IJ

Ashley Light never planned to become a plaintiff in a lawsuit. She planned to carry on her parents’ legacy. Soon after she took over Valuta, however, the federal government imposed a Geographic Targeting Order forcing her to report $200 transactions—far below the normal $10,000 threshold. Issued without any suspicion of wrongdoing, the order required her to collect detailed personal information from customers and send it to federal authorities. With the Institute for Justice by her side, Ashley challenged the order in federal court, arguing that the mandate exceeded the government’s authority and violated the Fourth Amendment. She won relief that protected her business, restored customer privacy, and pushed back against an unprecedented expansion of financial surveillance.

U.S. citizen and veteran George Retes announces a lawsuit against the federal government after being unlawfully detained for three days without charges, a lawyer, or a judge.    Now, with IJ’s help, he’s fighting back and demanding accountability.

IRS Unlawful Power Grab Defeated | Feb 11, 2014 #thisdayinhistory #IRS #taxseason #judicialsystem #publicinterest

From the courthouse yesterday: An IJ attorney explains why we’re challenging unconstitutional TSA forfeiture practices. #lawyertiktok #attorneysoftiktok #PublicInterest

This State Made Selling a Box Illegal #endoflifecare #consciousdying #griefsupport #deathawareness #caskets #economicliberty #righttoearnanhonstliving #oklahoma

2016 IJ: already battling forfeiture & standing up for the right to earn an honest living. + The debut of our award-winning film, Everything. How many familiar faces do you spot?

Landmark Court Battle: Family Beats $1M Civil Forfeiture Attempt On January 24, 2013, IJ won a major federal court victory against civil forfeiture. This decision set an early, important precedent reining in federal forfeiture power. Since then, IJ has filed dozens of forfeiture cases and secured the return of millions of dollars in assets.

Rights don’t protect anyone if they can’t be enforced. IJ is working to dismantle the legal barriers that shield federal agents from accountability. Through our Project on Immunity and Accountability, we represent people whose constitutional rights were violated—and fight to ensure those rights matter in court.

Warmed up ✅ Dialed In ✅ Already taking action ✅ 2026, we’re coming for you.

Historic Renters Privacy' Court Ruling

TWICE in 3 Weeks: ICE Detained the Same U.S. Citizen

Leo is a U.S. citizen. They tackled him. They handcuffed him. They ignored his REAL ID. Weeks later, he was detained again. Now, Leo is fighting back with the Institute for Justice—because if Americans must follow the law, the government must follow the Constitution. #Alabama #RealID #UScitizen #ICEraids #construction #privateproperty #lawyer

Inmates Forced to Pay for Sheriff's Slush Fund

✨2025 was a winning year for IJ and we’re already working to make 2026 even better! Thank you for standing with us.

Innocent Teen Jailed 2 Years Over Cop's Lies