All articles tagged with #civil liberties
George Retes, a 26-year-old U.S. citizen and Army veteran, says ICE detained him for three days during his commute to work in Ventura County without charges, access to an attorney or family, or information about his case, and he has filed a lawsuit against the federal government with the Institute for Justice, accusing the detention of violating his constitutional rights and naming several federal agencies as defendants.
The Department of Homeland Security has issued hundreds of subpoenas to major social platforms to uncover identities behind anonymous accounts that criticize ICE or expose agents’ locations; DHS says the data is needed to protect officers, but civil liberties advocates warn it threatens privacy and free expression, noting many subpoenas are withdrawn before court review and the ACLU is offering legal help to affected users.
Federal judges are pushing back against executive overreach. Judge Richard J. Leon issued a lengthy, exclamation-filled 29-page ruling blocking Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s attempt to censure Sen. Mark Kelly for defending military personnel’s duty to refuse unconstitutional orders, underscoring First Amendment protections for legislators and retirees. In a separate case, Judge James Boasberg criticized the administration for defying court orders and insisted on facilitating the return of Venezuelans and allowing challenges to their deportations, reflecting ongoing lower-court resistance to executive non-compliance.
A 67-year-old retiree says Homeland Security investigators arrived at his home and issued an administrative subpoena hours after he emailed a federal prosecutor criticizing a deportation case, highlighting DHS’s use of broad, oversight-light subpoenas that civil-liberties groups warn could chill speech. Google notified him of a data-requisition tied to the case, though the agency reportedly did not obtain his information, and DHS describes the subpoenas as part of a criminal investigation.
Following the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by ICE agents in Minneapolis, nearly 80,000 people joined a Monday online ICE observer training and about 200,000 more watched the recording on YouTube within 24 hours, fueling a nationwide rise in citizen groups documenting federal enforcement. Organizers say observers deter detentions and push accountability, even as officials cast monitoring in a negative light and the DOJ announced it would investigate Pretti’s death. Activists across the country are expanding safety measures, anonymizing communications, and coordinating with legal aid networks to support communities under ICE activity, signaling a broader, risk-aware push to document and resist enforcement practices.
Clayton Kelly, a witness to the morning killing of nurse Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis, says he was tackled, pepper-sprayed, and detained by agents as observers watched; his phone was confiscated and he received little medical care, with another eyewitness corroborating the account. The episode underscores concerns about retaliation against civilians documenting immigration enforcement, a issue tied to a federal lawsuit and an injunction aimed at curbing such retaliation.
Federal agents are widening immigration enforcement across Minnesota and other states, leveraging biometric data, facial recognition, license-plate readers, and mobile apps like Mobile Fortify to identify individuals; while authorities say the tools aid enforcement, civil-liberties groups warn the expanding data networks risk sweeping up citizens and noncitizens alike with limited oversight.
The chief judge of Minnesota’s federal court ordered acting ICE director Todd Lyons to personally appear in court on Friday to explain why the agency has not complied with dozens of court orders, including missing a detainee’s bond hearing. Judge Patrick Schiltz said Lyons could be held in contempt and would cancel the hearing if the detainee is released, as protests over ICE tactics persist amid critics of the Trump immigration crackdown following fatal enforcement actions earlier this month.
A memo proposing that ICE be allowed to forcibly enter private homes without a judge’s warrant has sparked alarm among immigrant communities and civil-liberties advocates, who warn it could erode due process and escalate raids; officials say the policy would streamline enforcement in certain cases and enhance safety, but opponents argue it undermines constitutional protections and trust in law enforcement.
A May 2025 ICE memo, revealed by a whistleblower and AP, would authorize agents to forcefully enter homes using administrative warrants without judicial review, bypassing traditional Fourth Amendment safeguards. Legal scholars warn this could erode civil liberties, while DHS defends the measure as allowing due process; the disclosure has sparked alarms among lawmakers and rights advocates.
Hundreds of students at Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda walked out during fifth period to protest ICE activity on school grounds and pressed Montgomery County Public Schools to adopt a policy barring ICE enforcement on campus and to educate students on civil liberties. Organizers Evan Schwartz and Dalia Rees framed the action as part of broader youth political engagement; a freshman shared fears about identification and safety. District officials outlined existing visitor procedures and reaffirmed students’ right to peaceful assembly, noting that walkouts can result in unexcused absences.
LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in an internal email that an employee of his office was 'wrongfully detained' by ICE and later released. Hochman called the incident 'unacceptable' and noted the staffer was not a prosecutor or protester; he urged federal authorities to respect residents' rights. The episode adds to ongoing concerns about ICE raids and potential racial profiling amid lawsuits alleging Fourth Amendment violations.
A Minnesota federal judge ruled that federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol officers cannot detain or tear gas peaceful protesters who aren’t obstructing authorities, and cannot arrest drivers without probable cause or reasonable suspicion. The decision comes in a suit filed by six activists represented by the ACLU and is part of the ongoing Minneapolis–St. Paul crackdown, which has seen clashes between protesters and federal agents amid a fatal January incident.
In Robbinsdale, Minnesota (near Minneapolis), ICE agents began following Jose Roberto Ramirez, a 20-year-old U.S. citizen, after his vehicle was tailed around 11 a.m.—an incident that occurred one day after the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good and has prompted questions about ICE conduct and civil liberties in day-to-day policing.
Australia's New South Wales government is fast-tracking new laws that restrict firearms and protests, including banning certain protest phrases and increasing police powers, amid criticism from civil rights groups and pro-gun advocates who argue these measures threaten democracy and civil liberties following the Bondi shootings.