The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), alongside partner organizations, has urged Congress to pass the Bivens Act and the Constitutional Accountability Act. This legislation seeks to enable individuals to pursue legal recourse against federal law enforcement for constitutional violations, thereby restoring accountability.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee granted death row inmate Tony Carruthers a one-year reprieve from execution following a failed attempt by prison officials to establish the intravenous access required under the state’s lethal injection protocol. The decision, which occurred after officials could not secure a backup vein and attempts to insert a central line proved unsuccessful, marks the fourth execution-related controversy in Tennessee within the past year.
Civil rights organizations and legal advocates convened on Capitol Hill to advocate for enhanced legislative oversight of federal officers implicated in constitutional violations, urging Congress to adopt the Bivens Act and the Constitutional Accountability Act to reinstate the right of individuals to pursue legal action against federal officers for alleged constitutional infringements.
Tennessee’s scheduled execution of death row prisoner Tony Carruthers was suspended after prison officials were unable to establish the intravenous lines required for lethal injection, leading Governor Bill Lee to grant a one-year reprieve and intensifying national scrutiny of capital punishment protocols and concerns regarding potential wrongful convictions.
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster enacted House Bill 4756, mandating that transgender and nonbinary students in public schools and universities utilize restrooms and changing facilities inconsistent with their gender identity. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) condemned the measure, characterizing it as discriminatory and asserting it adversely impacts the LGBTQ+ community.
The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a federal lawsuit against the Memphis Safe Task Force, alleging a “startling pattern” of retaliation, intimidation, and harassment against residents documenting law enforcement activity in Memphis. The complaint asserts that task force agents violated First Amendment protections by targeting individuals recording police operations.
Four Memphis residents filed a federal lawsuit against the Memphis Safe Task Force, alleging the multi-agency law enforcement operation systematically retaliated against civilians for exercising their First Amendment right to film and observe immigration and law enforcement activity.
The American Civil Liberties Union criticized President Donald Trump and Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, asserting the administration undermined federal protections against discrimination in educational institutions. The organization cited a Senate minority staff report, which indicated a significant decline in the resolution of student civil rights complaints by the Office for Civil Rights, leaving thousands unresolved.
The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the right of detained immigrants to bond hearings while contesting deportation, a decision impacting thousands across Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee, and Kentucky. The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan lauded the ruling, which rejected the government’s argument for mandatory detention without due process.
The U.S. Supreme Court vacated Alabama’s current congressional map on May 11, 2026, amidst ongoing primary elections, prompting criticism from voting rights advocates who contend the decision imperils protections for Black voters. This ruling follows the Court’s recent *Louisiana v. Callais* decision, which narrowed the scope of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.
The ACLU has filed a class-action lawsuit against the state of Colorado, alleging that it is unlawfully keeping vulnerable children in juvenile detention centers for weeks and months after judges have ordered their release, depriving them of their childhoods and placing them in conditions resembling adult jails.
The ACLU and various voting rights organizations filed an emergency motion to prevent the suspension of the state’s congressional primary election, arguing that the governor’s executive order is beyond the scope of his authority and usurps the U.S. Supreme Court’s authority to decide how its ruling should apply.
A Canadian man is suing Google with the help of the ACLU to stop the US government from accessing his personal and location data after he posted criticism of President Trump and the Department of Homeland Security issued a summons for his information.
The ACLU has filed a lawsuit against the state of Idaho over a newly passed law that it claims violates constitutional rights and threatens to criminalize everyday activities for transgender residents.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled in favor of the ACLU in a challenge to the Trump administration’s mandatory detention policy, preserving bond hearings for millions of immigrants in removal proceedings.
The ACLU has raised concerns about the FBI’s use of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which allows for warrantless searches of private communications, and a recent case has highlighted the potential for abuse of this power and the need for stronger constitutional protections.
The ACLU has filed a lawsuit challenging the state’s denial of forensic testing in the case of death row prisoner Tony Carruthers, who is scheduled to be executed on May 21, raising concerns about the risk of wrongful execution.
More than 120 civil society organizations have issued a travel advisory warning that individuals traveling to the United States for the 2026 FIFA men’s World Cup may face serious human rights risks, including arbitrary denial of entry, detention or deportation, increased surveillance and suppression of speech.
A federal appeals court has ruled that former President Donald Trump’s proclamation to eliminate asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border is unlawful, marking a major setback to efforts to restrict asylum access and affirming that federal law guarantees individuals the right to seek asylum.
The ACLU has reported that U.S. Border Patrol agents have been indiscriminately stopping and arresting Latinos, farmworkers and day laborers in Kern County, California, in violation of the Constitution’s protections against unreasonable search and seizure.