Tag

Aclu

All articles tagged with #aclu

law8 minutes ago•2 min saved

Ball State settles free-speech dispute over employee's Charlie Kirk post for $225,000

An ACLU-backed lawsuit over Suzanne Swierc's firing from Ball State University after a private Facebook post criticizing Charlie Kirk has been settled for $225,000. The ACLU says the firing violated her First Amendment rights as she spoke as a private citizen on a matter of public concern, while Ball State argues the post caused significant campus disruption and risk to enrollment and donations. The settlement resolves the federal suit without a trial and underscores ongoing debates over free speech on social media by government employers.

via The Guardian|

#aclu #ball-state-university #charlie-kirk

politics4 days ago•3 min saved

Tennessee execution halted after failed backup IV attempt

Tennessee postponed Tony Carruthers's planned execution after staff couldn't establish a second vein for the lethal injection; a central line attempt failed, prompting a one-year reprieve by Governor Bill Lee. The case spotlighted concerns about his trial and calls for DNA/fingerprint testing, with the ACLU and supporters arguing against the execution, while supporters like Kim Kardashian pressed for further testing.

via BBC|

#aclu #death-penalty #lethal-injection

politics14 days ago•2 min saved

New civil-rights suit alleges Tennessee gerrymander dilutes Black voting power

Black voters and civil rights groups represented by the ACLU filed a federal lawsuit alleging Tennessee’s GOP-drawn congressional map intentionally targets Black residents by cracking Memphis into three districts to dilute their electoral power, violating the 14th and 15th Amendments; the suit follows an NAACP challenge and comes amid map redraws spurred by a Supreme Court ruling that narrowed Voting Rights Act protections, with Tennessee’s map shifting the delegation from 6-1 Republican to 7-0 Republican.

via Democracy Docket|

#aclu #black-voters #gerrymandering

crime1 month ago•4 min saved

ACLU seeks post-conviction DNA testing in Tennessee triple-murder case to challenge death sentence

The American Civil Liberties Union filed a motion with the Tennessee Supreme Court requesting post-conviction DNA testing in the 1994 kidnapping/murder case that left Tony Carruthers on death row. The petition argues that fingerprints at the crime scene do not match Carruthers or co-defendant James Montgomery and highlights an unidentified male DNA profile on a white blanket linked to the victims. Retrial evidence indicated a different suspect (Ronnie Irving) may be involved, and Montgomery later testified Carruthers was not involved. If the DNA testing could exonerate Carruthers or point to another suspect, it could lead to a stay of his May 21 execution date; the case has long been entangled with claims of inadequate legal representation and reliance on jailhouse informants.

via NBC News|

#aclu #crime #death-penalty

politics1 month ago•4 min saved

Turkish Scholar Returns Home After High-Profile Deportation Battle

Rumeysa Ozturk, a Tufts PhD candidate targeted in Trump-era deportation efforts over pro-Palestinian advocacy, has returned to Turkey after a year-long legal fight and ICE detention episodes. A settlement with the DHS allowed her to leave the United States without further interference, with officials acknowledging she was in the country legally. The case, seen as part of a broader push against foreign scholars who advocate for Palestine, drew scrutiny from the ACLU and civil rights groups who say protest and op-ed writing are protected by the First Amendment. Ozturk said she plans to continue her scholarship in Turkey and expressed solidarity with other academics facing similar pressures.

via Al Jazeera|

#academic-freedom #aclu #immigration-policy

politics2 months ago•39 min saved

Bruce Springsteen Backs Birthright Citizenship Battle With ACLU Anthem

Bruce Springsteen lent his hit “Born in the U.S.A.” to the ACLU’s campaign defending birthright citizenship as the Trump administration moves to end automatic citizenship at birth. The campaign supports the class-action Barbara v. Trump, which heads to the Supreme Court on April 1. ACLU officials say the ad highlights what’s at stake for American democracy, while White House spokespeople argue the Fourteenth Amendment’s Citizenship Clause is the issue to be decided. The move comes amid broad public disapproval of overturning birthright citizenship, and follows Springsteen’s history of outspoken anti-Trump commentary.

via The Daily Beast|

#14th-amendment #aclu #birthright-citizenship

politics2 months ago•4 min saved

Trans Kansans sue to halt law tying licenses to biological sex

Two transgender Kansans filed a lawsuit to block a new law that invalidates driver’s licenses and birth certificates unless they reflect biological sex, allows license surrender for new IDs, designates bathrooms by biological sex, and lets aggrieved individuals sue. The law, which took effect Thursday, could mean about 1,700 license cancellations and 1,800 birth certificates reissued; the ACLU says it violates Kansas constitutional protections, and Gov. Kelly’s veto was overridden by the Legislature.

