Four masked DEA police officers wearing tactical vests labeled 鈥淒EA POLICE鈥 walk across a downtown intersection at night, with tall office buildings, streetlights, traffic signals, and cars with headlights behind them.
Two masked DEA police officers wearing tactical vests labeled 鈥淒EA POLICE鈥 walk across a downtown intersection at night, with tall office buildings, streetlights, traffic signals, and cars with headlights behind them.
Amid rampant abuse by federal agents, state legislatures can pass critical laws that allow people to take federal agents to court for violating their rights.
Share This Page
April 6, 2026
Amid rampant abuse by federal agents, state legislatures can pass critical laws that allow people to take federal agents to court for violating their rights.

Over the past year, federal agents have arrested U.S. citizens, dragged children from their beds in the middle of the night, smashed car windows, and shot, sometimes fatally, those they encounter. As these agents advance President Trump鈥檚 extreme deportation agenda, many across the United States have watched in horror as they trample the constitutional rights of immigrant communities and others, acting as though they are immune from accountability. All too often, they are.

When people seek justice in federal court, they often find that the proverbial courthouse doors are shut. Because of court doctrines and congressional inaction, suing federal agents under federal law is often extremely difficult. But states can fill that gap. By passing new laws, state legislatures can ensure that federal officers, no less than state and local agents, answer for the harms they cause. Left unchecked, federal agents鈥 impunity invites further wrongdoing, turns our constitutional protections into empty promises, and makes us all less safe.

When people seek justice in federal court, they often find that the proverbial courthouse doors are shut.

In fact, these laws aren鈥檛 some fringe idea: holding federal agents accountable is consistent with this country鈥檚 history, the U.S. Constitution, and the founders鈥 intent for us to push back against government abuse.

For much of U.S. history, state law was the primary legal tool for suing federal officers who disregard our constitutional protections. Under state tort law, for example, people subjected to excessive force by federal agents could sue individual officers for damages since that conduct can also qualify as battery.

In 1971, the Supreme Court in Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents made it easier for people to take federal officers to federal court to seek compensation when those officers violated their constitutional rights. But since then, the court has significantly narrowed these so-called Bivens actions and left a dangerous accountability gap.

Now, as federal officers become more aggressive and commit more constitutional violations, sometimes with deadly results, it is even more critical for states to act.

To address this gap, five states, including California, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Illinois, have passed laws that can hold federal officers accountable. These laws are sometimes known as civil rights protection acts, or 鈥渃onverse-1983鈥 laws. The name refers to the that lets people seek justice when state and local officers, but not federal agents, infringe on constitutional rights. California鈥檚 Bane Act, for example, was passed in 1987 following a repeated pattern of police misconduct. But because of its expansive language and strong protections, this law also became an important safeguard as federal officers became harder to sue. Massachusetts鈥 Civil Rights Act, passed in 1979, similarly allows lawsuits against 鈥渁ny person鈥 who interferes with someone鈥檚 rights through 鈥渢hreats, intimidation, or coercion.鈥

Now, as federal officers become more aggressive and commit more constitutional violations, sometimes with deadly results, it is even more critical for states to act.

, Illinois state lawmakers passed the Bivens Act in response to federal agents鈥 aggressive immigration enforcement and constitutional violations. The law lets individuals take legal action against anyone who violates constitutional rights during civil immigration enforcement, protects employees who report violations, and allows courts to award compensatory and punitive damages. Passed alongside several other amendments, the act aims to ensure that immigrants in Illinois are safe in state courts, hospitals, universities, and schools.

We must demand lawmakers in every state protect their constituents.

No matter which uniform they wear, federal, state, and local law enforcement officers, as well as other government officials, must respect our constitutional rights 鈥 including the right to protest, the right to due process, and the right to be free from unlawful searches in our homes and communities. While we have imperfect, but nevertheless meaningful, ways to seek accountability from state and local officers, the tools to hold federal agents responsible for those same violations are far more limited. Converse-1983 laws restore a basic promise: if your rights are violated, you can seek justice through the courts.

Under the current administration, federal agents have been told that they can operate with . And we鈥檝e seen the devastating results. As the federal government鈥檚 actions strike at the heart of our rights and freedoms without consequence, states cannot afford to delay. By passing converse-1983 laws, state legislatures can help restore accountability, prevent abuse, and protect every community from unchecked government violence. Nine states, including Colorado, New York, Vermont, and Wisconsin, are currently considering converse-1983 bills that empower their residents to take legal action against federal officers for violating the Constitution. We must demand lawmakers in every state protect their constituents.

Related 桃子视频