The author reports that their protests at an ICE facility, initially peaceful, have escalated in violence over the past few weeks. Last week, the author was assaulted by ICE agents. Today, despite arriving early to protest, the author was again thrown to the ground by an agent when ICE began transporting people. Notably, during this incident, one protester was taken inside the facility, and their current whereabouts are unknown.
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In a recent Supreme Court ruling, Justice Kavanaugh suggested that Americans roughed up by ICE agents can sue in federal court. However, civil rights attorneys are pushing back, noting the court’s conservative majority has made such cases difficult to win. The court has limited the ability to sue federal law enforcement for excessive force claims in prior decisions, including border incidents. Justice Sotomayor dissented, arguing the ruling allows targeting of Latinos.
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DOJ mulling rule that could restrict transgender individuals from owning guns, according to emerging discussions, is a deeply concerning development that raises fundamental questions about civil rights and the scope of the Second Amendment. It’s as though the very essence of “shall not be infringed” is being tested, not just in theory, but in the lived reality of a vulnerable population. The implications are far-reaching, and the potential consequences are truly unsettling.
If the Justice Department decides to move forward and disqualify transgender individuals from owning firearms, it would rely on a federal law that already restricts people who have been “adjudicated as mental defectives.”… Continue reading
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will soon have access to Graphite, a sophisticated hacking tool capable of infiltrating any mobile phone, including encrypted applications, following the lifting of a pause on a contract with Paragon Solutions. Despite the existence of an executive order limiting the use of spyware, ICE’s procurement of Graphite raises concerns due to the agency’s history of civil rights violations. The tool, designed outside the US, allows for tracking, message reading, photo access, and even the manipulation of the phone’s recorder, and has been previously used to target innocent individuals. Experts express concerns about the potential for misuse and the counterintelligence risks associated with using technology from a company that also serves foreign governments.
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In a significant development just before the 70th anniversary of his death, the federal government released thousands of pages of records concerning the 1955 lynching of Emmett Till. These documents, made public by the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board, offer insight into the Justice Department, FBI, and U.S. Commission on Civil Rights’ response to the murder. The records detail the abduction, torture, and killing of the 14-year-old, who was falsely accused of whistling at a white woman, and are released in accordance with the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Act of 2018. The newly released documents also include reports, telegrams, case files, and correspondences from various sources, including the NAACP, the White House, and J. Edgar Hoover.
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The Ninth Circuit Appeals Court upheld a restraining order, originally issued by a California federal court, prohibiting ICE from arresting individuals based solely on their apparent race or ethnicity, Spanish language use, or presence in specific locations. This ruling confirmed the unconstitutionality of ICE’s practices, which appeared to be driven by an undocumented arrest quota, despite government claims to the contrary. However, ICE seemingly ignored this legal directive, as evidenced by a video showing agents conducting a mass arrest in a Home Depot parking lot the very next day. This blatant disregard of the court order highlights a broader issue of government agencies acting with impunity, effectively daring authorities to enforce constitutional rights.
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The Trump administration is seeking a $1 billion settlement from UCLA after the Department of Justice accused the university of civil rights violations, including antisemitism. This action follows similar moves against other universities, such as Brown and Columbia, where the administration has paused or frozen federal funding over allegations of discrimination. UCLA is under scrutiny for its handling of protests related to the Israel-Hamas war and is the first public university to be targeted by the federal government. The university, which has already reached a $6 million settlement with Jewish students over the issue, is reviewing a document from the Department of Justice regarding the settlement request.
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US judge sentences ex-police officer to 33 months for violating civil rights of Breonna Taylor. The news, as presented, immediately sparks a wave of reactions, ranging from utter disbelief to a tempered acknowledgement. It’s hard to ignore the immediate thought: 33 months feels woefully inadequate. It’s impossible to ignore the sentiment that the punishment, while better than a single day as initially proposed by the Justice Department, still feels like a slap on the wrist when considering the gravity of the situation. The comments echo the painful reality that the violation of someone’s civil rights, especially in the context of a fatal shooting, can seem to carry a sentence that barely scratches the surface of justice.… Continue reading
US citizen says he was jailed for three days after California immigration raid, and this is a story that demands attention. We’re talking about George Retes, a 25-year-old U.S. citizen and Army veteran, who says he was arrested by federal agents during an immigration raid at a California cannabis farm. The thing that really sticks is that he was held for three days without any explanation. It sounds like something out of a movie, doesn’t it? But according to Retes, this actually happened.
Retes’s account paints a disturbing picture. He claims the federal agents, the very people meant to uphold the law, manhandled him.… Continue reading
The Fourth of July prompts reflection on the gap between America’s ideals and its realities, especially with current challenges to democracy and civil rights. Despite a history of marginalized communities experiencing exclusion, a dangerous backslide is occurring with an anti-democratic campaign eroding rights and stoking division. However, despair is not an option, as grassroots action and community engagement are crucial for building a more inclusive democracy. To this end, individuals should connect with others, envision a better future, and act today by engaging those directly affected by injustice and reimagining institutions.
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John Q. Hosedrinker 
Matt Underwood