We’re calling on Alameda County supes to stop stalling and fast-track approval of a civilian sheriff’s oversight board with meaningful investigative and subpoena powers. Elected sheriffs hold enormous power over jails and law enforcement. They must be held accountable to the public they serve.

The ACLU has mounted a full-court press to protect the vote amid an onslaught of voter suppression tactics in California and across the U.S. Today we filed an amicus to invalidate Shasta County’s illegal Measure B which would block most residents from casting mail ballots like they could before.

Proposition 39 would make it harder for eligible California voters to cast ballots and would expose millions of people who vote by mail to the risk of identity theft. It claims to solve a problem that doesn’t even exist. That’s why in November, we urge Californians to Vote No on Prop 39.

Our executive director Abdi Soltani explores parallels between this Supreme Court term and other periods when exclusionary policies were ascendant. What solutions might history offer?

The court agreed with us that no one should have to choose between speaking out and staying safe. With this ruling blocking enforcement of the Modesto ordinance while our lawsuit proceeds, people can now peacefully protest in the city without fear of arrest and reporters can do their jobs safely.

In California, trans athletes are allowed to play on girls’ and women’s teams. Today’s shameful Supreme Court ruling doesn’t change that. It’s unfair to deny a child the benefits of teamwork because of who they are. We should be removing barriers for girls in sports, not creating new ones.

California’s death penalty is broken, racist, costly, and inhumane. The death penalty has no place in a society that values fairness, human rights, and human dignity. We call on @gavinnewsom.bsky.social to #CommuteTheRow.

Want to help push policies that impact your community? Curious about what bills we're prioritizing this year? Join the ACLU-SDIC, ACLU SoCal, ACLU NorCal and ACLU CalAction on Wed., July 8 from 5:30-7pm for the virtual kickoff of our 2026 Summer Recess program. Sign up at bit.ly/SummerRecess2026

Today SCOTUS denied an undemocratic effort to undermine mail-in voting in its ruling in Watson v. RNC. In a 5-4 decision, SCOTUS voted to uphold state laws that allow mail ballots to be counted so long as they are postmarked on or before Election Day and received within the required number of days.

The Supreme Court has ignored the clear evidence that the Trump administration's actions were arbitrary and racist. The decision threatens to strip legal status from 1.3 million people, greenlighting the largest de-documentation campaign in U.S. history. But the fight is not over.

This ruling in our lawsuit Pablo Sequen, et al. v. Albarran, et al. protects every person, in every jurisdiction, who seeks justice in our nation's immigration courts.

Today the city of Vallejo released a report confirming that a number of police officers were bending their badges whenever they shot at civilians. City officials fought hard to keep it hidden. @openvallejo.org Residents should demand that city and VPD officials answer for this scandal.

Today we celebrate Juneteenth — the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learned they were free more than 2 years after Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Did you know California has a connection to Juneteenth that most people have never heard about? Learn more:

Internal Emails Raise Questions About D.H.S. Ending Haiti Protections www.nytimes.com/2026/06/16/u...

BREAKING...New Evidence Confirms HAITI TPS July Termination Decision was Preordained and Tainted by Political Influence.

For nearly 50 years, SF Pretrial Diversion has helped struggling people attain stability and stay out of jail. Now, the court wants to transfer pretrial supervision to the Adult Probation Department. We object. We’re asking the SF supes to delay approval of APD’s budget request for one year.

California and Santa Clara Co. have sued to stop a planned ICE facility near Gilroy. "The administration is trying to jam through a new facility on a community that does not want it, bulldozing over laws, shrouding their plans in secrecy and ignoring calls from the community to stop.” — Rob Bonta.

🧑🏽‍🎓🪶California students, you have a right to wear tribal regalia and other items of cultural or religious significance at your graduation. It's the law. Learn more about your rights and how to defend them at www.aclunorcal.org/california-s....

ICE deportations in California have increased by 78% since President Trump took office, and families are paying the price. At a time when 27% of California households are struggling to meet basic needs, mass deportation is projected to cost the average family $2,150 more per year by 2028.

Today is the last day to vote! If you haven’t turned in your ballot, stop scrolling! Drop it at a ballot box or election office. Your vote might not be counted if you drop it in a USPS mailbox. You can still register and vote today! Go straight to your nearest polling place or vote center.

The California Supreme Court unanimously decided that our claims that the state's death penalty is racially discriminatory deserve further consideration in the Sacramento Superior Court — and ordered Attorney General Bonta to explain why the death penalty should not be declared unconstitutional.

Time is running out! There's less than a week left to vote. If you haven't already mailed in your ballot, make a plan now for how you'll vote.

We should be preserving options for eligible voters to cast their ballots – not throwing up needless barriers that will infringe upon people’s right to vote. We urge Shasta County voters to choose NO on B on June 2

We have until June 1 to tell the federal Board of Prisons to demolish FCI Dublin, the notorious former women’s prison in Alameda County, and prevent it from becoming an ICE detention facility. Increasing detention capacity fuels ICE arrests and inevitably leads to abuse and death. Act now👇🏾

We’re working overtime to stop an autocratic voter suppression campaign by Trump and his allies in CA and across the U.S. Citizens who register to vote expect their personal information to be used to ensure their right to vote—not expose them to the risk of abuse by the federal government.

