The U.S. Border Patrol is monitoring millions of American drivers nationwide in a secretive program to identify and detain people whose travel patterns it deems suspicious, The Associated Press has found. https://to.pbs.org/486bTMT

AP finds a secretive Border Patrol intelligence program detains Americans for “suspicious” travel. Critics call it mass surveillance.

SUFFOLK: For the first time in VA’s history people will be able to seal their criminal convictions. Join Justice Forward Virginia Foundation, Nolef Turns Inc., and Virginia Organizing at Morgan Memorial Library—Nov. 24th at 6PM—for a criminal records expungement & sealing info session.

Senator @barbarafavola.bsky.social is an exemplary leader, who has dedicated her career in public service to improving lives across Virginia. Today, I was honored to share her strong legislative record as she was presented the William L. Winston Award by the Arlington County Bar Foundation.

I'm seeing people wonder why ICE is going after Charlotte. ICE has been at war with Charlotte's sheriff ever since he won in 2018. We'd covered this at Bolts back in the day; this quote is from that sheriff:

it’s funny how the most basic cop behavior is a scandal any time it’s actually caught on camera

"In a decisive rebuke of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, an immigration judge on Wednesday ordered the agency to release a young immigrant held at a Virginia detention center — one day after the same court ordered the release of two brothers..."

Skamania County Sheriff Summer Scheyer announced this week that her office would discontinue using Flock Safety cameras over concerns that a recent Washington state court decision could make it easier to weaponize the data they collect.

For more on Rev. Woolf, who appears to have been arrested today: he published an editorial with @rns.org literally this week titled “Why clergy should risk assault to protest ICE” —> religionnews.com/2025/11/13/w...

Got lunch plans Friday? Join the Power Lunch Podcast to chat with our ED @rpogge.bsky.social, Michael Soyfer of IJ, & special guest @equalityalec.bsky.social! Friday’s episode focuses on the rise of mass surveillance and its growing threat to justice—12PM. Register: us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

Despite an Illinois law prohibiting data sharing agreements between state law enforcement agencies and federal immigration authorities, Illinois State Police is providing access to gang database info to DHS and has been doing so since 2024 ✏️ @blairpaddock.bsky.social

Got lunch plans Friday? Join the Power Lunch Podcast to chat with our ED @rpogge.bsky.social, Michael Soyfer of IJ, & special guest @equalityalec.bsky.social! Friday’s episode focuses on the rise of mass surveillance and its growing threat to justice—12PM. Register: us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

New: a judge has ruled that Flock surveillance images are public records that can be requested by anyone. Shows that at least in some cases, police cannot withhold the data collected by its surveillance systems. www.404media.co/judge-rules-...

On this day in 1831, an enslaved Black man named Nat Turner was hanged in Jerusalem, Virginia, after being convicted of leading a revolt against slavery.

A Republican sheriff in a swing county that Trump won by 0.1% signed a contract to help ICE, then lost last week by 11. New by me in @boltsmag.org: boltsmag.org/sheriff-of-b...

Imagine getting a 67% funding hike and begging for more “The budget for Virginia State Police has grown significantly in the past several years. In 2020, the agency received $374 million in general funds. This year, it has budgeted around $557 million.” richmond.com/news/state-r...

The people were fired up for criminal legal reforms at Justice Reform Happy Hour! Many thanks to @parisaforjustice.bsky.social @hopeforvirginia.bsky.social @salimvasenate.bsky.social for joining us! And to advocates and indigent defenders committed to restoring justice to our communities and courts!

On this day in 1889, a white mob abducted 18-year-old Orion “Owen” Anderson from jail in Leesburg, Virginia, and lynched him for allegedly frightening a white girl.

A few years ago, Equal Justice USA was awarded $3 million in federal grants to expand the organization’s work supporting community violence intervention efforts. In April, the Trump administration immediately terminated its funds, stating that the grants were no longer aligned with DOJ priorities.

Arresting a parent then kidnapping their baby... "immigration agents arrested a US citizen in the parking lot of a Los Angeles Home Depot store, then entered his car and drove away with his toddler, who is also a US citizen, in the backseat" www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

We’re rallying support for criminal justice reform. Join us for a FREE TACO BAR & MARGARITAS Wednesday, November 5th from 6-8PM in Falls Church, VA. We’re honored to have special guests @parisaforjustice.bsky.social and Del. @HopeforVirginia.bsky.social! justiceforwardva.com/blog/2025/10... #valeg

Thousands of cities allowed cops to run racists searches through their Flock Safety license plate reader databases. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...

JUST IN: Soren Stevenson, who lost an eye due to a projectile fired by the police during the BLM protests of 2020 in Minneapolis, has won a seat on city council. @pascalsabino.bsky.social reported on his candidacy last month in a must-read: boltsmag.org/minneapolis-...

