Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a democrat and the United States lawmaker representing New York at the House of Representatives has demanded an end to the government taking possession of properties of persons suspected to be involved in crime.
Ocasio-Cortez kicked against the ‘civil asset forfeiture practice by both local and federal law enforcement whereby assets including cash, cars, and houses owned by private citizens are confiscated on suspicion of being involved in criminal activity without due process.
“This is an issue that so many people in this country cannot believe is real,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “Civil forfeiture means that the government, law enforcement, etc., is allowed to take away your property — often your car or even your home — without an arrest, without criminal charges, and without ever going to court. And then the police can sell your property and use the proceeds as revenue.”
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In the last 20 years, the US government confiscated about $68.8 billion in property through this process, according to the Institute for Justice.
Ocasio-Cortez said it was poor people, low-income people, and people of color whose assets are seized.
She is not the only lawmaker calling for an end to this practice. Legislation to combat the practice have been introduced by Conservative lawmakers such as Sens. Rand Paul and Mike Lee.