News & Commentary

This month marks 50 years since the landmark Supreme Court ruling that cemented students’ rights to free speech in public schools, Tinker v. Des Moines. We’re inspired to see that students still take advantage of their First Amendment rights and speak out on political issues today. We grew up in Iowa, where our father was a Methodist minister. Believing that faith should be put into action, our

This was originally published by USA Today. President Donald Trump declared a "national emergency" on Friday to pay for his border wall. In doing so, he's violating the law, subverting the Consti

Learn about what's happening across the most pressing civil liberties issues of our time, and what you can do.

After more than a month of threats, a government shutdown, and bipartisan action by Congress, President Trump has finally declared a national emergency to spend billions of taxpayer dollars on his border wall obsession. In response, the ACLU will file a lawsuit early next week challenging this blatantly illegal executive action. Let’s get something straight upfront: There is no emergency. Members of Congress from both parties, security experts, and Americans who live at t

Growing up, my parents taught me that voting is not only a right, but a privilege. They voted in every local, midterm, and presidential election, and every time they did so they were sure to show me their “I voted” sticker.  As I grew older, they discussed propositions or candidates with me, askin

Last September, Bianca* was forced to flee Honduras because her partner’s father threatened to kill her for being a lesbian. Bianca could not go to the police in Honduras because they do not protect LGBTQ people from harm. So she left home to save her life. After traveling through Guatemala and Mexico, Bianca reached Tijuana, whe

I moved to Havre, Montana — near the U.S.-Canada border — in 2014 with my husband and our two young children. Home to around 10,000 people, I’ve always found Havre to be a friendly town, one where I felt good about raising my kids. But that all changed last May when my friend and I were illegally targeted and detained by a Customs and Border Protection agent, just for speaking Spanish to each other in a convenience store. I didn’t think it was possible for one incident to change our lives, but that’s exactly what happened. 

For Ana Suda and Martha “Mimi” Hernandez, May 16, 2018, began like any other in Havre, Montana: work, school, and a trip to the gym once their kids were in bed. They stopped by Town Pump — a local convenience store — to pick up groceries. While in line, the friends were chatting in Spanish, just two people having an ordinary conversation. But the Customs and Border Protection agent standing in line behind them did not see it that way.  He demanded to know where Ana and Mimi were born. After they said they were born in Texas and California,

This piece originally ran at The Washington Post.  In her proposed rules governing the treatment of sexual harassment