We’re rallying support for criminal justice reform. Join us for a FREE TACO BAR & MARGARITAS Wednesday, November 5th from 6-8PM in Falls Church, VA. We’re honored to have special guests @parisaforjustice.bsky.social and Del. @HopeforVirginia.bsky.social! justiceforwardva.com/blog/2025/10... #valeg

It didn’t end up being that close Jay Jones will become the first Black Attorney General in Virginia The voters gave him a second chance after a difficult campaign

Criminals posing as immigration officers have carried out robberies, kidnappings, and sexual assaults raising concerns about ICE & CBP wearing mask and having no ID when abducting people off the streets FBI urging officers to clearly identify & cooperate when asked to verify an officer’s identity

VIRGINIA DEFENSE BAR: Want to tell us about the unjust criminal laws and procedures that harm the people you represent? Join our Indigent Defender Statewide Call on Tuesday, Nov. 4th at 11:00AM to workshop criminal legal reforms together. Register here: us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

ICE detained a Virginia mom while she was driving her 16yo daughter to school bc she couldn’t recall her SS#. “The agent got flustered and lunged at her,” said her daughter. ICE arrested her even after she showed proof of legal status. “I want this video out there because I want my mother home.”

Democratic colleagues Simon, Ebbin, Watts and Locke wrote in their letter to OSIG that they are “deeply concerned” Miyares may have pressured VADOC “to adjust its practices in ways that advantage” his campaign. “If true, this would represent a profound breach of the public trust,” they wrote.

"A video made its rounds on social media of a Harrisonburg mother being ‘aggressively detained’ by federal agents while taking her daughter to school."

Next Wednesday—Nov. 5 from 6PM-8PM—you should attend Justice Reform Happy Hour in Falls Church! Enjoy a free taco bar & margaritas, a preview of our 2026 CJR priorities, Virginia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and special guests! See you there! justiceforwardva.com/blog/2025/10...

Just incredibly, unnecessarily cruel. And I’d be shocked if there wasn’t wanton corruption going on here, too.

If you are a Public Defender or Criminal Defense Lawyer in Virginia, please register and participate in @justicefwdva.bsky.social workshop about future criminal legal reforms! bit.ly/VaDefenderCall

After @bethabeyer.bsky.social investigation, Office of Attorney General data refutes Miyares’ chief campaign claim cardinalnews.org/2025/10/28/a...

DEFENDERS: Want to reform the unjust criminal laws and procedures that harm the people you represent? Join the VA Defender Statewide Call Tuesday, Nov. 4 at 11AM to workshop criminal legal reforms. Public defenders & other indigent defenders register here: bit.ly/VaDefenderCall

More than 1 million people in education, healthcare, and public safety have had their loans forgiven through Public Service Loan Forgiveness. A proposed change to the program would make it harder to recruit lawyers to the critical work of indigent defense. www.law360.com/articles/239...

An underrated storyline in 9 days: Youngkin has made it so people lose their voting rights for life for any felony at present. A Dem proposal that’s started advancing to restore voting rights hinges on Dems keeping the state House

“The fact that naloxone is widely available in Virginia and people know how to use it to stop overdoses. The fact that we have fentanyl testing strips. Those types of things are what is actually leading to the decline of fentanyl deaths," @rpogge.bsky.social says. www.wvtf.org/news/2025-10...

In two weeks—at about this time—we’ll be deep into a free taco bar, toasting margaritas (hopefully with you) discussing our 2026 CJR priorities! Join us along with Virginia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers for Justice Reform Happy Hour—Wednesday, November 5th at 6PM. See you there!

"It creates real risk around overreach and misuse of the surveillance technology to target people," Sannon said Tuesday. "The report that came out today shows this has not been a hypothetical concern." Just cancel Flock already! 🚫 #deflock #redmond #surveillance #alpr #flocksafety

Funds from the One Big Beautiful Bill will be used to pay “70,000 sworn law enforcement officers” including officers with Customs and Border Patrol, ICE, Secret Service Special Agents, and air marshals with the TSA www.krqe.com/news/politic...

“Ring’s new partnership with Flock shows that the company is more interested in contributing to mounting authoritarianism than servicing the specific needs of their customers,” EFF’s @MGuariglia.bsky.social told @ArsTechnica.com. arstechnica.com/gadgets/202...

National Guard deployment in DC is costing $1 million/day www.cnn.com/2025/08/28/p... They’re there each time I step out of the Metro, idling in groups with nothing to do Meanwhile, around the corner, people are sleeping on the street, nowhere else to go, as Trump cuts funding for homeless people

Go back and read what we said AT THE TIME when the body cam push was being uplifted as THE key "reform." Every single thing we predicted happened.

Sometimes our contribution is to stay out of the way. To not project our insecurities or fears on others willing to take political risks we’re not ready to take. To not make it harder for those ready to fight the good fight.

If anyone's wondering how this is possible, the answer is these strike teams are moving terrifyingly fast. Grab first, ask questions later. We were about 8-15 minutes behind them today for several hours. They're jumping out of vans, chasing people across lawns, taking them from bus stops, etc

lol. LMAO, even.

We oppose mass surveillance ⁦because so long as the data exists, people in power will use it to keep that power. They will lie about how they’re using it. And people will suffer. truthout.org/articles/by-...

EXCLUSIVE: Thousands of leaked messages show leaders of Young Republican groups joking about gas chambers, slavery and rape in a private Telegram chat. Inside rising GOP leaders’ racist chats — obtained by POLITICO and spanning more than 7 months👇

Learn about the spying technologies police are deploying in our communities at EFF's Street-Level Surveillance hub. www.eff.org/sls