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Border Patrol Free Stop Border Patrol checkpoints, raids, surveillance, racial profiling, expansion plans & waste of tax dollars
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Department of Justice investigation of the Border Patrol?
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12/17/11 Inspired by the DOJ investigation of Sheriff Arpaio in Arizona, even before reading the DOJ report on investigation of the Seattle PD, I wrote the attached letter: In typical Libby fashion - afterwards - I got to thinking about what is the BEST way of doing something like this. In the Seattle Times, it said that the request for a DOJ investigation came from the ACLU of WA, endorsed by 34 community organizations. Easy for me to say that yes, we can do something like that for BP in Forks for infringement of civil liberties and unconstitutional actions but I don't really know much about the legalities involved. Your opinions are appreciated, as always. Libby ********** 12/17/11 Libby, You are on the mark as usual. I was thinking that the investigation of the Seattle Police by the DOJ is sort of like the pot calling the kettle black - especially after reading in the Seattle Times where former Seattle Police Chief, Norm Stamper, was quoted saying that when the police are militarized by the feds, "What emerges is a picture of a vital public-safety institution perpetually at war with it's own people.". The DOJ should first clean up the "federal" police - Homeland Security and the Border Patrol. I think the difference may be that the Seattle police are more transparent. It was, after all, their own video cameras that documented their abuses. We don't have that kind of documented abuses perpetrated by the BP - not that they don't happen - they just keep them secret. So let's demand a DOJ investigation, as you have, but let's also press for transparency through the FOIA and try to document more BP incidents in order to establish a pattern. Jim ********** 12/18/11 Hi Libby – Thanks for your inspiration and translating it into action. Unfortunately, I think that triggering a DOJ investigation is unlikely, and, not to diminish your power, would need a much bigger push, particularly given the much more extreme actions happening along the southern border. As I have encouraged the folks in Forks, I would recommend connecting with the Border Action Network. There are also other border activist organizations on the southern border, as well as in the northeast. Particularly on the souther border, which has been dealing with widespread, systemic oppression, terrorism and abuse by the border patrol on a grand scale for some time now, they have developed some impressive organizing strategies that I think could be useful to the Olympic peninsula effort. Best, Annie ********** 12/18/11 It's certainly a good idea to contact Border Action Network, though I don't know that there's anything wrong in contacting the appropriate parties at DOJ Human Rights. The Salinas case as well as the statements of Agent Sanchez seem to make what is occurring here both agregious and substantially distinct from what is happening at the Southern Border. (Assuming there is actual jurisdiction here) I don't see a downside to a well composed letter or letters. Paul ********** 12/18/11 Yes, just to be clear, don’t’ see any harm in sending the DOJ letters. Was just offering ways to connect and expand advocacy strategies to have a broader impact. Best, Annie
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