As the number of people killed by ICE and Border Patrol agents — in detention and on the streets of American communities — NPAP convened the nation’s leading civil rights attorneys to lead a training on holding federal law enforcement accountable through the courts. Dozens of legal professionals attended the intensive, two-day training, in person and online.
The training took place July 23–24 at ArtServe in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, as well as virtually. The free event drew attorneys, legal workers, law students, and advocates from across the country, teaching them the fundamentals of litigating to combat law enforcement abuses and protect civil rights at a time when the courts are one of the last places Americans can turn to defend their rights in our democracy.
A Public Safety Crisis Created by Mass Federal Deployment
The National Guard killed 20 year-old Tyrin Johnson in Memphis; ICE agents murdered Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Texas and Johan Sebastián in Maine; and agents caused another deadly vehicle accident in Florida, killing vacationer Juan Jairo Coronilla Durán.
Behind detention walls, the toll is even worse. In 2025, at least 33 people died in ICE custody — the highest annual total on record since the agency’s founding in 2003. By mid-2026, ICE had already reported 18 additional deaths, putting the agency on pace to shatter that grim record again. Immigrants are held in criminal jails while going through a civil legal process; they are not being charged with crimes. Jails are inhumane for everyone but especially for people that are not suspected of a crime. But the treatment inside these jails makes them more akin to torture camps.
“After investigating these cases, one thing becomes painfully clear: the harm doesn’t end at the scene. Families are left grieving, communities struggle to heal, and the ripple effects last for years. This training is an opportunity to strengthen our collective response and better prepare those on the front lines,” said Jeremy McLymont, Founding Attorney at AsiliA Law Firm.
What Attorneys Learned
Over two days, 12 expert speakers — experienced litigators from leading law firms and civil rights organizations — led sessions covering the full spectrum of federal law enforcement accountability litigation, providing participants with practical tools for identifying actionable misconduct, investigating cases, drafting complaints, and developing effective litigation strategies.
Day One opened with a sweeping overview of the current landscape of federal law enforcement accountability, presented by Jon Feinberg of Kairys, Rudovsky, Messing, Feinberg & Lin LLP, one of the nation’s preeminent civil rights law firms. Attorneys Zack Greenamyre of Mitchell Shapiro Greenamyre & Funt LLP and Jeff Filipovits of Filipovits & Smith then led a deep dive into common legal issues under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), including the discretionary function exception, the law enforcement proviso, and sovereign immunity.
A critical session on FTCA claims in the immigration context followed, led by Trina Realmuto, Executive Director of the National Immigration Litigation Alliance, and Khaled Alrabe, Senior Staff Attorney at the National Immigration Project — a session made all the more urgent by the wave of ICE killings and detention deaths. James Cook of Burris, Nisenbaum, Curry & Lacy and Jaba Tsitsuashvili of the Institute for Justice then addressed FTCA actionable conduct involving other federal law enforcement abuses. Attorney Jeremy McLymont led a session on investigating police misconduct cases, and Jon Feinberg returned to lead a training on intake and case consultations.
“The mass deployment of federal law enforcement agents in U.S. communities has created a growing threat to community safety that made this training both timely and absolutely needed,” said Jon Feinberg, Partner at Kairys, Rudovsky, Messing, Feinberg & Lin LLP and President of NPAP. “At a moment when preparedness and collaboration matter more than ever, equipping leaders with the tools to respond effectively strengthens the communities we all call home.”
Day Two featured NPAP Staff Attorneys Keisha James and Eliana Machefsky alongside Kelly Knapp, Senior Staff Attorney at the Southern Poverty Law Center, presenting on actionable conduct including use of force, stops, and on-the-street detentions — the very scenarios playing out in communities across the country. Lauren Bonds, Executive Director of NPAP, taught the fundamentals of Section 1983 litigation, the bedrock federal statute for holding state and local officers accountable for constitutional violations. The day concluded with a two-part session on election protection and legal responses to law enforcement presence at the polls, led by Oliver Torres of Common Cause.
The event was approved for 14 general CLE credit hours by the State Bar of Florida and offered at no cost to all attendees, reflecting NPAP’s commitment to ensuring that the legal profession is equipped to meet this moment.
Recordings of the full event will be available to attendees. For interviews with Lauren Bonds, other trainers, or participants, contact [email protected].