A number of House Democrats have asked the Justice Department to open an investigation into the border “shadow police unit” that human rights groups said in a letter late last month has covered up agent abuses for years. The Southern Border Communities Coalition (SBCC) said in its Oct. 27 letter that Border Patrol’s Critical Incident Teams’ (BPCIT) actions “to withhold, destroy, and corrupt evidence and to tamper with witnesses have gone unchecked for decades.” “The allegations of ‘Shadow Units’ or ‘Critical Incident Teams’ within U.S. Border Patrol, made public by the San Diego Union-Tribune article, are very disconcerting,” Representatives Juan Vargas, Sara Jacobs, and Joaquin Castro tell the Justice Department. “The accusations of obstruction of justice, corruption, and extreme misconduct must be thoroughly investigated and, if true, those involved must be held accountable immediately.” Read more