News

Our lawyers and advocates are among the nation's leading experts on civil liberties and constitutional freedoms. Read the latest on the ACLU of Northern California’s work. To schedule a press interview, call (415) 621-2493 or contact press@aclunc.org.

Teenage Client Freed After ACLU Wins Relief for Immigrant Minors Jailed Without Due Process

Nov 22, 2017

F.E., a 17-year-old from Brentwood, New York, has returned home to his family after being detained for five months in jail-like facilities run by the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). Read More

ACLU Wins Relief for Immigrant Teens Wrongly Arrested and Jailed Without Due Process

Nov 21, 2017

The teenagers must be given notice of the reasons for their arrests, access to the evidence being offered against them, and a prompt hearing in front of a judge, in which the government would have the burden to justify continued detention.

ACLU of CA Statement on Trump Administration’s Threat to Cut Federal Grants from CA Law Enforcement Agencies

Nov 17, 2017

“These baseless threats are the latest in the Trump Administration’s campaign to coerce local police and sheriffs into serving as de facto immigration agents,” said Julia Harumi Mass, senior staff attorney with the ACLU of California. “Withholding federal money from cities and counties based on these reasonable local policies is both unlawful and unwise. Courts have already upheld the legality of ... Read More

ACLU Update on Taylor Swift's Legal Threats

Nov 16, 2017

On Nov. 6, the ACLU of Northern California sent a letter to Taylor Swift’s attorney refuting meritless legal defamation and copyright threats against local blogger Meghan Herning. The ACLU’s letter requested a response by Nov. 13. Today Senior Staff Attorney Michael Risher, issued this statement:The deadline has passed and we have not heard from Ms. Swift or her attorney. Their failure ... Read More

91 Percent of Americans Support Criminal Justice Reform, ACLU Polling Finds

Nov 16, 2017

The ACLU Campaign for Smart Justice released new public opinion polling today that shows consensus support for criminal justice reform across the ideological and political spectrum.

ACLU Report Shows Police Reform Needed in Fresno

Nov 14, 2017

San Francisco — The ACLU of California today released a report that identifies 146 officer-involved shootings by the Fresno Police Department between 2001 and 2016 and analyzes the department’s policies and practices related to use of force, transparency, and community relations.The report reveals a disparate impact of police shootings in low-income communities of color and shows how the departmen... Read More

California ACLU Launches Campaign to Urge Congress Members to Pass Dream Act Before End of Year

Nov 08, 2017

Today the three California ACLU affiliates launched a coordinated campaign to urge five key California Republican House members to support a clean Dream Act by the end of 2017.

ACLU Statement on Visalia Unified School District’s Proposed Changes to Dress Code

Nov 07, 2017

The ACLU of Northern California, Brianna Smith, a Visalia student activist, and ACT for Women and Girls based in Visalia, CA, are submitting public comments today regarding Visalia Unified School District’s proposed changes to the dress code banning “hate group” clothing being considered this evening by the School Board. ACLU Attorney Abre’ Conner, Brianna Smith, and students with ACT for Women an... Read More

Taylor Swift Attempts to Silence Critic, ACLU Fires Back

Nov 03, 2017

Read about our latest work to protect constitutionally protected speech on our Free Speech homepage. San Francisco — The ACLU of Northern California today sent a letter to Taylor Swift and her attorney refuting their meritless legal defamation threats against a local blogger. On Sep. 5, PopFront editor Meghan Herning wrote a post titled “Swiftly to the alt-right: Tayl... Read More

California ACLU Affiliates Call On CA GOP Representatives To Reject Trump’s Deal With Senate Republicans And Pass Clean Dream Act By The End Of The Year

Nov 02, 2017

Congress must pass a clean Dream Act before lawmakers leave town for their winter holiday recess. Due to the actions of President Trump immigrant youth are already losing protection from deportation. Congress must act now to provide them assurance they can stay in their homes and communities.

Statement on PJI’s National Report on Pretrial Justice, Giving California a “D” Grade for Pretrial Service and Need for Bail Reform

Nov 01, 2017

The Pretrial Justice Institute today released a national report on the state of pretrial justice in America and gave California’s current money bail system a letter grade of “D.” Read More

ACLU Statement on UC Berkeley’s Draft Policy on Campus Events

Oct 31, 2017

Students have the right to organize events to educate their peers and the community, even on short notice. Among other recommendations, we urge the University to adopt a clear public waiver process to provide more flexibility in their major events policy.