All articles tagged with #civil rights
Hundreds of students at Jackson State University and the Atlanta University Center Consortium marched to demand transparency regarding the death of 18-year-old Nolan Wells and other young Black people. The protests coincide with the release of a 292-page Snapchat forensic report and renewed calls for a federal investigation after a local grand jury declined to issue charges.
A federal judge blocked the Justice Department’s policy of collecting state voter lists to identify noncitizens, ruling the move violates federal law and state authority. The 78-page decision by Judge Sparkle Sooknanan halts a program that had already obtained data from 18 states. Critics warn the flawed SAVE database risks wrongly removing eligible citizens from rolls ahead of the November midterms.
A French police officer has become the first to face prosecution for using a grenade launcher against a 14-year-old protester, marking a shift in the government's handling of the ongoing education crisis. While Interior Minister Nunez defends police actions as proportionate, the incident has intensified scrutiny of police conduct during youth demonstrations.
A previously unreleased U.S. Army study confirms that electric-shock gloves, which ICE plans to purchase for $16.7 million, cause intense pain and immediate compliance in test subjects. The study, conducted at Fort Leavenworth in October 2024, found that participants ceased resisting seconds after exposure and reported lasting fear of the device. Critics argue the gloves are unsafe and lack proper oversight, while ICE maintains they are de-escalation tools. Senators have demanded answers regarding training and deployment protocols, but ICE has not responded to inquiries from 16 Democratic lawmakers.
The U.S. Treasury and IRS have proposed regulations that would revoke the 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status of private schools and universities that use race, color, or national origin in admissions, scholarships, or other programs. This move follows the Supreme Court's 2023 ruling against race-conscious admissions and aims to enforce a strict nondiscrimination standard. While the rules are stringent, they remain vague, causing uncertainty among institutions about what practices, such as Black History Month, might trigger penalties. If finalized, the changes could affect up to 18,000 institutions and 750,000 scholarships, potentially forcing schools to replace race-based criteria with race-neutral alternatives like income or geographic location.
A U.S. Army study found that electric-shock gloves used by ICE officers cause pain, compliance, and fear, raising concerns about their use in immigration enforcement.
Marimar Martinez, a Chicago teacher’s aide, filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. government on Monday, one year after being shot five times by Border Patrol agent Charles Exum. Her attorneys presented a new forensic reconstruction arguing that Exum was not in danger and that Martinez was driving away from him, contradicting the government’s initial claim that she attempted to ram his vehicle. The suit seeks damages for negligence and malicious prosecution, while lawyers urge the Justice Department to pursue criminal charges against Exum, who is currently on administrative leave.
Marimar Martinez filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. government on Monday, alleging that Border Patrol agent Charles Exum unjustifiably shot her five times in October 2025. Her attorneys presented a new bullet trajectory analysis suggesting Exum was not in danger and that Martinez was driving away from him. The suit seeks damages for negligence and battery, while lawyers also urged the Justice Department to pursue criminal charges against Exum.
A Florida jury acquitted former Okaloosa County deputy Eddie Duran of manslaughter in the 2024 shooting death of U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Roger Fortson. The verdict, reached after two hours of deliberation, ends a criminal case that had drawn national attention over Florida's 'Stand Your Ground' laws. While Duran faces no prison time, Fortson's family plans to pursue a federal civil rights lawsuit.
The family of Renee Good, a US citizen killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis in January 2026, has filed two federal lawsuits against the US government and senior Trump administration officials. The first suit targets the government under the Federal Tort Claims Act for negligence and wrongful death, while the second names specific individuals, including ICE officer Jonathan Ross and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, alleging a coordinated conspiracy to violate civil rights. The White House has dismissed the claims as baseless, while the family argues the shooting was a predictable result of the administration's immigration enforcement surge.
A federal immigration judge ruled that Salah Sarsour, president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, can be deported from the United States. The decision relies on a memo by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, which labels Sarsour’s advocacy for Palestinian rights as harmful to U.S. foreign policy. Sarsour, a legal resident for over 30 years, was detained by ICE in March and held for 81 days before a judge ordered his release. His legal team plans to appeal, arguing the ruling ignores evidence of torture in Israel and violates free speech protections. The case highlights the Trump administration’s use of foreign policy grounds to target pro-Palestinian activists.
A Jackson County grand jury voted unanimously not to charge anyone in the death of 18-year-old Nolan Wells, whose body was found on Horn Island after he disappeared on July 4. While the state autopsy listed the cause of death as 'undetermined' and consistent with drowning, the family’s independent autopsy and digital forensics revealed no water in Wells’ lungs or stomach, deleted phone data, and head contusions. The family’s legal team, led by Ben Crump, has called for a broader investigation, citing inconsistencies and historical patterns of racial injustice in Mississippi.
Protesters are staging a silent vigil in Liverpool to demand the UK government lift the ban on Palestine Action, coinciding with Prime Minister Andy Burnham's first Labour Party conference. Simultaneously, legal experts are pushing for stricter sanctions against Israel, arguing current measures are insufficient. High-profile arrests, including that of musician Robert Del Naja, have intensified pressure on the new leadership to reverse the 2025 proscription of the group.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced on September 24 that it has ended federal oversight in more than 50 long-standing school desegregation cases, with records indicating 57 orders have been dismissed since the start of the current administration. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon stated that these consent decrees, many dating back to the 1960s and 1970s, are 'onerous and outdated' and no longer reflect current classroom realities. The cases, concentrated in the Deep South, were originally established to enforce the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education ruling. While DOJ officials argue the districts have achieved 'unitary status' and no longer require monitoring, critics warn the move dismantles essential protections against racial discrimination and could fuel resegregation.
The U.S. Department of Justice has ended its oversight role in 57 school desegregation cases, primarily in the Deep South. While DOJ officials argue these orders are outdated and financially burdensome, critics warn the move reverses decades of civil rights progress and exacerbates racial disparities in education.