Biddeford shooting renews questions about ICE tactics, training

Amid a big hiring push, police experts question ICE officer vetting

The recent fatal shootings by ICE officers in Texas and Maine come at a time when the federal agency has hired a huge number of officers quickly. Some law enforcement experts worry that this kind of a hiring spree can lead police agencies to cut corners in vetting new hires.

ICE violence against women is largely untracked. One advocacy group is working to change that.

Immigration agents with prior records of sexual and gender-based violence have drawn attention in Trump’s second term amid questions about training and vetting.

A Cognitive View of Policing

Abstract What causes adverse policing outcomes, such as excessive uses of force and unnecessary arrests? Prevailing explanations focus on problematic officers or deficient regulations and oversight. We introduce an overlooked perspective. We suggest that the cognitive demands inherent in policing can undermine officer decision making. Unless officers are prepared for these demands, they may jump to conclusions too quickly without fully considering alternative ways of seeing a situation. This can lead to adverse policing outcomes. To test this perspective, we created a new training that teaches officers to consider different ways of interpreting the situations they encounter. We evaluated this training using a randomized controlled trial with 2,070 officers from the Chicago Police Department. In a series of lab assessments, we find that treated officers were significantly more likely to consider a wider range of evidence and develop more explanations for subjects’ actions. Critically, we also find that training affected officer performance in the field, leading to reductions in uses of force, discretionary arrests, and arrests of Black civilians. Meanwhile, officer activity levels remained unchanged, and trained officers were less likely to be injured on duty. Our results highlight the value of considering the cognitive aspects of policing and demonstrate the power of using behaviorally informed approaches to improve officer decision making and policing outcomes.

How to Film ICE

Filming federal agents in public is legal, but avoiding a dangerous—even deadly—confrontation isn’t guaranteed. Here’s how to record ICE and CBP agents as safely as possible and have an impact.

Opportunities to Improve Military Policies and Practices to Reduce Civilian Harm From Explosive Weapons in Urban Conflict

This research paper seeks to contribute to further thinking and dialogue among States and their militaries that conduct operations in urbanized environments on what more can be done to reduce civilian harm by proposing practical measures in the form of options for consideration. UNIDIR seeks to enhance knowledge on ways to reduce risks and mitigate harm to civilians from the effects of explosive weapons in urbanized environments. This research frames the issue of explosive weapons in the broader context of protection of civilians in urban conflict and focuses on multilateral operations. The research takes a comprehensive approach to civilian protection from a ‘risk reduction’ perspective—that is, seeking to understand where the risks and uncertainties lie in the entire ‘civilian protection life cycle’, recognizing that civilian harm is the cumulative effect of numerous risks and decisions made from formulating mandates, planning, execution, assessment and response to lessons learned and institutional learning. Particular focus is placed on the targeting and weaponeering processes. Citation: Roger Lane, Larry Lewis and Himayu Shiotani (2019) "Opportunities to Improve Military Policies and Practices to Reduce Civilian Harm From Explosive Weapons in Urban Conflict", UNIDIR, Geneva, Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.37559/CAAP/19/PACAV/11 TRANSLATIONS To read the report in French, click here.

Trump wants to prosecute anti-fascists as terrorists. This Texas trial will test his power.

A July 4 shooting at an ICE detention center could change the way the federal government prosecutes activists.

A Better Conversation on Guns

For the U.S. to make lasting progress against firearm violence, it must change the way it talks about — and talks to — people who carry.

Federal Immigration Agent Shootings

An aggregated dataset of shootings by agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection.

ICE will not reveal body-camera footage unless in agency’s ‘best interests’

Much-delayed devices to be deployed by end of month after immigration agents involved in deaths or serious injuries

A Digitized New Haven Police: Investigating Axon’s Draft One

Interviews have been lightly edited for clarity. The first image of a police officer that comes to mind is probably of one in action. Few imagine the cop spending hours behind their desk, writing r…

It's Safer in the Front

Faced with intensifying repression and state violence, there is an understandable inclination to seek safety by avoiding confrontation. But this is not always the most effective strategy.

[122] Arresting Flexibility: A QJE field experiment on police behavior with about 40 outcome variables

A forthcoming paper in the Quarterly Journal of Economics (QJE), “A Cognitive View of Policing” (htm), reports results from a field experiment showing that teaching police officers to &…

What to Do if ICE Invades Your Neighborhood

With federal agents storming the streets of American communities, there’s no single right way to approach this dangerous moment. But there are steps you can take to stay safe—and have an impact.

Collection: ICE and CBP Operations in Minnesota and Other States

This collection examines the law, facts, and calls for accountability after ICE and CBP operations in Minnesota turn deadly.

You’ve Heard About Who ICE Is Recruiting. The Truth Is Far Worse. I’m the Proof.

What happens when you do minimal screening before hiring agents, arming them, and sending them into the streets? We're all finding out.

Here’s Every Local Police Agency Enforcing for ICE – The Markup

Partnerships more than doubled during the first months of Trump's current term under a program known as 287(g)