
Blog
We can be pretty sure that each new day will bring two things: new threats to our civil liberties, and new stories of people standing up for their rights and winning. Behind every court ruling is a person. Behind every landmark law is a movement. Read the stories and hear the voices that ground our work.
Teen Parents Want to Succeed in School—Let's Treat Them Like They Belong There, Because They Do
Feb 11, 2015
Many high school students have reported being denied the opportunity to take necessary college prep classes. And a disproportionate number of those were students who were either pregnant or parenting.
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Local Surveillance Reform at a Tipping Point in Oakland
Feb 10, 2015
Public participation in decisions about whether to equip police with surveillance technology is often the exception rather than the rule in California and across the country. Oakland knows this all too well.
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It's Time to Protect Digital Privacy in California
Feb 08, 2015
The technology that we use for everything from balancing our budget to finding a date is constantly evolving – but the laws that protect our electronic information are stuck in the digital dark ages.
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Public Defender's Arrest Shows that “Black Lives Matter” Needs to Be Heard in SF
Feb 05, 2015
In San Francisco, yet another example of police abuse came to light when Jami Tillotson was arrested outside a courtroom in the Hall of Justice while attempting to protect her clients’ right to counsel.
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Turning a New Leaf: Driver’s Licenses in California
Feb 04, 2015
It’s a month since AB 60 - The Safe and Responsible Driver Act went into effect: since then, all eligible Californians can apply for a driver’s license, regardless of immigration status. This is a huge victory that immigrants and advocates fought for over two decades.
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Detention Is No Place for Infants, Children, and Families
Feb 04, 2015
The Obama administration's decision eight months ago to massively expand the detention of immigrant families with children means that more newborns, toddlers, and young children will suffer imprisonment for no good reason inside dangerous detention facilities.
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For Some Families Fleeing Violence, a Shot at a Fair Shake
Jan 30, 2015
When I met Milagro* and her toddlers, they were facing imminent deportation to Honduras – a near certain death sentence in light of the extreme violence they would face there. But now they have hope.
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Cops Complain about Being Tracked on Waze: “Do as We Say, Not as We Do”
Jan 29, 2015
Do you have the right to tell others that you saw an on duty cop in public? According to law enforcement in two Associated Press articles this week, the answer is “No.”
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Hope and Resilience for Transgender People: Monica Jones Victory
Jan 28, 2015
It seems basic enough to ask that one be treated like a human being – that a person’s dignity be honored in life and death. But tragically for too many transgender people that is still a far off dream.
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On Women's Health, the House Trades One Bad Idea for Another
Jan 26, 2015
Watching Congress' actions toward women last week might leave you confused about what year it is. Instead of advancing a single policy designed to help women, the U.S. House of Representatives has chosen to attack women's health any way it can.
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The House's #TBT: Roll Backs on Women's Health
Jan 22, 2015
Today marks the 42nd anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Roe v. Wade. Instead of honoring that legacy of support for women, the U.S. House of Representatives is planning a throwback Thursday, marking the occasion by rolling back women's health with a vote on a federal abortion ban.
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On the Anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Let’s Talk About Women
Jan 22, 2015
42 years after Roe v. Wade, abortion opponents wave around pictures of fetuses floating through space in bubbles. Erased from these images are the pregnant women who actually carry fetuses. Let's put women back into the picture.
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