 Dear FCFS, American Atheists has been hard at work in the courts lately, filing amicus briefs in two federal cases to defend essential civil rights protections and crucial constitutional freedoms. Yesterday, we joined more than 100 organizations (as well as 90 members of Congress) to demand the restoration of the Community Relations Service (CRS) after it was unceremoniously, unilaterally, and unlawfully dissolved by Attorney General Pam Bondi’s Department of Justice (DOJ) earlier this year. The CRS, commonly referred to as “America’s Peacemaker,” was first established by the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to prevent violence and promote cooperation between communities and governments in resolving civil disorder and disputes regarding race, color, national origin, religion, disability, gender, and sexual orientation. It is (or was) the only federal agency dedicated to mediating such tensions. Over the last 60 years, the CRS has played a vital role — if not always a highly visible one — in facilitating dialogue, training, and partnerships between local constituencies and law enforcement. The Service has, for example, responded in the wake of hate crimes motivated by religious and anti-LGBTQ+ bigotry — including the 2012 mass shooting at a Sikh gurdwara, the 2016 mass shooting at Pulse nightclub, and the 2018 mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue. Its conciliators were also deployed during last year’s Republican and Democratic National Conventions. Despite lacking the legal authority to eliminate the CRS, Bondi’s DOJ did just that, writing: “The CRS mission does not comport with Attorney General and Administration law enforcement and litigating priorities.” Again, the mission they found inconsistent with their priorities is (or was) to “prevent or resolve community conflicts and tensions that arise from actions, policies, and practices perceived to be discriminatory.” A coalition of civic organizations, including two NAACP chapters, the Ethical Society of Police, and others, filed suit against Bondi and the DOJ, contending that dismantling the CRS, “without notice or public input,” is “brazenly defying Congress.” We agree. And the brief we submitted yesterday sends a clear message: The CRS is an essential guardian of Americans’ civil rights, Bondi cannot legally eliminate it, and America’s Peacemaker must be restored without delay. |
