The U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday that its Civil Rights Division has opened a formal pattern-or-practice investigation into the Del Rio and Laredo sectors of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, citing a 300 percent increase in use-of-force complaints filed between 2022 and 2024.
What a Pattern-or-Practice Investigation Means
A pattern-or-practice investigation under 34 U.S.C. § 12601 gives the DOJ authority to sue a law enforcement agency if investigators find a systemic violation of constitutional rights. It can result in a consent decree requiring policy changes, retraining, and independent monitoring.