, forcing processes to slow down even more.

Big picture view:

The DHS has cut agencies that deal with oversight of the detention of immigrants and helping answer questions one might have about their citizenship.

Framed by the Trump administration as a cost-cutting measure that removes obstructions to immigration enforcement, local attorneys say it will make a slow process even harder to navigate.

Russell Abrutyn said his team is worried about both their clients and their families and was left surprised the agency was cut.

"This is one of the aspects of the immigration system that seemed to work well," he said.

The Citizens Immigration Services Ombudsman Office was the place to turn to when documents were lost, mishandled, or improperly denied or delayed.

Now, anyone who has questions will need to turn to either a member of Congress or the federal courts - a costly alternative.

Dig deeper:

The USCIS wasn't the only office to get hit. 

Also cut was the Office of Civil Rights and Liberties and the Immigration Detention Ombudsman - two groups that provide oversight of civil detainees to ensure they aren't being harmed.

"And those are two other subdivisions that help ensure that the agencies are following the law that civil detainees aren’t being physically abused or sexually assaulted and that people’s rights are being respected," said Abrutyn.

A statement from the DHS reads: "These offices have obstructed immigration enforcement by adding bureaucratic hurdles and undermining DHS’s mission. Rather than supporting law enforcement efforts, they often function as internal adversaries that slow down operations."