via NBC News|

#aclu #civil-liberties #drivers-licenses

politics2 months ago•3 min saved

Kansas Invalidates Transgender ID Changes Overnight, Sparking Legal Challenge

A new Kansas law takes effect that immediately voids previously updated gender markers on driver’s licenses and birth certificates, with no grace period, and requires new licenses at an $8 replacement fee. The measure also bars transgender people from using restrooms consistent with their gender identity and triggers a manual review of birth certificates to determine which records must be amended. The ACLU plans to sue to halt the law, arguing it outs transgender residents and undermines rights, while officials note the state must process changes under the new rules and that lawmakers overrode a veto to enact the policy.

via KCUR|

#aclu #birth-certificate #gender-marker

politics3 months ago•3 min saved

NH Officials Kept ICE's Merrimack Detention Plan Under Wraps, Documents Show

Documents obtained by the NH ACLU show state officials knew as early as Jan. 12, 2026 that ICE planned to buy and repurpose a 43-acre Merrimack warehouse into a detention facility, with federal authorities seeking historic-resource feedback and the governor’s office criticized for not disclosing plans to the public, press, or town; Merrimack leaders oppose the move and advocates call for transparency amid opposition to ICE expansion.

via InDepthNH.org|

#aclu #detention-center #ice

politics3 months ago•5 min saved

Portland tear-gas clash prompts court bid to curb federal force

Protesters suing the federal government ask U.S. District Judge Michael Simon to limit federal agents’ use of chemical munitions on peaceful demonstrators around the ICE building in Portland after weekend clashes, including effects on children and the elderly. The ACLU argues a pattern of force, while DHS policy defenses cite warnings and nonviolent scenarios; witnesses allege warnings were not given. A three-day hearing on the case is set for March 2.

via Oregon Public Broadcasting - OPB|

#aclu #ice #politics

politics3 months ago•327 min saved

Families sue US government over Caribbean boat strikes, alleging unlawful killings

The families of two Trinidadians, Chad Joseph and Rishi Samaroo, filed a lawsuit accusing the US government of unlawfully killing the men on a boat struck during a Caribbean anti-drug campaign, arguing the strikes lacked legal justification and that the victims had no cartel ties. The suit, which cites the Death on the High Seas Act and Alien Tort Statute, seeks damages and marks a test of the operation’s legality amid ongoing scrutiny of the Trump administration’s maritime strikes against alleged narcotraffickers.

via CNN|

#aclu #caribbean #death-on-the-high-seas-act

world3 months ago•3 min saved

Families sue U.S. government over Caribbean boat strike that killed Trinidad fishermen

Civil rights lawyers filed the first federal lawsuit seeking accountability for a U.S. airstrike in the Caribbean that killed two Trinidad men, Chad Joseph and Rishi Samaroo, and four others. The suit, filed in Massachusetts under admiralty law and invoking the Alien Tort Act and Death on the High Seas Act, argues the killings were illegal and premeditated, while the government maintains the strikes are lawful under wartime authorities. The families, represented by the ACLU, Seton Hall Law, and the Center for Constitutional Rights, note a broader campaign with a death toll around 117 across multiple boat strikes.

via The Guardian|

#aclu #caribbean #lawsuit

politics4 months ago•25 min saved

Maine Halts Undercover ICE Plates as Communities Push Back

Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows paused issuing undercover license plates for the U.S. Border Patrol/ICE amid fears of how the plates could be used, while not revoking existing plates. The move comes as residents protest anticipated federal enforcement and the ACLU offers guidance, with officials and activists warning against masked, unmarked tactics and calling for protections for immigrant communities.

via Common Dreams|

#aclu #ice #immigration

politics4 months ago•9 min saved

Champion gymnast condemns celeb ad pushing trans inclusion in girls’ sports as high court weighs bans

Former gymnast Jennifer Sey criticizes an ACLU ad urging allowing males to compete in girls’ sports, arguing sports are about competition, not identity, as the Supreme Court weighs Idaho/West Virginia bans on trans athletes; the campaign and high court cases fuel a national debate on fairness in women’s sports, with supporters like Riley Gaines rallying outside the Court and advocates urging protection of women’s opportunities.

via Christian Post|

#aclu #celebrity-campaigns #politics

politics4 months ago•6 min saved

ACLU sues over Minnesota ICE raids as Trump warns of Insurrection Act amid protests

Amid Minneapolis protests sparked by the killing of Renee Good, the ACLU filed a lawsuit against federal immigration authorities in Minnesota alleging racial profiling and unlawful arrests as thousands of ICE officers remain deployed, and Donald Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act, with Minnesota officials urging peaceful demonstrations.

via The Guardian|

#aclu #immigration #insurrection-act