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Have you been a victim of a hate crime or human trafficking? Get help NOW!

We uphold the civil rights of all people in the United States.

The Civil Rights Division enforces federal laws that protect you from discrimination based on your race, color, national origin, disability status, sex, religion, familial status, or loss of other constitutional rights.

If you believe your civil rights, or someone else’s, have been violated, submit a report using our online form.

Start a report Learn your rights
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If you are in danger, contact 911

If you or someone else is in immediate danger, please call 911 or local police.

If you are reporting misconduct by law enforcement or believe you have experienced a hate crime, please contact the FBI.

About the Civil Rights Division

We protect your rights through:

Enforcement

We sue or prosecute individuals and organizations who violate civil rights laws.

You can help us do this work by reporting a possible civil rights violation through our online form.

Education

We help the public understand how to comply with these laws.

We do this through public speaking, technical assistance, and more.

Coordination

We help the entire federal government work together to enforce these laws.

Our teams work with other agencies to promote a consistent approach to civil rights laws.

Understanding your rights

Civil rights laws can protect you from unlawful discrimination, harassment, or abuse in a variety of settings like housing, the workplace, school, voting, business, healthcare, public spaces, and more.

If you have been mistreated by law enforcement (including while incarcerated), believe you have been a victim of a hate crime, or a victim of human trafficking, we can help get you to the right place.

Choose from this list to see example civil rights violations:

If you think you’ve experienced a similar situation, learn how to report a civil rights violation.

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Protected by civil rights laws

These are the most common characteristics that are legally protected.

  • Race/color
  • Disability including temporary or in recovery
  • Religion
  • Sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation
  • Immigration/citizenship status
  • Language and national origin including ancestry and ethnicity
  • Family, marital, or parental status including pregnancy
  • Age
  • Genetic identification
  • Servicemember status

How to report a civil rights violation

If you believe that you or someone else experienced unlawful discrimination, you can report a civil rights violation.

1

Report using our online form.

By completing the online form, you can provide the details we need to understand what happened. You will receive a confirmation number and your report is immediately sent to our staff for review.

2

We review your report.

Teams that specialize in handling your type of issue will review it. If it needs to be forwarded to another team or agency, we will try to connect your complaint to the right group.

3

We determine next steps and get back to you.

Possible outcomes include: following up for more information, starting a mediation or investigation, directing you to another organization for further help, or informing you that we cannot help.

Have you or someone you know experienced a civil rights violation?

Start a report

If you cannot access the online form, you can call to report a violation or report a violation by mail.