By: Erin Tucker an Julie Watson  SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Justice Department will not bring criminal charges in the death of a man from Mexico who was shocked by U.S. border authorities with a stun gun five years ago, federal officials announced Friday in closing their investigation. The 2010 death of 42-year-old Anastasio Hernandez-Rojas raised complaints of excessive force from the then-president of Mexico and others, and investigators with the Justice Department examined the case for evidence of a civil rights violation. Continue reading

  Customs and Border Protection staff concluded after an internal review that agents and officers shouldn’t be required to wear body cameras, positioning the nation’s largest law enforcement agency as a counterweight to a growing number of police forces that use the devices to promote public trust and accountability. The yearlong review cited cost and a host of other reasons to hold off, according to two people familiar with the findings who spoke on condition of anonymity because the findings have not been made public. It found operating cameras may distract agents while they’re performing their jobs, may hurt employee morale, and may be unsuited to the hot, dusty conditions in which Border Patrol agents often work. Continue reading

  San Diego -  In a shocking turn of events in the case of Anastasio Hernández Rojas, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced today that they will not prosecute the agents involved in his death. The DOJ cited a lack of evidence to meet the standard for federal criminal prosecution. Despite eyewitness testimony and video, DOJ concluded they were unable to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the agents committed homicide or civil rights violations. Following are statements from the family of Anastasio Hernández Rojas along with representatives from the Southern Border Communities Coalition. Continue reading

  Washington D.C. - Human rights advocates with the Southern Border Communities Coalition (SBCC) and border residents affected by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) abuses are in Washington D.C. this week for briefings in the House and the Senate.  The briefings taking place on Thursday, November 5, are sponsored by the offices of Senator Tom Udall and Representative Beto O'Rourke. Details about the briefings are as follows. Continue reading

  Amid Pressure to Stop Killing Border Residents, Another Fatality Occurs Southern Border Region/Washington, D.C. - October 21, 2015 - Today, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent shot and killed a man at the Calexico West Port of Entry in California. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) alleges that the man approached on his bike and was carrying a knife. CBP also stated that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General, the Calexico Police Department and CBP are investigating the incident. More details about the incident are expected. Continue reading

  By: Adolfo Flores For years, drivers stopped by U.S. Border Patrol agents near Mexico have filed complaints alleging excessive force, intimidation, and other civil rights violations. But according to a report released Thursday by the ACLU, many either went ignored or glossed over, allowing agents to act with a sense of impunity. Among the complaints, a woman recalled being pulled over by two agents at night “in the middle of nowhere” after crossing into California with her 4-year-old daughter in 2012. When they appeared flustered during the ensuing search and interrogation, the agents reportedly said, “Only criminals and people trying to hide things get nervous.” Continue reading

  Southern Border Region:  Today, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) released findings demonstrating what they allege to be a reduction in use-of-force since 2011. While the information shared is welcomed by border rights advocates, many questions still remain. Representatives of the Southern Border Communities Coalition (SBCC) stated the following. Continue reading

  Additional Reforms Needed to Strengthen Oversight, Accountability and Protect Human Rights Border Region: Today, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced new standards governing transport, escort, detention and search-referred to collectively as TEDS. These standards establish agency-wide, minimum standards for U.S. Border Patrol and Office of Field Operations. The announcement follows litigation and extensive documentation demonstrating human rights abuses in CBP custody, including denial of food, water, medical care, basic sanitation, verbal, physical and sexual abuse and other unnecessarily harsh and punitive conditions. Continue reading

  First known federal indictment of an agent for killing in nearly 100 years Southern Border Region: On Wednesday afternoon a federal grand jury indicted Border Patrol Agent Lonnie Swartz on a second-degree murder charge for a cross-border shooting that killed 16-year-old Jose Antonio Elena Rodriguez. The indictment allows for a criminal trial to proceed. Continue reading

  Border communities urge White House to implement meaningful oversight SOUTHERN BORDER: Today, U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced the completion of the second phase of its body-worn camera feasibility study. For over three years, border communities have urged Administration officials to equip all CBP officers and agents with body-worn cameras, paired with privacy protections, in response to the agency's out-of-control pattern of excessive force. Continue reading