Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com
An appellate court’s ruling that permitted a Mexican family to sue Border Patrol agents could endanger officers, the agency’s union said Tuesday, according to the Texas Tribune reports.
Agents worried about lawsuits may be more reluctant to use deadly force when necessary, according to the National Border Patrol Council.
“We’re concerned, and we think [Monday’s ruling] is going to have a very chilling effect,” said Shawn Moran, vice president at-large and a spokesman for the National Border Patrol Council.
On Monday, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the family of a Mexican child can sue the Border Patrol agent who fatally shot the boy.
The ACLU applauded the decision.
“Today the Fifth Circuit helped ensure that [Customs and Border Patrol] agents are held accountable for shocking and outrageous abuse, even when their victims aren’t inside the U.S.,” Adriana Piñon, an ACLU of Texas staff attorney, said in a statement.
