The ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties has launched a new hotline and online form for people to report encounters with federal immigration enforcement.
SAN DIEGO — The San Diego and Imperial Counties chapter of the ACLU has launched a new hotline and online form aimed at documenting encounters with federal immigration enforcement.
The effort is designed to give community members a direct way to report incidents involving agencies like ICE and Border Patrol, while helping attorneys track patterns and prepare for possible legal action.
Reports submitted through the hotline go directly to the local ACLU office, where they are reviewed and analyzed.
The organization said submissions can include anything considered “unlawful conduct,” including use of force, harassment or racial profiling by federal law enforcement. The hotline and online intake form launched just this week, and officials said reports are already coming in.
Frederick Carroll, legal director for the ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties said the organization created a dedicated reporting system after seeing an increase in complaints.
He said reports will be categorized into two main areas: First Amendment violations and Fourth Amendment violations.
First Amendment concerns may include actions that interfere with the rights of protesters or observers. Fourth Amendment issues focus on protections against unreasonable searches and seizures.
“That would be racial profiling, warrantless stops, unnecessary or unlawful detentions, that kind of thing,” Carroll said. “By getting this information and having an ability to track and analyze it, we can get our legal community ready to respond accordingly with litigation.”
The launch comes as the ACLU chapter in Minnesota filed a lawsuit against the federal government in January over alleged First and Fourth Amendment violations. That chapter also operates a similar reporting system.
“We’re not waiting for an ICE invasion of our community,” he said. “We’re starting to track it, document it and analyze it now so that we can respond in the quickest possible way, when and if that’s necessary.”
Confidential reports can be submitted through two separate hotlines. The number for San Diego is 619-467-1663 and for Imperial County is 760-645-9335. You can find the intake form here.