This op-ed in Common Dreams articulates the impact of Fusion Centers in the state of New Jersey in stifling civil rights of minorities, including Arab-Americans. Dovetailing a report by the Rutgers University Law School Center for Security, Race, and Rights, the article documents the role of the Regional Operations Intelligence Center (ROIC), the only Department of Homeland Security-affiliated fusion center in New Jersey, in introducing international espionage tactics into local law enforcement. Led by a former CIA agent, the ROIC operates without accountability, transcending its mandate to fight terrorism by over-policing non-violent crimes. In the process, they indiscriminately target immigrants and communities of color.
Read the op-ed here.
