Agents cannot be sued for use of excessive force.
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that Border Patrol agents are generally shielded from lawsuits that allege the use of excessive force—the latest in a series of decisions that narrows the legal avenue for alleged victims of abuse by federal officers.
Justice Clarence Thomas wrote the ruling, after the Court broke along ideological lines. The Justice Department had backed the federal agent in the case. The agent had been accused of civil rights violations during a violent 2014 encounter.
The Court’s decision was the latest in a series of rulings that limit the scope of a 1971 decision that allows people to sue federal officials individually for civil rights violations. The Court further curtailed the ability to sue federal officials for damages.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For the justices of the Court to have discernment as they issue rulings in the remaining cases of this term.
- For the attorney general to be led by the Lord as he heads the Justice Department.
- That God would give federal agents wisdom in their approach to people’s civil rights.
- For greater justice to be accomplished as a result of this decision.
Sources: The Hill, Reuters
