Department of Justice

Judge Questions Indefinite Deployment of National Guard in Los Angeles

Federal attorneys argue that President Donald Trump’s continued federal control of California National Guard troops stationed in Los Angeles remains lawful due to an alleged ongoing “danger of rebellion,” despite California’s insistence that the deployment violates constitutional limits on presidential power and undermines state authority over its Guard.

DOJ Memo Threatens Protections for Trans Incarcerated People under PREA

The Department of Justice released a memo under the Trump administration that threatens to roll back key protections for transgender and intersex people under the Prison Rape Elimination Act, potentially putting them at increased risk of sexual assault in federal prisons, jails, and youth facilities.

Federal Overreach in Criminal Law Exacerbates Racial Disparities

The Sentencing Project warns that the overreach of federal criminal law into local offenses disproportionately harms Black and Latino communities, and Congress has introduced legislation to limit federal prosecution of conduct already handled at the state and local levels.

Federal Prison Oversight Act Brings New Era of Accountability

The Federal Prison Oversight Act was passed to increase transparency and accountability in the nation’s largest prison system, giving the DOJ inspector general new authority to inspect federal prisons and allowing for an independent party to investigate claims made by incarcerated people, their families and prison staff.

Data Shows Significant Decline in Police Violence in California

California law enforcement officers killed fewer people, fired fewer shots, and used force less often in 2024 than in any year since the state began tracking the data, according to an analysis by the San Francisco Chronicle, while red states such as Texas and Florida saw an increase in police killings.