Law enforcement seizes cash, cars, and other property from people suspected of violating a drug law without even charging them with a crime. Then they keep the cash and property they seized for themselves.
Law enforcement agencies nationwide have taken in $2.5 billion from nearly 62,000 cash seizures under the federal civil forfeiture program since 2001.
And who do they target the most? Normally people of color, and those unable to afford a lawyer to fight back.
Click here to send the following statement to your U.S. Senators and Representatives to end this practice, because no one should have their property seized unless they are convicted of a crime in a court of law.
I am writing to urge you to repeal federal asset forfeiture laws that encourage law enforcement to seize cash, cars, and other property from citizens never charged or convicted of a crime and pocket the proceeds from the property sale.
These laws disproportionately impact people of color and the poor, who often do not have the resources to fight back.
Without warrants and frequently without criminal charges, law enforcement agencies nationwide have taken in $2.5 billion from nearly 62,000 cash seizures under the federal civil forfeiture program since 2001, according to an investigation by the Washington Post. In combination with the Equitable Share Program, these policies have allowed local and state police to keep 80% of the proceeds from property sales and use them to bolster their own drug task force budgets.
The government should not be able to seize property from a citizen without a criminal conviction. I urge you to put an end to these federal laws and programs that improperly incentivize law enforcement. Please take action now.
Click here to sign the petition
