Holding ICE accountable in court
If we want to keep our constitutional freedoms, we must be willing to defend them
A fundamental American right is being tested. While exercising their First Amendment rights to observe and film federal law enforcement, peaceful protesters and observers have faced a disturbing reality: violent retaliation, intimidation, and arrests at the hands of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal agents.
It’s happened across the country, but some of the most disturbing evidence came during ICE’s intense focus on Minneapolis.
At Bright America, we believe that the rule of law is only meaningful when it applies equally to everyone — especially those who wield the most power in our government. That is why we are proud to highlight the latest work of our strategic litigation partner Campaign Legal Center (CLC), fueled in part by the Bright America movement, as they take the fight for our constitutional rights to the courts.
The Case: Tincher v. Noem
CLC has stepped into the active case of Tincher v. Noem. This lawsuit, filed on behalf of Minnesotans who were targeted by federal agents, seeks to halt what can only be described as a dangerous “illegal power grab”.
The core of the issue is simple: documenting government officials as they perform their duties lies at the very heart of the First Amendment. When federal agents use force to silence those watching them, they aren’t just breaking the law; they are undermining the foundation of our democracy.
A Coalition of Expertise
Perhaps the most compelling aspect of this fight is who has stepped up to join it. CLC filed an amicus brief supported by 39 former career civil servants from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). These aren’t political operatives — they are professionals who served in the DOJ’s Special Litigation Section under both Republican and Democratic administrations.
These experts, who spent their careers eliminating patterns of illegal conduct by law enforcement, are sounding the alarm. They argue that federal agents in Minnesota are engaging in the exact same unconstitutional policing that the DOJ has condemned in the past.
Why This Matters
Presidential orders to enforce immigration policies do not grant federal agents a “blank check” to ignore the Constitution. Whether an officer is a local beat cop or a federal agent, they must be held to the same constitutional standards.
If we allow federal agencies to operate without constitutional restraint, we set a precedent where our rights to peaceful assembly and free speech become “conditional” rather than fundamental.
Bright America stands with CLC because we believe constitutional protections must be more than theoretical ideals — they must be enforceable guarantees. By supporting this litigation, we are ensuring that the government remains accountable to the people it serves.
Anything else would be un-American.