News

Jah, who never appeared to pose a threat, was tackled, pinned, and punched by the officer on April 27, 2020 in the area of Mills Station Road and Mather Field Road in Rancho Cordova, CA. Jah and his family are in our thoughts as they heal and recover from this traumatic event. Read More

In an emergency order, a federal judge granted a temporary restraining order in response to a challenge by immigrants detained at two California immigration detention centers where conditions are rife for the spread of COVID-19. Read More

The American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California, along with the First Amendment Coalition, Public Justice, and Silicon Valley De-Bug have monitored and advocated for public access to the Santa Clara County Superior Court since the court’s March 23 general order closing the court to the public and the press. Read More

Today, the American Civil Liberties Union Foundations of Southern California, Northern California, and San Diego and Imperial Counties filed an emergency lawsuit in California Supreme Court to force the governor and attorney general of California to halt transfers of individuals to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read More

The ACLU of California, in partnership with a coalition of over 60 organizations, is calling on Governor Gavin Newsom to collect and provide race and demographic information on COVID-19 infections and outcomes. Read More

Immigrants detained at the Mesa Verde Detention Facility and the Yuba County Jail filed a class action lawsuit against ICE asking for immediate release of detainees from fundamentally unsafe conditions which endanger their health and lives. Read More

SAN FRANCISCO – A federal judge has ordered the release of two more detained immigrants in ICE detention centers in California on the grounds that their age and medical conditions make them especially vulnerable to a potentially fatal COVID-19 infection. As of today, eight of twelve plaintiffs who sued for their release have been or are scheduled to be freed. The decision by U.S. District Judge M... Read More

SAN FRANCISCO – A federal judge has ordered the release of four immigrants detained in two ICE detention centers in California on the grounds that their age and medical conditions make them especially vulnerable to the potentially fatal COVID-19 infection. “None of these [individuals] is in a position to meaningfully limit his exposure to COVID-19 while at Yuba or Mesa Verde,” Judge Chesney aff... Read More

SAN FRANCISCO – The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals today upheld a preliminary injunction in a class action lawsuit against the federal government filed by two Bay Area fathers who were denied bond hearings and held in ICE detention at the Contra Costa West County Detention Facility in Richmond. “We are gratified that the Ninth Circuit recognized that our clients cannot be held for lengthy peri... Read More

SAN FRANCISCO — Today, thirteen immigrants detained in two ICE detention centers in California filed a lawsuit in federal district court against U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement calling for their immediate release. Because of their advanced age and underlying medical conditions, the 13 plaintiffs are especially vulnerable to the potentially fatal COVID-19 infection while they are confi... Read More

ACLU of Northern California urges you to develop and implement holistic policies that align with guidance from public health experts and that will minimize the harm inflicted on people involved in the criminal legal system – and, by extension, the harm inflicted on broader communities. Read More

SAN FRANCISCO — In March, the Northern California Indian Development Council (NCIDC) hired an Indigenous Education Advocate. This newly created position is part of a larger collaboration between NCIDC and the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California, aimed at advancing educational equity for Native American students in Del Norte and Humboldt Counties and adjacent tribal lan... Read More