§ 242 (deprivation of rights under color of law), or other federal laws. § 241 (conspiracy against rights), 18 U.S.C. Launch criminal investigations into cases where there is substantial evidence of violations of 18 U.S.C.If the changes are found to have violated the law, the Justice Department should officially acknowledge the discrimination and illegality, and cease defending the policies in court. Review factual evidence that will shed light on whether policy changes were motivated by discriminatory intent or were otherwise in violation of the law.In order to end these violations and ensure accountability, we ask that you create a Justice Department task force to investigate credible allegations of serious violations of individual rights by federal officials starting with the past four years, with authority to: Moreover, he reportedly authorized the tear gassing of peaceful protesters in Lafayette Square, and deployed heavily armed federal agents whose uniforms did not display their name, badge number, or other identifying information, and who, in some cases, refused to tell protestors or journalists what agency employed them. Then-Attorney General Barr denounced Black Lives Matter protestors as “essentially Bolsheviks” whose “tactics are fascistic,” and branded cities that declined to press charges against protestors as “anarchist jurisdictions,” all while disregarding extensive evidence that police were using excessive force against demonstrators. Last summer, rather than restart vigorous oversight as protests against police brutality spread across the country, then-Attorney General William Barr both encouraged and authorized use of excessive force against protestors. Then-Attorney General Sessions also all but ended the Justice Department’s use of “pattern or practice” investigations to address abusive police conduct. There are pending lawsuits challenging over 100 of the Trump administration’s policies. The Trump administration also banned immigrants based on their nationality and religion virtually eliminated legal protections for unaccompanied children and asylum seekers and detained both children and adults in deplorable conditions, leading to a large increase in the number of deaths in custody. 2įamily separation was only one of a long series of violations of the rights of noncitizens. attorneys on a conference call that “we need to take away children.” 1 Then-Attorney General Sessions, who refused to be interviewed for the report, and then-Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein instructed prosecutors not to decline cases even if they resulted in separation of very young children. A recent report by the Department of Justice Inspector General found that then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions was “a driving force” behind the policy, telling U.S. The most notorious example is the “zero tolerance” policy, which used prosecutions for misdemeanor immigration offenses to separate children from their parents for prolonged periods of time, or even permanently. The prior administration, including the Department of Justice, repeatedly violated individual rights over the past four years. Investigate and acknowledge the previous administration’s violations of individual rights. We ask you to change that by launching investigations into the previous administration’s violations of individual rights links between law enforcement officials and white supremacist groups and then-President Donald Trump’s efforts to deprive U.S. But the department has a mixed history of living up to those commitments, and for the last four years it has been more likely to commit violations of fundamental rights than to hold officials accountable for violations. As such, we ask you to act quickly, should you be confirmed, to restore the Department of Justice’s commitment to civil rights and the rule of law.Īs you and President Joe Biden noted on the day he announced your nomination, the Department of Justice was founded after the Civil War in part to enforce compliance with the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments. We champion reforms to achieve a more effective, ethical, and accountable federal government that safeguards constitutional principles. We are a nonpartisan independent watchdog that investigates and exposes waste, corruption, abuse of power, and when the government fails to serve the public or silences those who report wrongdoing. The Project On Government Oversight congratulates you on your nomination as attorney general.
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