Voting is the cornerstone of our democracy and the fundamental right upon which all our civil liberties rest. The ACLU works to protect and expand Americansʼ freedom to vote.
The ACLU works to ensure that every person can make the best decision for themselves and their family about whether and when to have a child without undue political interference.
We realize that excessive policies and actions of the police are instrumental in deciding who gets stopped, searched, arrested, and funneled into the criminal justice system.
The Bill of Rights protects all people, including suspects, defendants, offenders, prisoners and undocumented immigrants. All too often, the rights of those involved in the criminal justice system are compromised or ignored.
The ACLU has advocated on behalf of LGBTQ+ people for more than 70 years and, in 1986, founded the LGBT & AIDS Project.
The ACLU has been one of the nation's leading advocates for the rights of immigrants, refugees and non-citizens, challenging unconstitutional laws and practices, countering the myths upon which many of these laws are based.
Despite evidence the Americans With Disabilities Act works, people with disabilities are still, too often, treated as second class, shunned and segregated by physical barriers and social stereotypes.
The costly War on Drugs continues to erode personal liberties without curbing drug trade or use. This heavy-handed tactic has failed. The ACLU supports a public health approach, including investment in drug treatment, education, and regulation of drug availability.
Due process is the principle that the government must respect all of the legal rights that are guaranteed by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. This principle gives individuals the ability to enforce their rights against violations by the government.
In November 2012, Michigan residents voted to repeal a newly enacted state law that gave unprecedented power to so-called "emergency managers" appointed by the governor to run financially struggling cities, counties and school districts.
The suspension of democracy jeopardizes more than our civil liberties. Nowhere in Michigan has this been more evident recently than in Flint, where wrong-headed decisions by an unelected emergency manager left the city water supply contaminated with lead.
Freedom of speech is protected in the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights and is guaranteed to all Americans. As a core founding principle, free speech has a long history in America. Safeguarding this cherished freedom is the ACLU’s ongoing commitment.