Home : Immigrants' Rights

El Proyecto de Derechos de los Inmigrantes (08/12/2003)

Alert -- Special Registrations Requirements (01/30/2003)

National Identification Cards: Why Does the ACLU Oppose a National I.D. System? (03/12/2002)
BACKGROUND Over the past decade various proposals for a tamper-proof national identifier have cropped up repeatedly, usually in the context of immigration policy. The notion of using some form of national identification card has also surfaced in discussions of gun control and health care reform.

Immigrants and the Economy (03/12/2002)
BACKGROUND Blaming immigrants for the nation's woes has long been an American pastime, especially in hard economic times like today. Recently, there has been an upsurge in anti-immigrant sentiment, particularly in areas of the country that host large number of immigrants. Public opinion surveys indicate that the public does draw a distinction between legal and undocumented immigrants, and that the public regards undocumented immigrants with increasing disfavor.

Justice For All: ACLU Argues Crucial Immigrants' Rights Case Before Supreme Court (02/19/2002)
NEW YORK-In a ringing endorsement of 'justice for all,' the U.S. Supreme Court today affirmed the right of legal immigrants to have their cases reviewed by a court before facing deportation and said that a 1996 law making deportation automatic for an expanded group of immigrants could not be applied retroactively.

ACLU's Lucas Guttentag: Immigrants and Civil Liberties (02/19/2002)
Lucas Guttentag directs the Immigrants Rights Project for the national offices of the American Civil Liberties Union. Formerly a clerk for Texas federal judge William Wayne Justice and a civil rights attorney and law professor, Guttentag joined the American Civil Liberties Union national office in 1985.

Links to other Immigration Sites (02/19/2002)
The following sites provide comprehensive or unique resources relating to the work of the ACLU in this issue area. While some of these sites are operated by organizations that work frequently in coalition with the ACLU, the sites may also include materials on positions we do not share. To report a broken or relocated link, or to suggest a site for inclusion on this page, use the feedback button at the bottom of this page.

The Rights of Immigrants (02/19/2002)
Since this nation's founding, more than 55 million immigrants from every continent have settled in the United States. In fact, with the exception of Native Americans, everyone living in this country is either an immigrant or the descendent of voluntary or involuntary immigrants. Yet every wave of immigration has faced fear and hostility, especially during times of economic hardship, political turmoil, or war:

ACLU Joins Fix '96 Campaign For Justice For Immigrants (02/19/2002)
Throughout our history, the United States has been known for being a nation of immigrants, justice and opportunity. While at times our policies have strayed - sometimes tragically - from those ideals, they have consistently served as a foundation of our democracy.

ACLU and Labor Union (02/19/2002)
LOS ANGELES - A new federal law requiring airport screeners to be U.S. citizens is unconstitutional and discriminatory, according to a lawsuit filed today by the American Civil Liberties Union, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and nine screeners from two major California airports.

An interview with Immigrants' Rights Project Director Lucas Guttentag on Challenging the 1996 Immigration Laws (03/01/1996)
Lucas Guttentag, a Harvard Law School graduate and adjunct professor at Columbia and Boalt Hall schools of law, has concentrated his career on helping people without a voice be heard. In 1985, after clerking for Texas federal judge William Wayne Justice and seven years as a civil rights attorney and law professor, he joined the American Civil Liberties Union National Office. On Dec. 30, 1997 Supplements Editor Kristin Carder spoke with Lucas Guttentag on the issue of judicial review in immigration cases. Following is a transcript of that discussion, edited for length and style.