LDF and a coalition of civil rights groups sent a letter to U.S. House and Senate leadership to express concerns regarding legislation that has historically been taken up during Police Week. Such bills embrace deeply flawed and overly punitive practices that exacerbate the disproportionate incarceration of Black and Brown people and immigrant populations. The groups urged leaders not to take up any legislation that furthers the criminalization and dehumanization of Black and Brown communities or targets people because of their immigration status.
LDF and civil rights groups are particularly troubled by proposals from the Trump administration and Congress to increase investments in law enforcement to aggressively enforce immigration laws, as well as investments in militarized policing strategies that have proven to be ineffective in promoting safety for marginalized communities that experience higher rates of violence and higher rates of disinvestment, arrests, and incarceration. The groups are also troubled by the aims of the president’s executive order on policing and bills that seek to shield officers from accountability and increase criminalization for offenses against law enforcement that are already subject to harsh criminal penalties.
Read the full letter here.