We’re in court today fighting yet another attempt by the Trump Administration to tamper with the midterm elections. We’re asking Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold a ruling that dismissed a federal lawsuit demanding that California hand over voters' personal information.

Our May newsletter catches you up on recent wins and new legal action in the areas of bail reform, keeping CA voter rolls out of Trump's hands, protecting the right to criticize the president online, an unconstitutional sign ordinance, and more. Check it out and subscribe here:

Today is the last day to register to vote online or in person to receive a ballot for the June primary elections! If you aren’t registered, sign up now! registertovote.ca.gov

Our new report reveals alarming racial disparities in traffic enforcement by Sacramento police. The findings are in line with years of statewide data showing that law enforcement agencies across California stop and search Black and Latino drivers at higher rates than other racial groups.

When Davi Luks put up signs and flags on his property to protest the war in Gaza, Contra Costa County fined him $4300 for breaking the sign law. That violated his First Amendment Right to express his views. We're suing the county to change the law and to get Davi's money returned. Learn more:

El Cerrito joins the growing list of cities refusing to be part of Flock's insidious mass-surveillance infrastructure.

Fresno city officials were making decisions on a record-breaking $1.87 billion budget without giving the public any opportunity to provide input – a flagrant violation of the Brown Act. Today’s ruling is a major victory for government transparency.

Neighbors Unite! Join the fight to hold the Vallejo Police Department accountable to the community. Find out how you can get involved at our Vallejo Community zoom meeting Wed May 6. RSVP for zoom link:

Today, we sued the federal government to stop Google from handing over personal information on a Canadian citizen who criticized Trump online. Under Trump 2.0, social media platforms have received hundreds of similar demands designed to chill speech the government doesn’t like.

In a huge win for equal justice, the California Supreme Court has ruled that people charged with crimes must be given a bail they can afford – unless they’re charged with serious felonies and would pose a threat to public safety if released. No more locking people up just because they’re poor.

On a day when SCOTUS dealt a heavy blow to our multiracial democracy, it was nevertheless a day of hope and joy as immigrants and advocates rallied to represent the 1.3 million Temporary Protected Status holders who want only to be allowed to live with dignity and in safety. #ProtectTPS #TPSjustice

History shows us what happens when the Voting Rights Act is weakened. States move fast to restrict ballot access for voters of color. We've seen it time and again. We cannot let decades of progress be undone.

Reporting back on what they saw inside the Supreme Court, ACLU NorCal's legal director Shilpi Agarwal and senior staff attorney Emi MacLean share key takeaways on today's arguments on behalf of 1.3 million immigrants whose lives hang in the balance. #ProtectTPS #TPSjustice

Our debrief panel on today's arguments at the Supreme Court that could decide the future of Temporary Protected Status for 1.3 million immigrants is live now: youtube.com/live/e1QajqB...

The Trump administration has "created a farce of a process to justify the ends they sought, which was to strip humanitarian protections from over a million people," says ACLU NorCal attorney Emi MacLean, counsel in the SCOTUS case for Syrians. We face the government tomorrow at the Supreme Court.

Californians are not fooled. This totally unnecessary ballot measure is just part of Trump’s national campaign to stop people from voting who don’t support his authoritarian agenda. Read our press release and learn more about this dangerous initiative that qualified today for the Nov. 3 election

“I can’t make plans, and I can’t move forward. Everything I’ve worked so hard for has been taken away." — Jhonny “I am living a nightmare that I cannot wake up from." — Walkelis The stakes couldn't be higher for the Supreme Court case on the humanitarian program called Temporary Protected Status.

Temporary Protected Status is a lifeline for people whose home countries are unsafe right now. Stripping it away would tear apart families, destabilize communities, and cause lasting economic harm. The Supreme Court isn't just ruling on a legal question. It's deciding the fate of millions of lives.

Today, we joined @ufw.bsky.social in San Francisco to ask the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold the court order barring Border Patrol’s unlawful stop-and-arrest practices in California’s Eastern District.

After targeting Latinos, farmworkers, and day laborers in Kern County last year, Border Patrol vowed to continue dragnet sweeps across the Central Valley. We sued. On Wednesday, we’ll ask the appeals court to uphold the court order barring the agency’s unlawful stop-and-arrest practices.

On April 29 we will argue at the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of the 1.3 million recipients of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) threatened by the Trump administration's openly racist mass deportation agenda.

UPDATE: Despite calls to invest in parks, housing, and street repair instead of spending good money on bad policy, the Modesto council voted to commit nearly $350K to defend an ordinance that undermines free speech and endangers reporters. If the city won't stand up for residents' rights, we will.

We're among the many voices calling on California prisons to reverse its absurd ban on Dorsey Nunn's "What Kind of Bird Can’t Fly." The book is precisely the type of reflective and empowering literature that should be available to people in California’s prisons.

🚨TONIGHT: Modesto will consider allocating $250K more to defend an ordinance banning masks and safety gear at protests. The measure stifles free speech and puts reporters at risk. The city already spent $99,500. Concerned about this use of public funds? Speak up at the 5: 30 PM council meeting!

Remember when Border Patrol swarmed a Sacramento Home Depot parking lot last year and arrested day laborers? A federal judge ruled that the raid violated the court order in our Kern County immigration lawsuit that prohibits stops without reasonable suspicion. Score one for the Constitution.