A coalition of lawmakers, public defenders, and advocates gathered at the State Capitol to push for increased funding and structural reforms to California’s public defense system, warning that overwhelming caseloads, staffing shortages, and resource disparities are undermining the constitutional right to counsel.
A Bay Area defense attorney discovered a recording of a confidential conversation between her client and herself, raising constitutional concerns about attorney-client communications and leading to the client’s release from jail without bail.
Four immigrants were released from ICE detention after federal judges appointed during the Trump administration found their detention to be unlawful, despite prior deportation orders.
State legislatures can pass laws to allow people to take federal agents to court for violating their rights, which is necessary due to the rampant abuse of federal agents and the difficulty of suing them under federal law.
The ACLU has filed a class-action lawsuit alleging that federal immigration agents in Minnesota have engaged in racial profiling, warrantless arrests and unconstitutional enforcement practices, disproportionately targeting Somali and Latino communities.
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner has warned federal immigration agents operating at Philadelphia International Airport that they must follow the law or face prosecution, and has encouraged the public to document any law enforcement activity.
The U.S. Supreme Court is hearing arguments in a case that questions whether plea agreements can force Americans to surrender fundamental constitutional rights, highlighting the power of the criminal legal system to pressure individuals into waiving their liberties.
The Brennan Center for Justice is urging Congress to enact common-sense reforms to restore oversight, protect constitutional rights, and curb abuses within the Department of Homeland Security, as key accountability mechanisms have been eroded and First and Fourth Amendment protections have been violated.
The California Lawyers Association has raised concerns about recent federal immigration enforcement practices, which it says may violate constitutional protections and civil liberties, and has called for courts and oversight institutions to ensure independent review of such actions.
State Sen. Scott Wiener and immigration advocates have called for new accountability mechanisms for federal law enforcement officers in response to the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Goode by an ICE agent in Minnesota, with the introduction of SB 747, the No Kings Act, which would allow individuals to sue federal officers personally for constitutional violations.
California lawmakers are advancing legislation to allow individuals to sue federal officials in state court for unlawful conduct, following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent in Minnesota.
Immigrant rights leader Magybet Mendez discusses the real-world consequences of ICE raids, racial profiling, and legal fees on immigrant families, as well as the Supreme Court’s shadow docket enabling military-style ICE invasions, and how communities are fighting back through advocacy, education, and small business empowerment.
The California Public Defenders Association has denounced the Supreme Court’s ruling in Noem v. Perdomo, which allows federal agents to use race, ethnicity, accent, location and occupation as grounds for detaining individuals, effectively permitting racial profiling of Black and Brown individuals suspected of immigration violations.
The Trump administration has announced plans to deploy military troops to Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles, citing crime emergencies, despite falling crime rates, and has threatened to send troops to other cities, sparking criticism from the ACLU and state governors.
Martha Arevalo of CARECEN in Los Angeles has warned of an atmosphere of fear and chaos as federal authorities escalate enforcement in immigrant communities, with indiscriminate detentions of people regardless of their immigration status.
The Trump administration’s immigration agenda has expanded beyond the undocumented to include temporary visa holders, asylum seekers, lawful permanent residents, and naturalized citizens, resulting in a system of exclusion that undermines due process and equal protection under the Constitution.
The Criminal Justice Act (CJA) program ran out of money on July 3, 2025, leaving thousands of court-appointed attorneys and their support staff unpaid and threatening the constitutional right to effective counsel and the federal court system.
The Trump administration is using administrative subpoenas to intimidate landlords into handing over sensitive tenant records, effectively creating an extrajudicial surveillance system that preys on confusion and fear, and undermining the rights of undocumented immigrants.
SACRAMENTO, CA – A federal bench trial began Monday at the Robert T. Matsui Courthouse in an…
VALLEJO, CA – A federal judge has temporarily blocked the city of Vallejo from evicting Evelyn Alfred,…