When federal agents violate someone’s rights, who holds them accountable?
As immigration enforcement intensifies, so do questions about the limits of federal power. In our third episode this season, we unpack the legal maze surrounding federal law enforcement and the uphill battle for victims who want to hold agents accountable for constitutional violations.
We trace the roots of the Civil Rights Act to Section 1983 and Bivens which once gave citizens a way to sue federal officers. But decades of court decisions have narrowed those paths dramatically. When national security and policy discretion enter the picture, do they become shields for misconduct?
Today, many victims are trapped in a legal black hole, where federal agents are often harder to sue than their state or local counterparts.
Special guests:
Sidebar covers the top stories you need to know from the legal world. Join reporters Hillel Aron, Kirk McDaniel, Amanda Pampuro, Kelsey Reichmann and Josh Russell as they take you in and out of courtrooms across the US and beyond and break down developments to help you understand how they affect your everyday life.
This episode was produced by Kirk McDaniel. Intro music by Dead Pen. A transcript will be available later this week.
Editing by Ryan Abbott, Sean Duffy and Jamie Ross.
ICE in the courts:
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