Led by HSI, the HRVWCC leverages the expertise of criminal investigators, attorneys, historians, intelligence analysts and federal partners to provide a whole of government approach to prevent the United States from becoming a safe haven for individuals who commit war crimes, genocide, torture and other human rights abuses around the globe.

The Center focuses on:

1. Identifying, investigating, prosecuting, and removing human rights violators and war criminals found within the jurisdiction of the United States.
2. Preventing entry into the United States of known or suspected human rights violators and war criminals.

HRVWCC also works with foreign law enforcement and international partners and tribunals to further global accountability. HSI team members, joined by our HRVWCC partners, are organized into regional support teams (RST) that cover the geographic areas of the Americas, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

The HRVWCC is the only U.S. government entity focused entirely on investigating these global atrocities.

Whole of Government Approach

The HRVWCC comprises the following agencies and components:

• Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, Human Rights Violators Law Division
• Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations
• DHS, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
• DHS, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
• FBI, International Human Rights Unit
• U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Criminal Division, Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP)
• DOJ’s Civil Division, Office of Immigration Litigation
• U.S. Department of State’s (DOS) Bureau of Consular Affairs
• DOS’ Diplomatic Security Service
• U.S. Department of Defense, Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, Special Investigations Field Office

Specialized Investigative Support Teams (IST)

Created in 2008, the HRVWCC has three specialized investigative support teams (IST) whose reach is not limited to a specific geographical area.

Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C)

The FGM/C works closely with federal, state, and foreign law enforcement partners, as well as child protective officials, non-profit organizations, medical and educational professionals, and FGM/C survivors, to protect women and girls by investigating cases of FGM/C and conducting outreach and training to end the practice. FGM/C is a human rights abuse, a form of gender-based violence, and, when performed on children, a form of child abuse. It is against federal law (18 U.S.C. § 116) to perform FGM/C in the United States on a girl under the age of 18, or for the parent, caretaker, or guardian of a girl under the age of 18 to facilitate or consent to FGM/C being performed on her. It is also against the law to send or attempt to send a minor outside the United States for FGM/C to be performed.

HRVWCC’s Global Magnitsky Investigative Support Team (GloMag IST)

GloMag IST was created in 2018 following the issuance of Executive Order (E.O.) 13818, “Blocking the Property of Persons Involved in Serious Human Rights Abuse or Corruption.”

E.O. 13818 builds upon and implements the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, and targets perpetrators of corruption and serious human rights abuse. The GloMag IST identifies and nominates individuals and/or entities for Global Magnitsky sanctions as part of an inter-agency process that includes the Departments of Treasury, Justice, and State. The team also produces investigative referrals for HSI field offices when there is a potential for criminal, civil or administrative action.

HSI’s Human Rights Target Tracking Team (HRT3)

The HRT3 is comprised of criminal research specialists and intelligence analysts. These specialists are dedicated to identifying suspected human rights violators and war criminals abroad and to preventing their entry into the United States. The HRVWCC has worked closely with its CBP and DOS partners to identify known or suspected human rights violators and to place lookouts on them in appropriate databases. These records permit consular officers overseas, CBP officers at United States’ ports of entry, and USCIS officers adjudicating benefit applications with relevant information to assist them in determining whether an individual should be permitted to enter the United States.

Operation Limelight USA

Operation Limelight USA (OLLUSA) is HSI’s premier Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) outreach and education program. OLLUSA was created in 2017 to educate and provide outreach on the health, criminal, and immigration consequences of FGM to the traveling public at international airports across the U.S. Since its creation, HSI OLLUSA has provided outreach and education at 15 airports across the U.S. reaching thousands of passengers. OLLUSA has been recognized both domestically and internationally as an important outreach effort to combat FGM by the Women in Federal Law Enforcement and the World Class Policing Awards.

The HSI-led Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center is the primary U.S. government entity charged with responding to allegations of FGM and supports investigations into allegations of FGM committed by domestic practitioners, parents who intend to subject their daughters to FGM and instances of taking a child abroad for the purposes of committing FGM. FGM is recognized internationally as a form of gender-based violence, a serious human rights abuse, and when practiced on children, a serious form of child abuse. FGM on children is a crime under federal law (18 U.S.C. § 116) and in 41 states.