Six years ago, Breonna Taylor — a beloved daughter, first responder, and friend — was asleep in her Louisville, Kentucky, apartment when police officers burst through her door in the middle of the night during a no-knock raid. Within moments, she was shot and killed.

She was 26 years old. She had committed no crime. Tell Congress to END dangerous no-knock raids.

Her death sparked national outrage and forced a reckoning about one of the most dangerous tools in law enforcement: no-knock warrants, which allow officers to enter a home without announcing themselves. In response, the U.S. Department of Justice adopted stronger restrictions in 2021 to ensure that no-knock raids were used only in the most extreme circumstances and only after safer alternatives had been exhausted.

But last week, those protections were abruptly reversed. The Trump administration’s Deputy Attorney General rescinded the Justice Department policy that tightly restricted when federal agents could execute no-knock warrants, once again allowing agents to burst into homes without warning.

This reckless decision puts families across the country at risk. Tell Congress to act now!

When armed agents break down doors without announcing themselves, terrified residents have no way of knowing whether the people entering their homes are law enforcement or intruders. In the confusion, people reach for self-defense, and tragedy follows. Families are killed. Children are traumatized. Research shows that no-knock raids disproportionately impact Black and Brown communities and low-income families, and they frequently result in injury or death for both residents and law enforcement. Many are carried out at the wrong address or in situations where safer alternatives were available.

This is not about politics. It is about whether families can feel safe in their own homes.

Congress cannot allow these dangerous tactics to expand without oversight or accountability. Lawmakers must act immediately to restore and permanently codify strong federal restrictions on no-knock warrants so that no administration can remove them again with a single memo.

Click to tell Congress: Reinstate federal restrictions on no-knock warrants.

We owe it to Breonna Taylor. We owe it to Amir Locke. We owe it to every family that has lost a loved one during a raid that never should have happened that way. And we owe it to our own children, who deserve to grow up in a country where their home is truly a place of safety.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a no-knock warrant?

A no-knock warrant is a court order that allows law enforcement officers to enter a premises without first knocking or announcing their presence. These are often used in drug investigations, but they pose significant risks to both residents and officers due to the high potential for confusion and violence.

Why did the Department of Justice previously restrict no-knock raids?

Following high-profile tragedies like the death of Breonna Taylor, the DOJ implemented restrictions in 2021 to limit no-knock warrants to extreme circumstances where life or safety was at risk, prioritizing safer alternatives for community and officer protection.

What can Congress do to protect families from these raids?

Congress can pass legislation to permanently codify restrictions on no-knock warrants. This would prevent the Department of Justice from unilaterally removing protections for families through administrative memos or policy reversals.