News

Download the Summer 2010 ACLU-NC Newsletter and read about our latest events and initiatives. Read More

The shooting of Oscar Grant by BART police officers in January 2009 remains a tragic reminder of the need for serious efforts to rebuild trust between law enforcement and communities of color. No matter the verdict in the Mehserle trial, the need to rebuild community trust in law enforcement will remain. In too many American cities, racial tensions between the community and law enforcement run dee... Read More

In response to civil liberties threats caused by the recent passage of Arizona's racial profiling law, the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California (ACLU-NC), along with the ACLU of Southern California and the ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties, issued a travel alert today informing California residents of their rights when stopped by law enforcement when traveling in Arizona. Read More

The ACLU of Northern California (ACLU-NC) has reached a settlement agreement with the Del Norte Unified School District in its class-action lawsuit on behalf of Native American students impacted by the closure of several grades at the only school teaching Yurok language and culture in the district. The suit, filed in 2007, charged that the district's closure of grades 6-8 of the Margaret Keating E... Read More

The American Civil Liberties Union today filed a first-of-its-kind lawsuit on behalf of 10 U.S. citizens and lawful residents who are prohibited from flying to or from the United States or over U.S. airspace because they are on the government's "No Fly List." None of the individuals in the lawsuit, including a disabled U.S. Marine Corps veteran stranded in Egypt and a U.S. Army veteran stuck in Co... Read More

Today the ACLU of Northern California (ACLU-NC) and a lineup of ten of the nation's top privacy groups sent an open letter to Facebook calling for the social networking giant to fix remaining issues concerning user privacy and control. Facebook recently took steps to address some privacy problems, but the groups contend more needs to be done. They are urging Facebook to demonstrate commitment to i... Read More

SAN FRANCISCO — A federal judge in San Francisco issued an order Friday that an American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California (ACLU-NC) lawsuit charging unlawful collaboration between the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department and the U.S. Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to unlawfully target, arrest, and detain Latinos in Sonoma County can move forward. ... Read More

The ACLU of Northern California is deeply disturbed following reports that staff at the San Jose Independent Police Auditor's (IPA) Office leaked inside information about complaints of misconduct to the local police union. If true, this breach of confidence severely undermines the City's already weak system of independent oversight. Longstanding structural problems at the IPA office limit its abil... Read More

Today, an Alameda County judge granted a preliminary gang injunction in North Oakland. The ACLU of Northern California opposed the injunction, and filed a brief outlining civil liberties concerns. Read the response of Jory Steele, Managing Attorney at the ACLU of Northern California... Read More

Following protests around California against education budget cuts, student demonstrators at several universities faced harsh disciplinary crackdowns. The ACLU of Northern California has stepped in on behalf of students at UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz, and San Francisco State University about questionable discipline of a student protester. The ACLU of Northern California's role involv... Read More

San Francisco – As spending on California's massive prison system continues unabated, Governor Schwarzenegger's office has declared that the revised budget to be released tomorrow will propose "absolutely terrible cuts." The American Civil Liberties Union, Drug Policy Alliance and Ella Baker Center for Human Rights call on the Governor to choose three effective, budget-saving reforms over wasteful... Read More

After securing a key ruling regarding the First Amendment from the Ninth Circuit, the ACLU of Northern California (ACLU-NC) yesterday produced documents relating to its efforts to defeat Proposition 8. The ACLU had sought to appeal an order requiring it to produce its No on 8 documents, arguing that the First Amendment should cover communications between groups working together on a political caus... Read More