Indian Working Group U.S. Department of Justice Introduction harm. The Division also protects inmates’ right [email protected] Civil Rights Division American Indians and Alaska Natives are to practice their religion without unnecessary The Division’s Indian Working Group helps the protected by federal civil rights laws. The Civil restriction. The laws we enforce do not cover Division enforce the laws and meet its Rights Division of the U.S. Department of federal facilities. Contact the Special Litigation responsibilities to Indian Country and Native Justice enforces federal laws barring Section to make a complaint. American people. The Working Group increases discrimination based on a person’s race, color, awareness of Native American civil rights issues Protecting the Civil Rights national origin, gender, sexual orientation, Police Misconduct within the Civil Rights Division, within the disability, or religion. National origin www.justice.gov/crt/split Department of Justice, and throughout the of American Indians discrimination includes failure to provide It is illegal for state or local law enforcement country. You may contact the Indian Working and Alaska Natives language services such as interpreters or offices to systematically deprive people of their Group by email at: translations for people who don’t speak English. rights. Federal laws protect people from [email protected]. The law forbids discrimination in education, constitutional violations such as excessive force; employment, credit, housing, public unlawful stops, searches, or arrests; and accommodations, voting, and in federally- discriminatory policing. We investigate For further information, or to funded and conducted programs, as well as hate misconduct based on race, color, national origin, file a complaint: crimes. sex, and sexual orientation. We can also U.S. Department of Justice intervene where police improperly punish people Civil Rights Division Criminal Civil Rights Laws for observing officers, recording them, or 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. www.justice.gov/crt/about/crm objecting to their actions. Contact the Special Washington, D.C. 20530 Federal law prohibits acts of violence aimed at Litigation Section to make a complaint. 202-514-4609 (Voice) you because of your race, color, religion, 202-514-0716 (TTY) “For far too long Native Americans have national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual Lending www.justice.gov/crt experienced discrimination and injustice, and the orientation, or disability. Federal laws protect www.justice.gov/crt/about/hce federal government can and must stop such people from human trafficking – including It is illegal to discriminate in lending based on a Housing and Civil Enforcement – 800-896-7743 discrimination.” forced labor and coerced commercial sex. person’s race, color, gender, or national origin. Voting - 800-253-3931 Federal law prohibits federal, state, and local If you believe that you were denied a loan Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, Criminal - 202-514-3204 police officers, or other officials acting under because you are Native American, or because Thomas Perez Educational Opportunities - 877-292-3804 color of law from willfully violating you live on a reservation, you can ask the lender Employment – 202-514-3831; constitutional or federal rights, including by for a written explanation of why you were 202-515-6780 (TTY) excessive force or unwanted sexual contact. To denied the loan. Fighting Discrimination Special Litigation – 877-218-5228 report criminal civil rights violations, contact the Special Counsel - 800-255-7688; The Civil Rights Division enforces civil rights laws Federal Bureau of Investigation. If you believe you were denied or charged more 800-237-2515 (TTY) that protect American Indians and Alaska Natives for a housing loan, you can file an individual Disability Rights – 800-514-0301; from discrimination based on race, color, national Jails, Prisons, Disability Facilities, and complaint with the U.S. Department of Housing 800-514-0383 (TTY) origin, gender, sexual orientation, disability, Other Government-Run Institutions and Urban Development (HUD) (telephone Appellate - (202) 514-2195 religion, or membership in a language minority www.justice.gov/crt/split (800) 669-9777 or (800) 927-9275 (TDD)). You Federal Coordination and Compliance group. Such discrimination is forbidden in The Division protects the rights of people can file a complaint with the Housing and Civil – 888-TITLE-06 (888-848-5306) education, employment, credit, housing, public confined in facilities run by state or local Enforcement Section if there is a pattern or accommodations, voting, and in certain federally- governments, including jails, prisons, juvenile practice of lending discrimination against a class funded programs. corrections, and institutions, from mistreatment or group of people. If the loan is not related to based on race, color, national origin, religion, housing (for example, a car loan or a credit sex, or disability. Facilities cannot keep people card), you can file a discrimination complaint in egregious conditions that cause them grievous either with the Housing and Civil Enforcement Section, the regulatory agency in charge of the Employment rates, income taxes, and more. Contact a Education lender, or the Federal Trade Commission (1-877- www.justice.gov/crt/about/emp military legal assistance office: http://www.justice.gov/crt/about/edu FTC-HELP or www.ftccomplaint assistant.gov). www.justice.gov/crt/about/osc http://legalassistance.law.af.mil/content/ Native American children have the right to the An employer cannot refuse to hire or promote locator.php. same educational opportunities that are offered Housing you, or discipline, harass, or fire you because to all other children attending the same public www.justice.gov/crt/about/hce you are Native American. Federal law prohibits Voting schools. Federal law prohibits