Blog of Rights
Anthony D.
Romero

Anthony D. Romero is the Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union. He took the helm just four days before the September 11, 2001 attacks. Shortly afterward, the ACLU launched its national Safe and Free campaign to protect basic freedoms during a time of crisis. Romero has led the ACLU in its fight to restore civil liberties, including pushing for accountability for torture committed under the Bush administration and fighting the practice of indefinite detention. Romero is the ACLU's sixth executive director, and the first Latino and openly gay man to serve in that capacity. (Photo by Richard Corman)

 

04/16/2012
I Am Not a Stereotype

Working to End Racial Profiling: ACLU to Testify Before Senate Judiciary

By Anthony D. Romero, ACLU at 2:24pm

Racial profiling is based on crass stereotypes and assumptions, instead of facts, evidence and good solid police work.

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04/22/2013
Boston Marathon Bombings

The Constitution Applies to All Americans, No Matter What They Are Accused Of

By Anthony D. Romero, ACLU at 12:28pm

Our country has been shaken by the events coming out of Boston in the past week. First, of course, there was the tragedy and loss of life...

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06/11/2012
Plyler v. Doe

School Is For Everyone: Celebrating Plyler v. Doe

By Anthony D. Romero, ACLU at 10:11am

Jocelyn came to the United States when she was six years old, brought by a single mom who wanted her to go to school and have a better life than she did. Today, at age 14, Jocelyn is an honors student in Alabama, where she hopes to become the first in her family to graduate from high school, and to one day become a doctor. Jocelyn is striving to live the American Dream. 

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03/28/2013
Defense of Marriage Act

The ACLU and Windsor: "The future is ours. Equality is in this country's DNA."

By Anthony D. Romero, ACLU at 10:45am

I sat in the Supreme Court yesterday hearing the historic arguments in the Windsor case. I felt a mixture of pride...

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11/29/2012
Anti-Immigrant Laws

Arizona's Denial of Licenses for Immigrant Youths Won't Stop the DREAMers

By Anthony D. Romero, ACLU at 3:40pm

The ACLU and its partners today filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of young immigrants who came to the United States as children

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05/27/2009

The Best of Days, The Worst of Days

By Anthony D. Romero, ACLU at 11:19am

(Originally posted on Huffington Post.)

It was a day of personal schizophrenia for me.

I woke up on the west coast with news of President Obama's selection of Sonia Sotomayor as the next associate justice of the U.S. Supreme court. My heart swelled with such pride. Over the years, I've had occasion to meet Judge Sotomayor and watched her ascent in judicial circles with such pride.

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06/25/2012
S.B. 1070 at the Supreme Court

Supreme Court Deals Blow to 3 Provisions of Arizona’s Racial Profiling Law but Allows “Show Me Your Papers” Provision to Live Another Day

By Anthony D. Romero, ACLU at 3:53pm

Today’s Supreme Court decision in Arizona v. United States rightly rejects three parts of Arizona’s controversial SB 1070 law as unconstitutional.

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06/15/2012
DREAM Act

A Lifeline for DREAMers

By Anthony D. Romero, ACLU at 1:33pm
Today the Obama administration announced that it will stop deporting and give work permits to young adults who came to the U.S. as children, or DREAMers.
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09/25/2009

Law & Order Tackles Accountability for Torture. Will We Have It in Real Life?

By Anthony D. Romero, ACLU at 12:53pm

(Originally posted on Huffington Post.)

"Jack, you want to prosecute a member of the Bush administration for assaulting suspected terrorists?"

"The word is 'torturing.' And yes — it's about time somebody did."

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08/06/2009

Tortured Logic

By Anthony D. Romero, ACLU at 12:52pm

(Originally posted on Huffington Post.)

Recent reports that U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder is considering appointing a prosecutor to investigate illegal torture carried out during the Bush administration is a positive sign, especially given President Obama's desire to avoid what he has called "a backward-looking" inquiry. When Holder began studying the brutal acts carried out in America's name, some of them even exceeding the horrors authorized in the infamous Justice Department torture memos, he reportedly said it "turned my stomach." In "Tortured Logic," a video released by the ACLU today, you'll hear well-known people like Oliver Stone, Rosie Perez and Philip Glass, among others, read from those chilling memos, which were disclosed as part of ACLU litigation:

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