News

San Francisco — A federal court issued a ruling on Friday that halts a Trump administration policy that blocked hundreds of lawful permanent residents from serving in the U.S. military. Judge Jon S. Tigar granted a preliminary injunction, holding that the Department of Defense likely violated the federal Administrative Procedure Act after it implemented a policy discriminating against lawful pe... Read More

Today we proudly announce the official launch of Debt Free Justice California (DFJC). We are a concerned group of legal advocates, policy experts, researchers, and — most importantly — movement-building organizations led by impacted people. Building on the recent momentum of local criminal justice reform efforts throughout California, this statewide coalition will put a stop to the unfair ways our... Read More

SAN FRANCISCO — The American Civil Liberties Union, Southern Poverty Law Center, and Center for Constitutional Rights have filed a federal lawsuit challenging the asylum ban proclamation signed this morning by President Trump. The lawsuit currently charges the administration with violating the Immigration and Nationality Act as well as the Administrative Procedure Act. “President Trump’s new... Read More

New York — In response to reports that President Trump has asked Attorney General Jeff Sessions to resign, American Civil Liberties Union Executive Director Anthony D. Romero issued the following statement: Jeff Sessions was the worst attorney general in modern American history. He was an egregious violator of civil rights and civil liberties. From his plot to deport Dreamers, remove police and... Read More

On October 19, a State Bar Court of California judge found San Francisco prosecutor Andrew Ganz culpable of four counts of misconduct and recommended 90 days of suspension. The charges were related to a 2012 murder case Ganz prosecuted while working in the Solano County District Attorney’s office. In response, the ACLU Foundation of Northern California is calling for outside counsel to review all ... Read More

NEW YORK — President Trump is reportedly considering issuing an executive order that attempts to end birthright citizenship in the United States. Omar Jadwat, director of the ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Project, had this reaction: The president cannot erase the Constitution with an executive order, and the 14th Amendment's citizenship guarantee is clear. This is a transparent and blatantly unc... Read More

Please attribute the following statement to the ACLU of California affiliates in regards to recent campaign ads opposing Tony Thurmond for California Superintendent of Public Instruction: The ads prominently feature the name of the ACLU in a way that can be misconstrued as an endorsement. The ACLU of California affiliates neither endorse nor oppose candidates for office. The ACLU did not create... Read More

UPDATE, Nov. 28, 2018: The ACLU Foundation of Northern California filed an amended complaint with the Office for Civil Rights. The stories of five more students were added as well as information from current and past district staff. The additional information shows that Visalia Unified is creating a hostile environment for Black students as early as elementary school.  SAN FRANCISCO — The ACLU ... Read More

SAN FRANCISCO – The American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU Foundation of Northern California, and the law firm Durie Tangri LLP, filed a lawsuit against the City of San Francisco for its police department’s racially discriminatory enforcement practices. In violation of the Constitution, the SFPD, which has a long and sordid history of racial discrimination, targeted Black people for arrest becau... Read More

The ACLU of Northern California joins the National ACLU in opposing the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court. As a matter of organizational policy, the ACLU does not support or oppose candidates for political or judicial office, but credible allegations of sexual assault have been lodged against Judge Kavanaugh. The standard for a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court shou... Read More

SAN FRANCISCO — The American Civil Liberties Union, co-counsel Cooley LLP and Holly S. Cooper, co-director of the UC Davis Immigration Law Clinic, have prevailed in the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on behalf of immigrant teenagers whom the Trump Administration had arrested and jailed for “gang affiliation,” despite there being no evidence of gang crimes. In an opinion issued on Oct... Read More

SACRAMENTO – Today, Governor Jerry Brown signed Senate Bill 1421 (Skinner) and Assembly Bill 748 (Ting), historic police reform legislation sponsored by the ACLU of California. Peter Bibring, Director of Police Practices for the ACLU of California, responded with the following statement: We, as a society, confer on law enforcement the unparalleled powers to stop, arrest and use force on peop... Read More