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.
Lawsuit Demands City of Palo Alto Cease Its Discriminatory Policy of Blocking Non-Residents from Use of Public Park
Sep 15, 2020
The ACLU Foundation of Northern California and co-counsel Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP filed a lawsuit today to compel the city of Palo Alto to remove an unconstitutional residents-only restriction at Foothills Park—a legacy of the city’s history of racial discrimination.
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ACLU Releases New 'Know Your Rights' Resources for Voting
Aug 25, 2020
Today, the ACLU Foundation of Northern California released three new ‘Know Your Rights’ resources specifically designed to educate California voters. They contain important information about who is eligible to vote, how to register to vote, how to vote in person, and ways to return completed ballots during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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A Know Your Rights Guide for Black and Brown People for Police Encounters
Aug 17, 2020
In recognition of this fact, today, the ACLU Foundation of Northern California released a Know Your Rights guide designed specifically for people of color. It contains critical information they need to know about their constitutional rights during a police stop. It further provides important tips for interacting with law enforcement, whether someone is stopped while they are on foot, in their vehi...
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Court Orders ICE to Test All Mesa Verde Detainees, Staff
Aug 16, 2020
A federal district judge issued an emergency order that requires U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to test all people detained and all staff at the Mesa Verde ICE Processing Center for COVID-19. Documents show the more than 50% of detainees tested are positive for COVID-19.
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Judge Orders ICE to Provide COVID-19 Testing to Detained Immigrants After Emails Reveal ICE’s Refusal to Test People in their Care
Aug 06, 2020
This morning, a federal judge granted extraordinary relief -- weekly rapid testing, no new intakes, and a dorm for COVID-positive detainees -- for all immigrants detained at Mesa Verde Detention Facility in the wake of a COVID-19 outbreak that hospitalized two detainees and infected at least 7 others.
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Secretary of State Denies Arabic- and Somali-Speaking Voters Language-Appropriate Services to Ensure Their Right to Vote This November
Aug 06, 2020
California state law is clear: Secretary of State Alex Padilla has the discretion to take measures to ensure that the Arabic- and Somali-speaking voters of Fresno and San Diego Counties, respectively, can cast their ballots in the November 2020 election. Despite testimony from these communities showing that they have been unable to participate in elections due to language barriers, Secretary Padil...
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ACLU Demands Facebook Explain Why Content from Black Activists is Being Silenced
Jul 31, 2020
Today, the ACLU Foundation of Northern California sent a letter to Facebook demanding information about what caused Facebook to delete the Black Zebra Productions page, a Black-led independent journalism outlet that provides critical resources and information to thousands of people fighting state violence against Black people. The sudden and unwarranted removal of this page was an affront to the o...
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ACLU Lawsuit Demands Tulare County Take Immediate Action to Protect Incarcerated People from COVID-19
Jul 29, 2020
The ACLU Foundation of Northern California filed a class action lawsuit demanding that the Tulare County Sheriff take immediate measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in jails.
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ACLU Letter Criticizes School District for Free Speech Violations
Jul 29, 2020
The American Civil Liberties Union Foundations of Southern and Northern California today sent a letter to the Greenfield Union School District in Bakersfield, expressing deep concern that “the district has created a hostile environment for Black students and staff in its schools by subjecting them to differential treatment and degrading, off-handed comments.”
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ACLU Demands Twitter Take Immediate Action to Stop Developers from Facilitating Government Surveillance of Users
Jul 09, 2020
ACLU Foundation of Northern California and ACLU Minnesota along with Color of Change and MediaJustice have sent a letter to Twitter this morning demanding that they take immediate action to prevent its developers from facilitating government surveillance of its users. Dataminr, a Twitter developer, has provided law enforcement with tweets by activists organizing and participating in ongoing demons...
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ACLU Supports Challenge to Settlement Agreement Between UC Hastings and City of San Francisco
Jun 24, 2020
Today, the ACLU Foundation of Northern California filed an Amicus brief to support groups who are representing unhoused people and requesting to intervene in legal action between UC Hastings and the City of San Francisco concerning conditions in the Tenderloin neighborhood. The settlement proposed by the parties would directly impact the lives of unhoused people whose voices have been excluded fro...
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ACLU Settles Lawsuit against Fresno County Election Official for Removing Church Polling Place in Dispute over Black Lives Matter Banners
Jun 23, 2020
Today, the ACLU Foundation of Northern California settled a lawsuit with Fresno County over the chief elections official’s removal of a polling place at Unitarian Universalist Church of Fresno – all because the church refused to cover up Black Lives Matter banners on church property.
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