If you have ever assumed that reporting an agent’s abuse was impossible as an immigrant, this news carries two messages at once: there is a documented problem, and there are legal channels and protections many people do not know exist.
At Campos Law Firm, we closely monitor developments in U.S. immigration policy to protect our clients’ rights and future. Below, we explain precisely what the report says, and what someone who suffered abuse can do.
What is happening?
On August 18, 2026, the organization Ohio Immigrant Alliance published a report titled “Worst of the Worst,” written by its executive director, Lynn Tramonte. Noticias Telemundo covered it on September 1.
The report compiles 152 cases involving agents, officers, and contractors of immigration agencies — chiefly Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) — linked to sexual or violent offenses, most against women and children. The cases span from the 1980s through August 2026. It expands a July 2026 report that listed 59 cases.
Precision matters here, because it separates a useful figure from an unfair headline. As reported by the Ohio Capital Journal, 56 percent of the 152 had been sentenced and 18 percent had been formally charged. For the remainder, no public procedural stage is confirmed. Being on the list is not a conviction, and it should be read that way.
Other reported findings: roughly 90 percent of cases involve allegations of sexual abuse or gender-based violence; about 45 percent involve alleged abuse of official authority; and 35 cases fall within the last 19 months.
DHS responded. A spokesperson said the ICE Office of Professional Responsibility “diligently applies the proper personnel vetting regulations” and that “we take allegations regarding misconduct seriously.”
Why does this matter to the oversight debate?
Because complaint mechanisms shrank sharply just as enforcement activity grew.
According to analysis by the organization WOLA, in March 2025 DHS issued mass staff reductions at its three internal oversight offices: the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL) went from 147 employees to roughly 30; the Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman (OIDO), from 118 to 5. Hundreds of already-open complaints were left pending.
The practical effect matters most to a victim: complaint intake by email and postal mail was eliminated, the web portal became nearly the only channel, and the forms are available only in English. Investigations also close if the person who complained is deported. The volume tells the story: OIDO received 280 complaints between March and December 2025, compared with 12,664 in fiscal year 2023.
A specific regulatory framework does exist. 6 C.F.R. Part 115 sets standards for preventing sexual abuse and assault: subpart A applies to ICE detention facilities, and subpart B to short-term holding facilities such as CBP stations.
How do you report abuse by an agent?
- DHS Inspector General hotline: 1-800-323-8603, toll-free, with an online form available. It is currently the most robust channel because it still has live phone intake. It covers border corruption and criminal misconduct by employees.
- CRCL and OIDO: they still exist, but with sharply reduced capacity and the limitations described above. Use them to create a record, not as your only route.
- Document immediately: date, time, place, agency, badge number if you saw it, witness names, photographed injuries, and medical care sought. Keep everything written and dated.
- Seek medical attention, even if it seems minor. The medical record is evidence.
- Talk to an attorney before signing statements or agreeing to a formal interview.
- Do not rely on a single channel: file the complaint and, in parallel, consult an attorney and detention monitoring organizations.
One honest warning: filing a complaint does not stop a deportation, and as explained, an investigation can close if the person is removed. That is why sequence matters: legal advice first, then the complaint, and both as early as possible.
What protects an immigrant who reports?
There are legal tools designed for exactly this, and they are underused:
- U visa (Form I-918): for victims of certain serious crimes, including sexual assault, who suffered substantial physical or mental harm and cooperate with the investigation. It requires Supplement I-918B, a certification signed by an authority. There is an annual cap of 10,000 principal visas and long waiting lists.
- T visa (Form I-914): for victims of severe forms of human trafficking.
- VAWA (Form I-360): a self-petition for spouses, children, and parents abused by U.S. citizens or permanent residents, without the abuser’s involvement.
One structural obstacle deserves to be said plainly: the I-918B certification is discretionary, no authority is obligated to sign it, and when the alleged abuser is a federal agent, the investigating agency may be the same one that employs them. That is one reason for underreporting, alongside fear of deportation.
As for suing a federal agent for damages, that path narrowed considerably: the Supreme Court in Egbert v. Boule (2022) declined to extend a damages remedy against border agents. What remains is the Federal Tort Claims Act, which runs against the United States rather than the individual officer and requires exhausting an administrative claim first.
Protect Your Rights with Campos Law Firm
No report substitutes for the analysis of an individual case, and no legal route is guaranteed. But it is true that many people never report because they believe they have no options, and that belief is rarely accurate: a victim of a serious crime can have both an immigration case and a path to protection.
At Campos Law Firm we assess confidentially whether your situation fits any of these categories and what risks each step carries. Do not leave your immigration status to chance. Call us today at +1 (844) 922-6767 to schedule a free, confidential consultation in English or Spanish. Campos Law Firm: Legal Solutions in All Areas of Law.
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