Border Patrol, Constitutional Police Violations, Washington 2022

Border Patrol Settles Lawsuit Over Unconstitutional Traffic Stops

Grimy Times has learned that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection has agreed to a settlement with three men represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP) over litigation regarding traffic stops on the Olympic Peninsula in Western Washington.

The settlement, reached after the plaintiffs filed suit in April 2012, requires the Border Patrol to affirm its commitment to constitutional policing through a letter sent to the ACLU of Washington and the NWIRP. Additionally, Border Patrol agents stationed at the Port Angeles Station will receive refresher training on traffic stops that require 'reasonable suspicion' under the 4th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

For the next 18 months, the Border Patrol will provide certain forms they use to document traffic stops to the ACLU and the NWIRP, providing the groups with information regarding the frequency and the Border Patrol's rationale for conducting such stops. The forms provided to the groups will not include any information identifying the drivers or occupants of the vehicles involved in the stops.

U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan announced the settlement, stating, 'This settlement is confirmation that we can both ensure the safety of our borders and protect all members of our communities in a constitutional manner.'

The federal government denies that the Border Patrol has a practice of unlawfully stopping vehicles on the Olympic Peninsula and denies wrongdoing with respect to any of the stops involved in the litigation.

The settlement requires both sides to pay their own attorney's fees and does not involve any monetary payment to the plaintiffs. It brings the lengthy litigation to a conclusion and prevents the further expenditure of federal resources.

The litigation was handled for the U.S. Attorney's Office by Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca Cohen, and for the U.S. DOJ by Timothy Belsan from the Office of Immigration Litigation.

Defendant Information: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (Border Patrol)

Charges: Constitutional Police Violations

City and State: Washington

Crime Date: April 2012

Outcome: Settlement

Other Facts: The settlement requires the Border Patrol to provide forms documenting traffic stops, without driver/occupant information, to the ACLU and NWIRP for 18 months.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdwa/pr/justice-department-reaches-settlement-over-border-patrol-traffic-stops-olympic