If you witness abuses by federal law enforcement agents in California, you can now report it online to the state Department of Justice.
On Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the launch of an online portal where anyone can report potentially unlawful activity in California by federal law enforcement, including officers or agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, or federalized National Guard soldiers or airmen.
Intended to help state officials track wrongdoing by federal authorities, the website allows California residents to submit images, videos, and a detailed complaint about the alleged wrongdoing.
“Federal agents have broad authority to enforce federal laws, including federal immigration laws, but they must do so lawfully,” the governor’s press office wrote in a statement announcing the rollout.
“We’re not going to stand by while anyone — including federal agents — abuses their authority in California,” said Newsom in a press release. “No one is above the law.”
Filing a report does not guarantee that the attorney general will take action on the complaint, officials said.
The announcement follows eleven months of controversy around the Trump administration’s use of federal agents in aggressive immigration crackdowns and crime-fighting operations, mostly in cities in Democratic-led states and regions.
In Chicago, federal immigration enforcement agents used riot control weapons, physical force, and other controversial tactics on residents during immigration raids, prompting a judge to issue an order severely restricting agents’ use of force. In Los Angeles, federal law enforcement racially profiled Latino residents and conducted “roving patrols” as part of an immigration crackdown. And in New York City, an ICE agent was captured on video grabbing a woman outside an immigration courtroom and slamming her to the ground. The use of masks by ICE agents has also faced widespread criticism, and California leaders passed a law earlier this year banning the use of masks by federal officers to conceal their identities.
The Bay Area has also seen federal agents use force against protesters and engage in aggressive immigration operations.
In October, the Trump administration announced it was sending federal troops, including CBP agents, to Coast Guard Island in Alameda as part of an immigration enforcement “surge” operation in the Bay Area. At a protest outside the island, a CBP agent shot an East Bay pastor in the face with a chemical weapon during a protest outside of Coast Guard Island. It’s unclear if the incident is being investigated by any state or federal authorities.
And last month, ICE agents chased a man near a West Oakland elementary school, leading to a car crash and complaints from neighbors who said the agents acted recklessly.
Examples of misconduct listed on the California DOJ’s online portal include voting intimidation, warrantless searches or arrests, unlawful detentions, excessive force, and civil rights violations.
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