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Border & Immigration

ACLU Sues Government For Report On Border Patrol's Use Of Deadly Force

The American Civil Liberties Union has sued the U.S. Border Patrol's parent agency to get it to release a report it commissioned amid questions about whether agents used excessive force.

The lawsuit filed Thursday in federal court in San Diego says Customs and Border Protection hasn't responded to a request that the ACLU made in February to release the report under the Freedom of Information Act.

ACLU Complaint Against DHS Over Use Of Force Report
ACLU complaint against DHS over use of force report.
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The agency rejected the Police Executive Research Forum's recommendation that agents be prohibited from using deadly force against rock-throwers and assailants in vehicles. The Los Angeles Times obtained a copy of the report, which criticized the agency for a "lack of diligence" in investigating cases of deadly force.

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The agency says it won't comment on pending litigation.

According to the ACLU, at least 28 people have been killed in encounters with border agents since 2010.

In February, a Border Patrol agent fatally shot a man in a rugged section of the Otay Mountains southeast of San Diego. The agent told investigators that the man was throwing large rocks at him.

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