California DOJ Announces Federal Agent Reporting Portal

The political tug of war between Gov. Gavin Newsom and the White House showed no signs of slowing this week, as the California Department of Justice announced a new website where residents can file misconduct reports against federal agents.

The Newsom administration has been a vocal opponent of President Donald Trump’s federal immigration push, especially with regard to the tactics agents have used when making arrests.

Now, Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office is collecting incident reports of misconduct by agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection agents or federalized National Guard soldiers or airmen.

“Let me be clear: Federal agents can enforce federal laws, and no one should interfere with them doing their job. But they must also do so lawfully and in compliance with the constitution. If you believe a federal agent is acting unlawfully, you can report it to my office at oag.ca.gov/report-misconduct,” Bonta said.

Incident options include voting interference/intimidation, excessive force, warrantless search/arrest, unlawful detention/detention conditions and several others. The site also offers reporting parties a chance to leave contact information and other details about an incident, as well as photographic or video evidence of any alleged misconduct.

Of course, not every complaint will get the full attention of the state’s DOJ, and even if a complaint is picked up by the DOJ for further action, experts are divided on how effective legal actions could be against the federal government.

The state has sued the Trump administration numerous times since the president was sworn in back in January, and has also passed legislation prohibiting federal agents from wearing face coverings in the commission of their duties. That legislation — which has been written off by some experts as symbolic — raised safety concerns for federal immigration agents, who have frequently been targeted by “doxxing” attacks.