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.
Community Activists Reach Settlement with Marin County Sheriff for Unlawfully Sharing Drivers’ Locations with Out-Of-State and Federal Agencies
Jun 01, 2022
Community activists in Northern California reached a settlement in their lawsuit against the County of Marin and Marin County Sheriff Robert Doyle, whose office illegally made the license plate and location information of local drivers available to hundreds of federal and out-of-state agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection.
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Federal Judge Blocks Ordinance Restricting Public Access to Encampment Sweeps
May 25, 2022
A federal judge has blocked the City of Fresno from enforcing an ordinance that puts unconstitutional restrictions on reporters, advocates, and other members of the public documenting how city workers treat unhoused people during encampment sweeps.
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ACLU Urges Attorney General to Investigate Oakland’s Racially Discriminatory School Closure Plan
Apr 11, 2022
Today, the ACLU of Northern California filed a complaint with the California Department of Justice urging Attorney General Rob Bonta to investigate the Oakland Unified School District’s racially discriminatory school closure plan, which disproportionately impacts Black students and families.
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Federal Lawsuit Challenges Unconstitutional Fresno Law Targeting Unhoused People and Their Advocates
Mar 16, 2022
An ACLU lawsuit urges a federal court to void a Fresno law that creates an unlawful buffer zone around homeless encampments during city sweeps
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The ACLU of Northern California Opposes Recall of SF District Attorney Chesa Boudin
Mar 15, 2022
The ACLU of Northern California supports public safety solutions that are consistent with the values of civil liberties and civil rights that San Francisco residents share. We acknowledge people are frustrated and angry about crime, but we reject the premise that keeping the public safe means abandoning our values. That is a false choice.
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Reports Call on DAs to Halt Costly, Ineffective Policies that Fuel Mass Incarceration
Mar 03, 2022
Two new ACLU reports call on District Attorneys in Merced and Sacramento Counties to change policies that fuel mass incarceration, and racial disparities in sentencing
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Mayor Breed Withdraws Proposal to Gut City’s Surveillance Oversight Law, Following Campaign by ACLU and Community Partners
Mar 01, 2022
Facing intense pressure from an ACLU-led coalition of nearly three dozen community organizations, Mayor London Breed has pulled her proposed ballot measure that would have gutted key provisions of San Francisco’s landmark surveillance oversight ordinance.
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ACLU and Coalition Partners Join Forces to Support San Francisco’s Surveillance Oversight Law, Denounce Mayor Breed’s Efforts to Expand Police Powers
Feb 10, 2022
Nearly three dozen community partners sent a letter expressing our grave concerns about Mayor Breed's proposal to give virtually unchecked surveillance power to the police.
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ACLU Report Reveals that Sheriffs in California’s Central Valley Have Developed Shadow ICE Notification and Transfer Systems, Circumventing State Law
Feb 09, 2022
Central Valley sheriffs are pursuing an anti-immigrant agenda through various forms of cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, according to a new report by the ACLU of Northern California.
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Groundbreaking COVID-19 Settlement to Yield Protections for Immigrants Detained by ICE, Limit Re-detention for People Released
Jan 27, 2022
Immigrants detained by ICE during the COVID-19 pandemic in two California detention facilities have reached a groundbreaking settlement agreement to resolve a long-running class action lawsuit against ICE and GEO, a private contractor who manages one of the facilities.
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San Mateo Court Sued for Imposing Unlawful and Exorbitant Late Fee Used to Fund Court System
Jan 27, 2022
The Court administers this additional fee known as the civil assessment without judicial review, adequate notice, or consideration for a person’s circumstances. The $300 charge is often six to eight times greater than the base fine for a traffic infraction in California.
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Civil Rights Groups Sue ICE for Unlawful Arrest and Detention of U.S. Citizen
Nov 22, 2021
Civil rights groups in California sued U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for the unlawful arrest of Brian Bukle, who has been a U.S. citizen for over 50 years.
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