American Civil Liberties Union

The Racial Justice Program aims to preserve and extend the constitutional rights of people of color. Committed to combating racism in all its forms, our advocacy includes litigation, community organizing and training, legislative initiatives, and public education. >> More about the Racial Justice Program.


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Racial Justice : Racial Profiling : Press Releases

Landmark Settlement Reached With Maryland State Police In "Driving While Black" Case (04/02/2008)
BALTIMORE -- After more than a decade of fighting for justice on behalf of individuals who were racially profiled on Interstate 95 in Maryland, the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Maryland, and the law firm of Hogan & Hartson, LLP are pleased to announce that a landmark settlement has been reached today with the Maryland State Police (MSP) to end the "Driving While Black" lawsuit. The agreement provides substantial damages to the individual plaintiffs, a requirement that the MSP retain an independent consultant to assess its progress towards eliminating the practice of racial profiling, and a joint statement by all parties involved in the lawsuit condemning racial profiling and highlighting the importance of taking preventative action against this practice in the future.

Charges Dismissed Against Reporter Who Was Victim of NYPD Racial Profiling as Figures Show Hundreds of Thousands of Innocent Black New Yorkers Were Stopped-and-Frisked in 2007 (02/13/2008)
NEW YORK – A Bronx Criminal Court judge has dismissed charges against a black New York Post reporter who was the victim of racial profiling by NYPD officers. The dismissal came on the same day that the NYPD quietly released figures showing that police made nearly half a million stops in 2007, most of which were of black and Latino New Yorkers.

Bar Association, Prestigious Academics & NY Times Join NYCLU Lawsuit Against NYPD (01/10/2008)
The New York Times, the Association of the Bar of the City of New York and a group of 21 academics from across the country plan to file briefs in support of the New York Civil Liberties Union’s lawsuit challenging the NYPD’s refusal to disclose an electronic database detailing police stops of hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers, most of whom were black and Latino.

Jury Finds African American Passenger Was Unlawfully Detained at Logan Airport (12/10/2007)
BOSTON - On Friday, a Suffolk Superior Court jury found state police unlawfully detained American Civil Liberties Union attorney King Downing at Logan Airport in October 2003, and Downing agreed to a settlement of his claims against William Thomspon, the state trooper principally responsible for the unlawful detention.

NYCLU Sues NYPD for Harassing Photographers (12/06/2007)
NEW YORK – The New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) today filed a lawsuit against the New York Police Department (NYPD) in federal court on behalf of a Columbia University graduate student of Indian descent who was unlawfully handcuffed and detained in July after a police officer saw him snapping photographs near a subway station in upper Manhattan.

Analysis of New NYPD Stop-and-Frisk Data Reveals Dramatic Impact on Black New Yorkers (11/26/2007)
NEW YORK – A New York Civil Liberties Union analysis of recently released New York Police Department data about police stops and frisks of New Yorkers reveals the black community in New York continues to be the target of improper stops and frisks by police officers.

Flawed Report Glosses Over Racial Disparities in NYPD's Stop-and-Frisk Practices (11/20/2007)
NEW YORK – A study commissioned by the New York Police Department on racial disparities in the department’s stop-and-frisk practices does nothing to ease concerns about possible racial profiling of New Yorkers, and amplifies the need for an independent analysis of the NYPD’s tactics.

NYCLU Sues NYPD to Force Public Release of Stop-and-Frisk Database (11/13/2007)
The New York Civil Liberties Union today filed a lawsuit in State Supreme Court challenging the NYPD’s refusal to disclose an electronic database detailing police stops of hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers, most of whom were black and Latino.

Rhode Island ACLU Report Finds Police Departments in Violation of Racial Profiling Law (10/31/2007)
PROVIDENCE - Almost half of the police departments in Rhode Island that are required to post their police complaint forms and procedures online have failed to do so, according to a report released today by the Rhode Island ACLU. The requirement, contained in the Racial Profiling Prevention Act of 2004, was designed to make it easier for victims of police misconduct to file complaints with departments.

