ACLU Calls on Congress to to Hold Federal Agents Accountable by Allowing People to Sue Them for Rights Violations

Civil Rights Groups and Survivors of Federal Law Enforcement Abuse Urge Congress to Pass Accountability Legislation During Community Safety Week

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The American Civil Liberties Union, the Institute for Justice, ACLU affiliates from ten states, and survivors of federal law enforcement abuse are on Capitol Hill this week for the ACLU’s third annual Community Safety Week, calling on Congress to pass legislation to ensure accountability when law enforcement officers violate constitutional rights.
Community Safety Week comes at a moment of escalating threats to public safety from the Trump administration. Last year, the Department of Justice slashed about $500 million dollars in federal grants to organizations working to deliver safety and justice. Meanwhile, the administration is siphoning money to expand their reckless mass deportation campaign. Communities across the country are facing the consequences, as federal agents tear through communities, making unlawful arrests, and brutalizing families and people exercising their First Amendment rights.
At the same time, existing civil rights laws leave little recourse for people whose constitutional rights are violated by law enforcement officers. Without meaningful consequences, reckless and abusive behavior is more likely to continue. Advocates urged Congress to act now to close this accountability gap.
“I’m here because families like mine deserve justice when law enforcement violates our rights,” said Teyana Gibson Brown, a lead plaintiff in a case challenging unlawful federal enforcement practices in Minneapolis. “Masked and heavily armed ICE agents used a battering ram to illegally break into my home, point guns at my family, arrest my husband, and put all of our lives in danger, including my nine-year-old daughter. No family should have to go through what we did, and we deserve to have our day in court to make that clear.”
Throughout the week, advocates met with members of Congress to advance two pieces of legislation that would create clear pathways to hold law enforcement officers accountable for constitutional violations, the Bivens Act and the Constitutional Accountability Act.
“The Trump administration has created a recipe for disaster: flooding our streets with militarized agents and encouraging violence, all while telling them they can’t be held accountable for the harm they cause,” said Nicole Ndumele, director of the ACLU’s Policy and Government Affairs, Justice Division. “No one should be above the law, including federal agents. When government officials violate people’s rights, there must be a clear path to accountability, just as there would be for anyone else. With the vast majority of Americans demanding justice, now is the time for Congress to take meaningful action to protect civil rights and community safety.”
Recent polling from the ACLU shows that by more than a 4-to-1 margin, Americans across political lines support stronger police accountability measures.
“Whether it’s ATF agents violating the Second Amendment, ICE violating the Fourth, or the IRS violating the First,” said Patrick Jaicomo, director of the Institute for Justice’s Project on Immunity and Accountability. “Individuals who have their rights violated by federal officials must have a remedy in federal courts. It’s long past time for Congress to place federal officials on the same accountability footing as their state counterparts.”