Civil Rights Complaints

Civil Rights Complaints

The Western District of Texas, in coordination with the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice, is charged with enforcing the federal civil rights laws.

Our Office welcomes information from the public that brings attention to possible violations of our nation’s civil rights laws. The Western District of Texas's Civil Rights Coordinator is AUSA Eric VanDeWalle.

Understanding Your Rights

Civil rights law can protect you from unlawful discrimination, harassment, or abuse in a variety of settings like housing, the workplace, school, voting, business, healthcare, public space, and more.

Federal civil rights laws include, but are not limited to, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Fair Housing Act, the Voting Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act, the Immigration and Nationality Act, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, and the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act.

Protected by Civil Rights Laws

These are the most common characteristics that are legally protected.

• Race/color
• Disability
• Religion
• Sex
• Age
• National origin
• Citizenship status
• Servicemember status

Hate Crimes

The Department of Justice aggressively prosecutes hate crimes, which include acts of physical harm and specific criminal threats motivated by animus.  For more information on hate crimes, please visit the Department of Justice Hate Crimes Enforcement and Prevention Website.

Law Enforcement Misconduct

The Department of Justice vigorously investigates and, where the evidence permits, prosecutes allegations of Constitutional violations by law enforcement officers. The Department's investigations most often involve alleged uses of excessive force, but also include sexual misconduct, theft, false arrest, and deliberate indifference to serious medical needs or a substantial risk of harm to a person in custody. These cases typically involve police officers, jailers, correctional officers, probation officers, prosecutors, judges, and other federal, state, or local law enforcement officials. The Department's authority extends to all law enforcement conduct, regardless of whether an officer is on or off duty, so long as he/she is acting, or claiming to act, in his/her official capacity.

Voting

The Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of the federal laws that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, the National Voter Registration Act, the Help America Vote Act and the Civil Rights Acts. The District Election Officer for the Western District of Texas is AUSA Matthew B. Devlin.

How to Report a Civil Rights Violation

If you believe you or someone else you know has experienced a civil rights violation, please complete our civil rights complaint form, email us, or contact the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division.

To report misconduct by law enforcement or if you or someone you know has been a victim of a hate crime, please contact the FBI.