Civil Rights The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the primary federal agency responsible for investigating all allegations regarding violations of applicable federal civil rights laws. These laws are designed to protect the civil rights of all citizens and persons within United States territory. The mission of the FBI's Civil Rights Program is to enforce federal civil rights statutes and to ensure that the protected civil rights of all inhabitants are not abridged.
The FBI's Civil Rights Program consists of the following sub-programs:
Color of Law/Police Misconduct
Hate Crimes
Involuntary Servitude/Slavery
Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act
Color of Law The Department of Justice characterizes Color of Law violations as those where a public official, acting or purporting to act pursuant to the authority granted by virtue of the position held, deprives a person of a constitutionally guaranteed right. Generally, Color of Law cases arise from acts committed by police officers and corrections officers which result in personal injury or death of the victim.
Hate Crimes Investigations Federal law prohibits any person or group of persons from using force, threat or intimidation to inhibit any person or class of persons from exercising rights secured under the Constitution. Investigations conducted within this sub-program address church arson and violent acts or threats to inhibit a person or group from using public accommodations.
Involuntary Servitude and Slavery The majority of servitude cases typically involve migrant farm workers, immigrants, aliens, or others who are forced to work under exploitative conditions and/or are held in involuntary servitude with little recourse for escape.
Freedom Of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act The FACE Act prohibits the use of force or the threat of force, or physical obstruction for the purpose of injuring, intimidating, or interfering with a person seeking to obtain or provide reproductive health services. Damage or destruction of property at these sites is also prohibited.