Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot said Wednesday he has joined a national coalition of prosecutors that may pursue state charges against federal officers as tensions rise over aggressive immigration enforcement.
The group, called the Project for the Fight Against Federal Overreach, brings together nine elected prosecutors, including those in Austin, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Fairfax, Norfolk and Pima County, Arizona. More were expected to sign on, Creuzot said.
Organizers say the effort is designed to coordinate investigations, share legal strategies and hold federal agents accountable when they exceed their authority.
The coalition formed after two civilians were killed this month in Minneapolis during encounters with Department of Homeland Security officers. In both cases, federal agencies blocked state investigators from evidence.
Breaking News
Creuzot said federal leaders have wrongly suggested their officers have absolute immunity under the law. “It became obvious to me that the narrative that the (Trump) administration was putting out did not fit the facts,” he said.
His criticism comes as scrutiny grows over the Minneapolis shootings. The first was Jan. 7, when Renee Good was killed while driving her SUV. The second happened Saturday when Alex Pretti was fatally shot in a confrontation with federal agents on the street.
Bystander videos contradicted parts of the federal government’s public accounts of the shootings, intensifying calls for independent investigations.
Normally, federal agencies such as the FBI and the Justice Department’s civil rights division review the use of deadly force by federal officers, often working alongside local authorities.
But that cooperation has frayed in recent weeks, as Trump administration officials have denied wrongdoing by federal agents and accused state and local leaders of interfering with arrests and immigration actions.
Federal officials also have argued that stronger enforcement is necessary to remove criminals and improve public safety.
Federal conduct
The coalition said in a news release Wednesday that it formed in response to rising concerns over federal agents conducting unauthorized searches, detaining people without proper legal grounds and using heavy-handed enforcement tactics.
It said its work is “intended to ensure that constitutional limits on federal power are actively enforced through lawful institutions.”
Mary Moriarty, the elected prosecutor in Minneapolis, said public trust in the justice system depends on consequences for unlawful conduct.
“The American people deserve and indeed need to know that local leaders are working together to defend their constitutional rights,” she said.
Larry Krasner, Philadelphia’s district attorney and one of the coalition’s founders, said local prosecutors have both the authority and responsibility to step in when federal reviews fall short.
“No agency and no officer is above the law,” he said in the release. “When federal agents exceed their lawful authority, local prosecutors have both the power and the duty to act.”
Among its goals: share strategies, provide regular updates on their efforts to rein in unlawful federal conduct, educate the public on legal paths that are available and coordinate on accountability efforts across jurisdictions. The participating prosecutors plan to meet in early February to begin coordinating strategies.
Growing concerns
Creuzot, a Democrat running for reelection, said members of the organization reached out earlier this week and asked him to join. He said he agreed as long as the goal was to hold law breaking federal officials accountable, and not to try to score political points or raise campaign donations.
Creuzot said he already was concerned about the two protester shootings, but recently released videos deepened his concerns He said federal officials blocking local investigations also was alarming.
Because only prosecutors where incidents occur can bring charges, Creuzot said his role and that of other coalition members largely will focus on support, such as offering resources and advice.
“I’m in the ninth or 10th largest district attorney’s office in the country,” he said. “We have resources that some of these smaller jurisdictions don’t have.”
Local prosecutors unite
NEW ALLIANCE: Dallas County District Attorney John Cruezot is joining a coalition of other prosecutors nationwide to coordinate state cases against federal law enforcement officers accused of violating local laws.
WHY NOW: The coalition formed after two civilians were killed in Minneapolis during encounters with federal immigration agents, shootings marked by disputes over evidence and federal refusals to cooperate with state investigators.
LOCAL CHARGES: Prosecutors involved in the group, called the Project for the Fight Against Federal Overreach (FAFO), say they are prepared to step in when federal reviews stall, as tensions grow over aggressive immigration enforcement tactics.