CIVIL RIGHTS POLICIES, ANALYSIS, AND RESOURCES
Latest Civil Rights Posts
The Effects of and a Possible Solution to the Problem of Partisan Gerrymandering
On September 12, 2017, the United States Supreme Court issued a ruling that temporarily prevented implementation of a federal district court ruling that found state electoral districts in Texas were illegally drawn to suppress minority voters. This ruling comes on the heels of the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 2017 decision…
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Request To Destroy Detention Records
On July 14, 2017, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) published a little-seen notice in the Federal Register that showed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had requested permission to destroy controversial detention records. The records that were targeted for destruction were of ICE detainee…
The Charlottesville Demonstration and the Hate Crime and Domestic Terrorism Labels
On August 13, 2017, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that the Department of Justice would launch an investigation into the events of a white supremacist rally and counter – protest in Charlottesville, Virginia that left one woman dead and scores of others injured. Heather Heyer, a white woman, was killed when…
Department of Justice Policy on Media Leaks
On August 4, 2017, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that in order to combat “leaks” of highly classified materials threatening national security he has ordered a review of policies affecting “media subpoenas.” The Department of Justice policy currently in place regarding the obtaining of information from members of the…
Attorney General Sessions’ Reinstatement of “Federal Adoption” Technique in DoJ Asset Forfeiture Program
On July 19, 2017, Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued an order that sought to reinstate and expand an asset seizure technique, which is known as “federal adoption.” This technique applies to assets and property seized by local law enforcement officers. State and local governments first seize…
Tax Implications of Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia, Inc. v. Comer
On June 26, 2017, in a separation of church and state case, the United States Supreme Court issued its decision in Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia, Inc. v. Comer. In a 7 – 2 decision, the court ruled that the “express policy of denying grants to any applicant owned or controlled by a church, sect or other religious entity violated…
U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Investigating Civil Rights Enforcement Under The Trump Administration
On June 16, 2017, the United States Commission on Civil Rights stated its concern with the Trump Administration’s proposed budget cuts to civil rights offices throughout the Federal Government. As a result, the Commission unanimously approved a two-year comprehensive…
Congress Takes Bipartisan Action to Counter Attorney General Jeff Session’s Charging and Sentencing Policy
On May 10, 2017, Attorney General Jeff Sessions put forth the “Department Charging and Sentencing Policy” for all federal prosecutors. The memorandum instructs all federal prosecutors to [1] charge and pursue the most serious readily provable offense and [2] disclose to the sentencing…
U.S. Census Bureau Announces That It Will Not Include Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity As A Category For Data Collection
Last year, in April 2016, Members of Congress asked the United States Census Bureau to include “sexual orientation and gender identity” as a subject that Americans can be asked to be categorized as in the upcoming 2020 Census. Nearly a year later…