People with disabilities have long faced some of the greatest barriers to voting in our elections. From inaccessible polling places and a lack of working accessible voting machines to onerous restrictions on absentee voting, our right to the ballot has …
Among the many responsibilities that come with raising a child, standing in a federal courtroom and defending your child’s constitutional rights isn’t likely what most parents plan for. But in a federal courthouse in Little Rock this week, a historic trial …
From the Boston Tea Party to the Montgomery bus boycott to the boycott of apartheid South Africa, politically motivated consumer boycotts have long been part and parcel of American politics. But are they protected by the First Amendment? For 40 years, the …
Celia Banos calls her son, Jhean, a born musician. Ever since he was a little boy, Jhean loved music. He learned the guitar, and after high school, he played in a band called The Parallels. At the age of 21, Jhean had his first episode of schizophrenia. …
With the midterms coming up, we are chatting with some of our great affiliate volunteers about what issues are most important to them, and how they motivate voters to cast their ballots. We hope these conversations inspire you to vote for your values and …
As midterm elections near, there is no question that we are facing a real and existential threat to our basic human rights and the fundamentals of American democracy. Engendered by the election of Donald Trump to the Presidency in 2016, and emboldened by …
Since the early 1990s, our nation has welcomed and assisted people whose countries have been devastated by war and natural disaster through the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program. Today, many TPS holders have established roots in the U.S., raising …
Just weeks before his graduation from the United States Coast Guard Academy, Isaak Olson learned he wouldn’t receive the bachelor’s degree he had earned. The reason? He became a father before his final year of school. “No parents allowed” sounds like a …
Picture this: On your way home from work after a long week, you’re pulled over and issued a ticket for rolling through a stop sign. The fine is $75 — but once mandatory fees are tacked on, the ticket’s total cost is over $300. What would happen if you …
Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act bans racial discrimination in voting nationwide. When it comes to drawing district lines, the law requires that line drawers do not unfairly dilute the power of voters of color. Congress intended this provision to protect …
Artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithmic decision-making systems — algorithms that analyze massive amounts of data and make predictions about the future — are increasingly affecting Americans’ daily lives. People are compelled to include buzzwords in …
At least three times in its history, the Supreme Court has invoked the Constitution in order to frustrate efforts to protect the vulnerable. In the infamous Dred Scott case of 1857, the court declared that the Constitution prohibited federal efforts to …
Although our laws provide a clear right for people fleeing persecution to seek asylum in the United States, anti-immigration lawmakers have purposefully sown confusion about the law, the process of applying for asylum, and what is really needed to ensure a …
In 2020, as the world grappled with the emergence of COVID-19, prisons and jails became hotspots for outbreaks. Looking to slow the spread of the disease, and under the threat of litigation, some jurisdictions began to look for alternatives to …
In response to the increasing use of electronic monitoring since the COVID-19 pandemic, the ACLU has released Rethinking Electronic Monitoring: A Harm Reduction Guide, which calls on jurisdictions to replace electronic monitoring with less restrictive and …
The midterm elections are coming, but voting can be confusing and overwhelming. People want to be good voters. They want to make informed choices about who to vote for and how to vote on issues. The rise of election disinformation, coupled with the …
If you have ever assumed that information shared on a mental health app was confidential, you are in good company with many others who likely assume that sensitive medical information is always protected. This is not true, however, and it is important to …
Fifty-one years ago this month, prisoners at Attica Correctional Facility in upstate New York rebelled over extreme crowding, racism, and brutal living conditions. They took control of the prison and sought to negotiate with state officials over their …
Voting is the cornerstone of our democracy, and the fundamental right upon which all other civil liberties rest. The Minnesota Secretary of State is a crucial part of making sure this system runs fairly and accurately so every vote counts. The SOS oversees …
Today is National Voter Registration Day, and it’s important to make sure you are registered at your current address and ready to vote. You can get information about registering to vote or updating your voter registration here. This election we all must …
