At the end of last year Justin Amash proposed the Civil Asset Forfeiture Elimination Act which would prevent the federal government from engaging in civil asset forfeiture actions that deprive Americans of their private property and due process.

“Civil asset forfeiture is a due process violation, and it always has been... Its history is riddled with injustices not because it’s a valid practice that gets misused, but because its central premise—denying people their procedural rights—is inherently flawed.” - Rep. Amash

This policy has meant that thousands of Americans have been targeted and arguably stolen from, as billions of dollars has been confiscated with many of those victims never facing any conviction for wrongdoing in relation to that theft. In other words, they didn't deserve to have their property taken from them and the incident caused them a costly, stressful, and lengthy nightmare, for them to try and get it back.

If passed it would repeal certain legislation that authorizes this practice currently around the country.

There would also be some new restrictions for states as well, pursuing this sort of confiscation of private property only if the owner had been convicted of a crime, among other changes.

As Amash has stated, the problem isn't with applying the policy correctly, the problem is with the policy itself.

"Today, I introduced the Civil Asset Forfeiture Elimination Act to repeal civil asset forfeiture nationwide. Its history is riddled with injustices not because it’s a valid practice that gets misused, but because its central premise is inherently flawed and unconstitutional." - Amash

This is one policy that allows authorities across the country to take billions of dollars every year away from innocent Americans.

Altogether it is estimated that the government has taken over $68.8 billion over the last 20 years.

It harms too many people and has gone on for far too long now at the cost of due process and the Constitutional rights of American people.

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