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Institute for Justice updates

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Immunity & Accountability

Why IJ Is Suing ICE

Over the course of our history, IJ has sued a wide range of governmental bodies—from city councils and local zoning boards to state governments and agencies to such federal behemoths as the IRS, the DEA, and the TSA. This past year we added a new defendant to our lawsuits: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Why are we suing ICE? Quite simply, the agency is flagrantly violating the Constitution in areas IJ cares about passionately.

IJ President and Chief Counsel Scott Bullock explains and shares the stories of two IJ clients, both U.S. citizens unlawfully detained by ICE.

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Immunity & Accountability

Maine Family Files Lawsuit After SWAT Team Arrested Innocent 16-Year-Old at Gunpoint

What began as an ordinary school day in Portland, Maine, spiraled into a terrifying and traumatic ordeal after a teenager was surrounded by police, leaving him shaken and changed forever. The officers were looking for someone else: a teenager suspected of nonviolent burglary from a house party. IJ is representing the innocent teen as part of our growing challenges to mistaken identity arrests and detentions.

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Lee Schmidt of Norfolk ([link removed] )

Fourth Amendment

IJ and Clients Will Appeal Court Decision Upholding Norfolk’s License Plate Reader Surveillance

A federal judge has sided with the city of Norfolk in IJ's lawsuit challenging the city's warrantless use of more than 170 automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras. Local residents Lee Schmidt and Crystal Arrington will appeal the decision. Since this case began in 2024, countless stories of ALPR abuse have come to light—including federal agencies' widespread use of ALPRs to target motorists for pretextual traffic stops.

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WATCH: Town Banned from Warrantless Inspections ([link removed] )

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IJ Podcasts

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Short Circuit: Economic Freedom, History, and Tradition

IJ’s John Wrench journeys to New Orleans to chat with some legal scholars on their recent work on all kinds of IJ-adjacent questions, especially as they relate to the American Founding.

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Short Circuit: “Nothing to see here”

Lovers of municipal crime and corruption—and internal affairs departments not doing their jobs—may enjoy the stories this week from Detroit and Baltimore.

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Support Our Work

Champions for a Free and Just America

Your tax-deductible contribution helps IJ fight for Americans’ rights. IJ defends ordinary people who want to pursue their vision of the American Dream but find that the government is standing in their way. We stand with our clients no matter how long their cases take, and we win more than 70% of the time.

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