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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.
We're Very Grateful for Your Support... Now Let's Build a Movement
Feb 01, 2017
Last weekend, I was flooded by email and text messages from people contacting me both for legal help for their families stranded at airports and from people contacting me to find out how they can help. Being Iranian-American and working at the ACLU, the incoming messages came from both those worlds that are integral to my life.As we roll up our sleeves for the work ahead, I want to thank the count...
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Racist Executive Orders – Then and Now #ACLUTimeMachine
Feb 01, 2017
It was 75 years ago that President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066 which began the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. Tens of thousands of American citizens were declared dangerous to domestic security and forced to go to internment camps in isolated areas across the Western United States.It’s a time that holds special meaning here at the ACLU of Northern Ca...
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Fred Korematsu Lessons: The Price of an Executive Order, 75 Years Later
Jan 30, 2017
January 30 is Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution, established by the California legislature in 2010 to commemorate the ACLU of Northern California’s client who was interned during World War II.
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From Flint to Standing Rock to California’s Salinas Valley, Water is a Human Right
Jan 25, 2017
Everyone has a right to safe, clean, affordable drinking water. And the news this week means we’re going to have to shout it from the rooftops. Water is life. Water is a human right.One of Donald Trump’s first actions as president was to issue an executive order to violate the water rights of the Standing Rock Sioux and advance the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. In the words of ...
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Trump Has the Keys to the Surveillance State, but CA has a Long History of Changing the Locks
Jan 19, 2017
When Donald Trump takes the oath of office, he will inherit an unprecedented surveillance state that includes expansive powers and databases filled with information on millions of people.
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Dissent is Patriotic. It’s also a Powerful Antidote to Propaganda - #ACLUTimeMachine
Jan 11, 2017
Fifty-five years ago this January, the ACLU of Northern California was busy filling orders from across the country for copies of its recently produced film, “Operation Correction.” The film was a response to a piece of Red Scare propaganda, “Operation Abolition,” which was produced by the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) and depicted civil liberties activists in San Francisco as viole...
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VICTORY! Richmond, CA Passes New Affordable Housing Law for Formerly Incarcerated People
Dec 20, 2016
Finding affordable housing is tough. Finding affordable housing when you’re returning home after serving time is nearly impossible. Last night, the Richmond City Council passed a historic law to protect the rights of people who are re-entering society and find themselves excluded from housing opportunities because of their criminal record. Many people who have been convicted of a crime face c...
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Twitter Cuts Off Fusion Spy Centers’ Access to Social Media Surveillance Tool
Dec 15, 2016
As of this week, Twitter has made sure that federally funded fusion centers can no longer use a powerful social media monitoring tool to spy on users. After the ACLU of California discovered the domestic spy centers had access to these tools, provided by Dataminr (a company partly owned by Twitter), Dataminr was forced to comply with Twitter’s clear rule prohibiting use of data for surveillance.&n...
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Client Stories: Illegal Caltrans Sweeps of Homeless Encampments
Dec 13, 2016
Sometimes the trucks arrive early. Sometimes they come with no notice at all. Sometimes, while workers from the California Department of Transportation make their way down the row of tents—seizing property and cherished belongings—people have mere minutes or seconds to grab everything they can carry before their bedding, clothes, tools, bikes, medicine, food, shelter, and other property are thrown...
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Affordable Housing is a Civil Right
Dec 08, 2016
A coalition of community groups recently announced a groundbreaking partnership with Facebook and the cities of East Palo Alto and Menlo Park to address affordable housing, displacement, and economic opportunity in the region.
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Young Minds Should Be Filled With Knowledge, Not Chemicals. Pesticide Spraying Must be Regulated.
Dec 07, 2016
Almost 30 years ago, a study showed that people of color were more likely to live near incinerators. Since then, the dangerous conditions and exposure to environmental dangers have gotten worse. In California, CalEnviroScreen data recently demonstrated that race and environmental harms are directly correlated. Considering this, it’s alarming to think that a California agency that has t...
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