public It is illegal to discriminate in providing housing employers from discriminating based on a www.justice.gov/crt/about/vot elementary schools, secondary schools, and based on a person’s race, color, national origin, person’s race, gender, color, religion, national As citizens of the United States and of the state colleges and universities from denying students religion, gender, disability, or familial status. If origin, or disability. The law also prohibits an where you live, you have the right to vote free of equal educational opportunities because of their you believe you have been discriminated against employer from retaliating because you complain discrimination in federal, state, and local race, color, national origin, sex, religion, or in renting or buying a place to live because you about something you think violates this law. If elections. Native Americans are protected from disability. Public schools must also offer are Native American, you may file a complaint. an employer has discriminated against you discrimination and intimidation when they vote English language learner students appropriate The Housing and Civil Enforcement Section because you are Native American, contact the or when they want to run for federal, state, and services to help them overcome language handles cases where there is a pattern or practice U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity local elected offices. Federal laws prohibit barriers so that they can meaningfully participate of discrimination in housing against a class or Commission (EEOC) at (800) 669-4000 (voice) voting systems or practices (such as having at- in school. Finally, the Division works to stop group of victims. The U.S. Department of or (800) 669-6820 (TDD). If a state or local large elections instead of creating electoral harassment and bullying in the public schools on Housing and Urban Development (HUD) ((800) government employer has discriminated against districts) when they improperly dilute the votes the basis of race, national origin, sex, religion, or 669-9777 (voice) or (800) 927-9275 (TDD) or you because you are Native American, you may of Native Americans. This law gives Native disability. www.hud.gov/ fairhousing) investigates individual also contact the Employment Litigation Section. Americans the right to a fair opportunity to be complaints of housing discrimination. If an employer refuses to hire you or fires you represented on state legislatures, county If you or your child has been denied access to an based on your citizenship or immigration status, commissions, school boards, or other elected educational program or faced discrimination at a Places of Worship or if a small employer (with 4-14 employees) groups. public school, contact the Educational www.justice.gov/crt/about/hce refuses to hire you or fires you based on national Opportunities Section. If your school district Federal laws protect places of worship. They origin, it may be violating the anti- Some states and counties with a history of receives federal funds, you also can contact the restrict how local governments can use zoning discrimination provision of the Immigration and discrimination against minority voters – U.S. Department of Education at (800) 421- rules or other land use regulations if they harm Nationality Act (INA). If an employer refuses to including some parts of Indian Country – must 3481. If the school is operated by the Bureau of religious practices. If you are the victim of this accept an American Indian tribal document or get federal approval to change their voting Indian Education, contact (202) 208-6123. kind of discrimination, you can file a complaint other acceptable documents to show you are a practices or procedures. The new practices must with the Housing and Civil Enforcement citizen or eligible to work in the U.S., it may be not discriminate against racial or language Disabilities Section. violating the INA. In such cases, contact the minorities, including Native Americans. http://www.justice.gov/crt/about/drs/ Office of Special Counsel for Immigration- www.ada.gov Public Accommodations Related Unfair Employment Practices. Federal observers also may go to polling places The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) www.justice.gov/crt/about/hce in certain jurisdictions to make sure minority prohibits discrimination based on disability in Certain businesses, such as hotels, restaurants, Servicemembers’ Rights voters and voters with disabilities are allowed to employment, or in state and local government and theaters or other places of entertainment www.servicemembers.gov vote without discrimination. County officials in programs and services. It also bars (called “public accommodations”), may not Federal law also prohibits denying employment some areas also must give voter information in discrimination by hotels, restaurants, stores, discriminate because of race, color, religion, or rights because of a person’s U.S. military Native languages. These requirements apply to theaters, medical offices, hospitals, and other national origin. If one of these places has service. If an employer has discriminated against state and local governments. They do not apply businesses that serve the public (known as discriminated against you – for example, by not you because of your military service, contact a to tribal governments or tribal elections. To find “places of public accommodation”). The ADA letting you in, not giving you equal access, or not local Veterans’ Training and Employment out if a jurisdiction is covered, or to make an does not apply to tribal governments. To report giving you equal service, contact the Housing Service of the Department of Labor. Federal election-related complaint, contact the Voting disability discrimination, contact the Disability and Civil Enforcement Section. law also protects those in the military in civil Section. Rights Section. court cases, foreclosures, repossessions, interest