Featured Cases
Immunity and Accountability | Private Property
George Retes Federal Officer Accountability
Ventura, California
George Retes, a U.S. citizen and Iraq War veteran, was detained for three days after encountering an ICE roadblock on his way to work.
4th Amendment Project | License Plate Readers | Private Property
San Jose License Plate Readers
San Jose residents file federal class action lawsuit challenging city’s use of nearly 500 license plate read cameras.
4th Amendment Project | Immunity and Accountability | Private Property
Georgia Botched Raid
More than a dozen heavily armed law enforcement officers stormed Cathy George’s apartment, looking for a fugitive who had no connection to Cathy and who was already in custody.
Fines and Fees | Private Property
U.S. Department of Labor v. Sun Valley Orchards
In 2016, the Department of Labor demanded $550,000 from a family farm in southern New Jersey. In their case, the agency served as prosecutor, judge, and jury, and the agency won every time. The brothers…
IJ Protects COnstitutional Rights
The Institute for Justice litigates to protect the constitutional rights of all Americans. IJ defends ordinary people who want to earn an honest living, own and enjoy their property, speak freely, and give their children a good education but find that the government is standing in their way.
We fight to hold government officials accountable when they violate constitutional rights and to prevent governments at all levels from bending the rules to expand their power or advance illegitimate ends.
4th Amendment Project | Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
US Private Vaults Seizure
FBI agents broke into hundreds of private security deposit box without warrants. Holding government officials accountable for violating Fourth Amendment rights is crucial to ensure similar abuses don’t occur in the future.
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Arizona Forfeiture Appeal
Jerry Johnson owns a small trucking business. He traveled with cash to buy a new truck for his business when a detective approached him and took his money. He was left without his money or…
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
South Carolina Civil Forfeiture
South Carolina’s civil forfeiture laws violate the rights of all South Carolinians to be free from excessive fines and fees. Caught up in this was Travis Green who had his money seized. Now, he is…
4th Amendment Project | Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Detroit Civil Forfeiture
For decades, residents of Detroit and Wayne County, Michigan have lived under constant threat of having their cars taken away and ransomed back to them for $1,000 or more—that is, if the car is ever…
4th Amendment Project | Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
DEA and TSA Airport Forfeitures
Retired railroad engineer Terry Rolin’s life savings were seized by the government, but he hasn’t been charged with any crime. Now he and his daughter are working with IJ to get his money back and…
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Miami Forfeiture Attorneys’ Fees
Miladis Salgado returned home one day to find the DEA had seized her life savings, even though she did nothing wrong. Her money was eventually given back to her, but the government should not be…
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Pennsylvania Forfeiture FOIA
Americans have a right to know details about misdeeds being committed by their government. LancasterOnline, a publication in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, worked with IJ to ensure citizens have access to information about what police are taking…
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Cleveland Forfeiture
Rustem Kazazi, a retired police officer from Albania, who now leaves in a Cleveland suburb, was flying home to Albania when Customs and Border Patrol stripped him naked and took his family’s money through the…
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Houston Forfeiture
Anthonia Nwaorie, a registered nurse and grandmother from Texas was flying to see family in Nigeria when Customs and Border Patrol took her life savings without ever charging her with a crime. So, she joined…
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Timbs v. Indiana
U.S. Supreme Court Opinon Final Victory for Tyson Timbs Case Video…
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Wyoming Forfeiture
IJ successfully represented Phil Parhamovich, a musician from Madison, Wisconsin who had his life savings of $91,800 seized by Wyoming law enforcement during a traffic stop on I-80 near Cheyenne. Phil was never charged, much…
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Eagle Pass Forfeiture
Border Patrol Agents used a flimsy excuse to seize Gerardo Serrano’s truck, then held it for two years. IJ asked the Supreme Court to hear Gerardo’s case, but unfortunately the court declined to do so.