DateIssued:April28,2025
Topic:CriminalJustice,Immigration,DEI
Thisexecutiveorderincreasestheprovisionofmilitaryofficersand nationalsecurityassetswhomayservealongsidestateandlocallaw enforcementofficials.
TheorderdispatchesHomelandSecurityTaskForcestoworkinstates andmunicipalitiestopreventcrime.
TheorderreinforcestheTrumpAdministration’spositionthatdiversity, equity,andinclusion(DEI)initiativesarecivil-rightsviolationsandorders theAttorneyGeneraltoprosecutestateandlocalofficialswhoengagein DEIpracticesthat“endangercitizens.”
HOWWILLTHISEXECUTIVEORDERBEENFORCED?
ThisexecutiveorderisprimarilyenforcedbytheAttorneyGeneral.
TheorderdirectstheAttorneyGeneraltoestablishaprotocolforthe federalgovernmentandprobonoattorneystosupportlawenforcement officerswho“unjustlyincur”legalexpensesduetotheiractionswhileon duty.
TheorderinstructstheAttorneyGeneralandotherrelevantfederal agencyheadsto“maximizetheuseofFederalresources”tobolsterstate andlocallawenforcementefforts,including:
Sendingbestpracticesfor“aggressively”policingallcrimes; Improvingthequalityandaccessibilityoftrainingforlaw enforcementofficers; Increasingpayandbenefitsforlawenforcementofficers; Expandinglegalprotectionsforlawenforcementofficers; Lengtheningsentencesforcrimesagainstlawenforcementofficers; Encouraginginvestmentinprisonsecurityandcapacity; Increasinginvestmentincrimedatacollectionanddistributionto ensureuniformityacrossjurisdictions.
TheorderalsotaskstheAttorneyGeneralwithmodifying,rescinding,or concludinganyproceedingsoragreementsthat“undulyimpedethe performanceoflawenforcementfunctions”within60daysoftheorder’s issuance.
TheorderdirectstheAttorneyGeneraltoprioritizetheprosecutionof stateandlocalofficialswhoviolatefederallawbyimplementingDEI initiativesorprohibitinglawenforcementofficersfrom“carryingout dutiesnecessaryforpublicsafety.”
TheorderinstructstheSecretaryofDefenseandtheAttorneyGeneralto determinehowmilitaristictraining,equipment,andpersonnelcanbest beusedtofightcrime.
HOWDOESTHISIMPACTBLACKCOMMUNITIES?
Thisorderwillincreasetheover-policingofBlackcommunities.A2020 studyfoundthatexpandingpoliceforcesincitieswiththelargestBlack populationsdisproportionatelyincreasedlow-levelarrestswithout equivalentpublicsafetybenefits.Moreover,a2023auditofpolice movementsfoundthatpoliceofficersspendsignificantlymoretimein Blackneighborhoodsthanotherareaswithsimilarsocioeconomic demographicsandcrimerates.Theorder’sinsistencethatlaw enforcementofficialsaggressivelypoliceallcrimeswillincreaseBlack Americans’interactionswithlawenforcementofficialsandraisethe likelihoodofpoliceviolence.
Historically,Blackpeoplehavebeendisproportionatelyimpactedby policeviolence.Morerecently,from2018-2020,BlackAmericanswere morethantwiceaslikelyaswhiteAmericanstoexperienceathreator nonfataluseofforceduringpoliceinteractions.In2024,25%ofthosekilled bythepolicewereBlack.Becausethisexecutiveorderwillprovidelocal lawenforcementofficialsmilitarytrainingandequipmentwithadirective toaggressivelypolicecommunities,thenumberofBlackpolicebrutality victimswilllikelyincrease.
Theorderalsoshieldslawenforcementofficersfromcriminalliability basedontheactionstheytakeonthejob.However,priortothisorder,law enforcementofficialswerelargelyexemptfromprosecutionfortheirondutyactionsbecauseofqualifiedimmunity.Qualifiedimmunityisalegal doctrineestablishedbytheSupremeCourtthatprotectspoliceofficers andotherstateactorsfromliabilityformisconduct,evenwhenthey violatethelaw.Inpractice,qualifiedimmunitymakesitdifficultforvictims ofpolicebrutalitytoreceivejustice.Onethousandtwohundredsixty peoplewerekilledbythepolicein2024,themostinadecade,andless thanonepercentoftheofficersinvolvedwerechargedwithcrimes.State actorsmustviolate“clearlyestablishedlaw”tobeexemptedfrom qualifiedimmunity.Thistypicallyinvolvesegregiouscrimes,likethe murderofGeorgeFloyd.Theorderpermitstheprovisionoffederalfunds tosupportthelegalfeesofofficerswhoengageintheseactsandfurther reducespoliceaccountability,whichcouldincreaseuncheckedviolence andanti-Blackdiscrimination.
HOWARECBCMEMBERSRESPONDING?
Inrecenttimes,theCongressionalBlackCaucus(CBC)hasbeenastrong advocateforpolicereformandaccountability.In2023,theCBCissueda responsetothethirdanniversaryofthemurderofGeorgeFloydoutlining theimportanceofimplementingfairpolicingpractices.
“AswehonorthelifeandmemoryofMr.Floyd,weareremindedofthe workthatwemustdotoputanendtobadpolicinginAmerica.[...]The CongressionalBlackCaucushas[outlined]keyprovisionsthatwill savelivesinBlackandbrowncommunities[including]updatingits useofforcepoliciesandrequirementsforbody-worncameras; prohibitingsaleandpurchaseformilitary-styleweapons;providing strongerguidancetostatesandlocalitiesondeathincustody investigations;andbanningchokeholdsandminimizingtheuseofnoknockwarrants.TheCBCwillcontinueourworktopasspolicereformin Congress.”FullStatement
FormoreinformationontheCBC’shistoryofpioneeringcriminaljustice reform,visitAvoice,ourvirtuallibrary.