Protecting Civil and Human Rights
Federal law enforcement agencies should protect the public — and they should be accountable to the people when they fail to do so. But too often, federal agencies and officers abuse their power and operate in secrecy. They disproportionately abuse the rights of people of color, and there’s often no way to get justice. We deserve transparent, accountable federal law enforcement, not agencies with wide-ranging powers that operate in secrecy. When federal law enforcement violates people’s rights, they should have to answer to the people. The government doesn’t do enough to rein in overreach and to hold federal law enforcement responsible for misdeeds. We are working to reform policies that allow rights violations and fighting for changes that would hold federal law enforcement agencies and agents accountable.
Federal law establishes the right to sue state and local officials for constitutional rights violations, but there’s no equivalent for federal officials. So if a Customs and Border Protection official violates your rights, you can rarely successfully seek legal recourse.
The Border Patrol’s vast enforcement zone has enabled the agency to set up checkpoints far away from the border. This has left undocumented people living in fear, as agents have abused their authority to arrest anyone for little reason.
A 2014 law requires state and federal law enforcement to provide data on people who die while in custody. That data should inform policy changes to decrease deaths in custody. But after years of failed reporting, the data is still incomplete.
Border Patrol policy allows agents to conduct searches without probable cause or a warrant. They can do this anywhere in the “border zone” that extends 100 miles from every U.S. border and includes nine of the nation’s 10 most populous metro areas.
Though most federal law enforcement officials are banned from racial profiling, Customs and Border Protection is exempt from that policy. At least one study has found that Border Patrol agents are significantly more likely to stop Latino drivers.
Add your name to demand DOJ use all the tools it has under federal law to gather complete, accurate, and transparent data on deaths in custody.
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