Archive

Today’s decision by a Staten Island grand jury not to indict NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo for having killed Eric Garner using a chokehold during an arrest for selling untaxed cigarettes has sparked enormous outcry and frustration. Garner’s killing was captured on video and has been viewed by millions. Does that mean that video doesn’t matter? That getting police to wear body cameras won’t help hol... Read More

The ACLU Foundation of Northern California filed a lawsuit in federal court on Oct. 7, 2009 seeking to stop California's policy of mandating that DNA is collected from anyone arrested for a felony, whether or not they are ever charged or convicted. The policy is a result of Proposition 69, which was enacted by voters in 2004 and went into effect on Jan. 1, 2009. Under this new law, people who a... Read More

In a recent interview, Chris Rock discusses the effect of ubiquitous cell phones on the creative process for stand-up comics. Although standup comedy is in some ways unique, the effects that he describes are still a perfect illustration of why protecting privacy is important. Read More

A federal court judge has certified a nationwide class, and rejected the government’s motion to dismiss, in a lawsuit filed on behalf of certain asylum seekers who are detained by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for months while they await screening interviews that allow them to proceed on their claims for protection in U.S. immigration courts. Read More

In a welcome turn of events, courts are beginning to push back on the secretive use of StingRay devices, an intrusive cell phone surveillance technology. If law enforcement wants to use new surveillance tech, it can’t hide the information. Read More

We filed a federal civil rights lawsuit on behalf of 17 students and two alumni who were brutally pepper-sprayed and arrested at UC Davis. Here's the university's new policy to protect the First Amendment. Read More

On the heels of the president’s executive action, the decision by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to end the deeply-flawed Secure Communities program is a step in the right direction. But with a new program in its place that will target “enforcement priorities,” we are cautious.This decision acknowledges that the Secure Communities program had led to widespread civil right... Read More

Back in 2012, the LA County Sheriff commissioned a small Cessna plane filled with cameras and had it secretly fly over the City of Compton for nine days. The Sheriff did not tell that city’s residents – many of whom are Black and Hispanic – they were being watched, that their private lives were being recorded, or that a private company would control their data. This story of surveillance... Read More

At least 10 transgender women of color have been murdered in the United States since June.Today, on the Transgender Day of Remembrance & Resilience we honor their lives and mourn their deaths. These women - Kandy Hall, Zoraida Reyes, Yaz’min Shancez, Tiff Edwards, Mia Henderson, Alejandra Leos, Aniya Parker, Ashley Sherman, and another yet to be identified person ... Read More

The ACLU of California celebrates the President's move to keep millions of families together by protecting an estimated 1.6 million undocumented Californians from deportation. Unfortunately, this is just the beginning of a fight in addressing our broken immigration system. The ACLU remains committed to expanding relief to all immigrants and preventing further militarization of border. Read More