ACLU Sues Maryland State Police for Withholding Public Records and Overcharging for Documents Related to "Driving While Black" Lawsuit (09/26/2007)
TOWSON, MD – Charging that the Maryland State Police (MSP) are flouting the letter and spirit of the Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA), the American Civil Liberties Union teamed with Venable, LLP to file a lawsuit today against the MSP for improperly withholding records and imposing excessive costs for records it is producing. The case was filed in Baltimore County Circuit Court on behalf of the Maryland State Conference of NAACP Branches in order to force MSP to produce information and documents relating to its compliance with a federal court order in the organizations’ "Driving While Black" litigation.

ACLU Sues TSA Official, JetBlue for Discriminating Against Passenger Wearing Arabic T-Shirt (08/09/2007)
NEW YORK - The American Civil Liberties Union and New York Civil Liberties Union today filed a federal civil rights lawsuit charging that a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) official and JetBlue Airways illegally discriminated against an American resident based solely on the Arabic message on his t-shirt and his ethnicity.

ACLU Sues TSA Official, JetBlue for Discriminating Against Passenger Wearing Arabic T-Shirt (08/09/2007)
NEW YORK - The American Civil Liberties Union and New York Civil Liberties Union today filed a federal civil rights lawsuit charging that a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) official and JetBlue Airways illegally discriminated against an American resident based solely on the Arabic message on his t-shirt and his ethnicity.

ACLU of New Jersey Files Turnpike Racial Profiling Lawsuit (07/10/2007)
NEWARK, NJ - The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey today filed a lawsuit on behalf of Willie Nevius, an African American driver who was improperly stopped by police and searched on the New Jersey Turnpike.

NYCLU Calls On NYPD To Investigate Mass Arrest Of Brooklyn Youth (06/08/2007)
NEW YORK -  The New York Civil Liberties Union today called on the New York Police Department to conduct a thorough investigation into the recent arrest of nearly three dozen students walking to the funeral of a friend. The mass arrests reflect an overly aggressive approach to perceived gang association and raise concerns about racial profiling, NYCLU said.

Department of Justice Statistics Show Clear Pattern of Racial Profiling (04/29/2007)
NEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties Union said today that a newly released Department of Justice report on racial profiling shows an alarming racial disparity in the rate at which motorists are searched by local law enforcement.

ACLU Files Racial Profiling Lawsuit Against Rhode Island State Police (01/08/2007)
PROVIDENCE, RI - In a federal lawsuit filed today, the American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island charged that state police engaged in racial profiling and acted unconstitutionally when they detained 14 people on Interstate 95 and transferred them to immigration officials. The individuals, all Guatemalans, were stopped in a van after the driver changed lanes without using a turn signal.

U.S. Citizen Asks Federal Court to Insure Safe Passage For His Family Back from Canada (12/21/2006)
CHICAGO - The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois today asked a federal judge to help ensure a safe, uneventful trip across the U.S.-Canadian border for a suburban Chicago father and U.S. citizen when he, his wife and young children travel next week.

In Wake of Bell Shooting, NYCLU Protests NYPD Failure to Comply with Racial Profiling Reform Mandated After Diallo Shooting (11/29/2006)
NEW YORK - In light of rekindled debates about race and policing after the Sean Bell shooting, the New York Civil Liberties Union today protested the New York Police Department’s failure to comply with a city law enacted in the aftermath of the 1999 Amadou Diallo police shooting to address concerns about racial profiling.

ACLU of New Mexico Sues DEA, Police Officers for Roughing Up Amtrak Passengers (08/21/2006)
ALBUQUERQUE – The American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico filed a lawsuit today against a federal drug enforcement agent and two police officers who illegally searched and roughed up an Armenian couple last summer while their Amtrak train was stopped in Albuquerque. Today’s lawsuit seeks multiple violations of the civil rights of both individuals.

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