Law Enforcement
ICE Denies Claims That It Detains Immigrants During Tragedies Like the El Paso Massacre
Activists warn the practice of detaining people at courthouses and other government venues has discouraged immigrants from cooperating with authorities, even when they are victims of violent crimes.
Firearm Buybacks Could Be Part of a Solution for Gun Violence in the U.S.
The strategy is complicated by the sheer number of guns in American homes—nearly half of the total number of firearms worldwide.
San Francisco Police Raided a Freelance Journalist's Home. Was It Legal?
An expert on First Amendment rights weighs in on what happened to Bryan Carmody last Friday.
Has ICE Found a Way to Get Around Sanctuary Policies?
The agency announced a new policy meant to combat sanctuary city policies, but legal experts say ICE's actual motives might be different.
What We Know About Trump's Pick to Lead ICE
Mark Morgan is a former Obama administration official who has become a vocal Trump supporter.
Is the EPA 'Soft on Environmental Violators'? The Data Suggests Yes; the Agency Says No.
During a hearing, the EPA's top official for enforcement defended the agency's low performance figures.
Immigration Advocates Raise Concerns Over San Diego's Compliance With California Truth Act
The law allows people in local jails to refuse interview requests from ICE, but, in San Diego County, a surprising number of people agreed to an interview.
A New Database Seeks to Catalog—and Hold Accountable—Police Officers Across the U.S.
Pacific Standard spoke with Camille Fassett, a researcher with Lucy Parsons Labs, about the OpenOversight program—a public database indexing law enforcement officers by name, photo, incidents, and more.
Anti-Black and Anti-Semitic Attacks Top the FBI's 2017 Records for Hate Crimes
City, state, tribal, and other law enforcement agencies reported more than 7,000 hate crimes to the FBI in 2017, according to numbers the FBI released on Tuesday.
The Supreme Court Wrestles With Americans' Right to Privacy in the Digital Age
A recent decision by the Court is a win for Fourth Amendment advocates, but there are still many avenues for law enforcement to track Americans without a warrant online.
Five African Countries Have Created an Information Exchange to Combat Wildlife Trafficking
The program is aimed at helping wildlife trade enforcement agencies benefit from the experience of their colleagues in neighboring countries.
New York State Lawmakers Appoint First Woman to Serve as Attorney General
The New York state legislature voted nearly unanimously Tuesday to appoint Barbara Underwood to serve as the state's attorney general, making her the first woman to hold the position.
A County Sheriff Election in North Carolina Sheds Light on a Controversial ICE Policy
The winner has vowed to discontinue a program that allows local sheriffs' offices to function as satellite immigration detention centers.
ICE Arrests 225 People in a Six-Day New York Raid
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials arrested 225 individuals in a potent six-day raid in New York, a declared sanctuary city.
The FBI Has a Serious Diversity Problem
Agents at the bureau are still mostly white men, and the failure to recruit a more representative population into its ranks is becoming a crisis.
'Invisible No More' Is a Chilling History of Police Violence Against Women of Color
Andrea J. Ritchie's new book offers fresh perspective on how American law enforcement reserves particular abuse for black women.
ACLU Says Travelers Should Expect Violations to Their Constitutional Rights in Texas
The alert follows the passage of a controversial law that allows law enforcement to ask about a person's immigration status during traffic stops.
The Spread of Pro-Pot Legislation Across America
Nebraska and Oklahoma have a problem with Colorado's lax marijuana laws.
What's at Stake in the Apple Encryption Debate
The government has never been allowed to create a "backdoor" to encrypted devices. Now, it's trying to force Apple to build one.
The Pernicious Myth of the Good Guy With a Gun
A group of sheriffs are calling on their constituents to arm themselves against crime and terrorism. Here's why they're wrong.
A Smarter Way to Count the People Killed by Cops
Treating law enforcement-related deaths as a public health issue could lead to a clearer picture of the severity of the problem.
Disobedience or Civil Disobedience: Who Decides When Breaking Rules Is OK?
Who gets to decide when breaking the rules is OK?
The 'Ferguson Effect' Is Real, but It's Fixable
Deputies with a strong sense of purpose and supportive supervisors are immune from media-driven drops in motivation.
Harm Reduction Can Help to Heal Law Enforcement's Rift With the Public
Police participation in harm-reduction measures that protect public health and serve communities is a growing good news story. It can also play a part in repairing a battered reputation.