Latino USA Features PJLC on the Dangers
of False Gang Allegations

Latino USA, an NPR-distributed podcast with a national audience, featured the Peace and Justice Law Center’s Executive Director in an episode examining how false gang allegations are being used to undermine the rule of law. The segment connects long-criticized gang policing practices to broader constitutional harms, highlighting how exceptions carved out for alleged gang members are now being weaponized at the national level.

In extended segments drawn from a one-on-one interview with PJLC, the organization explained how the Trump administration has relied on discredited gang allegations to bypass ordinary Fourth Amendment protections. Practices once treated as narrow exceptions for alleged gang members are now being applied more broadly, eroding due process and enabling severe government action without meaningful accountability.

The episode centered on the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, using his experience to illustrate both the human cost and the systemic nature of the problem. As discussed in the program, gang labels—often based on weak or circular evidence—can trigger extreme consequences, including detention and deportation to foreign prisons, without a fair opportunity to challenge the allegation.

Latino USA explicitly referenced PJLC’s work challenging gang databases, injunctions, and gang enhancements, situating the organization as a national expert on how these practices function and why they pose a serious threat to constitutional governance. The discussion connected local law enforcement practices to a broader pattern of democratic erosion when legal safeguards are selectively suspended.

The appearance builds on PJLC’s collaboration with partners in the Decriminalizing Neighborhoods Network (DNN) and the California Alliance for Youth and Community Justice (CAYCJ), who are working to change public narratives about gangs and gang members. Together, these efforts aim to move away from dehumanizing stereotypes and toward evidence-based, nonviolent approaches to gang desistance.

PJLC will continue engaging media, policymakers, and movement partners as gang allegations are increasingly used to justify authoritarian practices and weaken constitutional limits on government power.

Listen to the episode:

Latino USA, “Constitutional Crisis” (April 27, 2025)

https://www.latinousa.org/2025/04/27/constitutionalcrisis/