Florida bill exempting death depictions from public records worries First Amendment advocates

A bill seeking to exempt depictions of deaths from Florida’s public records laws is making its way through the legislature, and freedom-of-information advocates are warning that the repercussions of such a broad measure could be detrimental to the public’s ability to hold law enforcement and government agents accountable. More…

South Florida ICE chief under investigation for child porn

The head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for South Florida has been placed on administrative leave pending a child pornography investigation.

Anthony Mangione, a 27-year veteran of ICE, has not been charged formally with any crime, but according to the Orlando Sentinel, at least four images of More…

Polis: Next step in federal medical marijuana recognition is ‘congressional action’

Last November, medical marijuana advocates launched the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA), a lobbying organization dedicated to representing the interests of the medical marijuana industry on the federal level. Today marks NCIA’s first official “congressional lobbying day,” during which representatives of the organization are meeting

Report: Federal immigration enforcement program deporting mostly low-level criminals

Immigration and Customs Enforcement data received through a Freedom of Information Act request shows that Secure Communities, a federal immigration enforcement program, detains and deports people who are not criminals. #

In a press release issued last week, the National More…

ACT! for America alleges FBI investigation of Florida charter school

The Jacksonville chapter of the controversial group ACT! for America is accusing a local school of ties to terrorism in a new press release, linking the school to an FBI investigation through a media report that, contrary to ACT!’s claims, indicates any actions the FBI is conducting has More…

FBI memo allows for abbreviated Miranda rights in suspected domestic terror cases

The Wall Street Journal reports that the U.S. Department of Justice has decided to let the FBI keep domestic terror suspects in custody longer than the average criminal suspect without reading them their Miranda rights. The FBI memo is yet another move that shows the Obama administration keeping, institutionalizing and More…

FBI and DOJ refuse to release internal memo detailing domestic surveillance

McClatchy reported late last week that a Justice Department document asserts “the FBI can obtain telephone records of international calls made from the U.S. without any formal legal process or court oversight.”

In January 2010, McClatchy Newspapers petitioned the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) for a copy More…

Immigration agency confirms fingerprint-sharing program is mandatory

Immigration and Customs Enforcement official David Venturella started off a meeting with San Francisco law enforcement leaders on Tuesday with an apology. ICE, he admitted, had given conflicting information about Secure Communities, a program that shares fingerprints taken for criminal background checks with federal immigration enforcement, and whether counties like More…

Santa Clara Plans to Push Back on Immigration Enforcement Program

After Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials shot down the idea of communities opting out of an ICE program, law enforcement leaders in Santa Clara, Calif., are looking at other ways to avoid stepping up their involvement in immigration enforcement. The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted Sept. More…

What Does ‘Secure the Border’ Actually Mean?

Alan Bersin, the commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, was asked a good question during a talk this afternoon hosted by the Migration Policy Insitute: Securing the border is his job, but what exactly does he consider a secure border?

It’s an interesting question, particularly given the debate over More…