The 2010s
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2012
ACLU's Uncle Sam Poster Reads: "I Want Your Money, Jewelry, Car, Boat & House"
Civil forfeiture allows police to seize—and then keep or sell—any property they allege is involved in a crime. Meaning, property owners do not need to be arrested or convicted of a crime for their cash, cars, or even real estate to be permanently taken by the government. Forfeiture was originally presented as a way to cripple large-scale criminal enterprises by diverting their resources. But today, aided by deeply flawed federal and state laws, many police departments use forfeiture to benefit their bottom lines, seizing property for profit rather than crime-fighting. Police abuse of civil asset forfeiture laws has shaken our nation’s conscience. The ACLU has been leading the fight to rein in this practice.
ACLU Calls on Obama Administration, "Yes You Can"
After President Barack Obama was reelected in 2012, the ACLU published an ad calling on him to fulfill remaining campaign promises regarding essential rights and liberties.
2013
ACLU's Annual Report of 2013
2013 was a historic year for the ACLU and civil liberties, with landmark victories including the defeat of the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), the ban on solitary confinement of prisoners in Illinois and Mississippi, and the end of an unconstitutional racial profiling program in Arizona. Nothing better captures the joy of these victories than this image of our plaintiff Edie Windsor triumphantly raising her arms outside the Supreme Court after oral arguments in United States v. Windsor, the landmark case that overturned DOMA.
Face of the Voting Rights Project: Laughlin McDonald
In Shelby County v. Holder, the Supreme Court struck down the coverage formula used to determine which states and localities were subject to the preclearance requirement of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Importantly, the decision did not strike down Section 5 itself, leaving Congress to devise a new coverage formula. The ACLU intervened in the case on behalf of the Alabama State Conference of the NAACP and several residents of Shelby County whose voting rights were directly impacted by the county's challenge. Laughlin McDonald, pictured here, was director of the ACLU's Voting Rights Project and counsel of record in the case.
ACLU Defends Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act in Shelby County v. Holder
In Shelby County v. Holder, the Supreme Court struck down the coverage formula used to determine which states and localities were subject to the preclearance requirement of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Importantly, the decision did not strike down Section 5 itself, leaving Congress to devise a new coverage formula. The ACLU intervened in the case on behalf of the Alabama State Conference of the NAACP and several residents of Shelby County whose voting rights were directly impacted by the county's challenge.
The Couple that Defended the Federal Rights of Same-Sex Couples
Litigated by the ACLU and NYCLU in 2013, United States v Windsor is a landmark LGBTQ rights case in which the Supreme Court ruled that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was unconstitutional. The case also established that the federal government cannot discriminate against legally married same-sex couples accessing federal benefits. Pictured are ACLU client Edie Windsor and her wife, Thea Spyer.
Watch ACLU Clients and Legal Team on Day of Challenging DOMA: Defense of Marriage Act
Litigated by the ACLU and NYCLU in 2013, United States v. Windsor is a landmark LGBTQ rights case in which the Supreme Court ruled that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was unconstitutional. The case also established that the federal government cannot discriminate against legally married same-sex couples for federal benefits. This video shows ACLU client Edie Windsor at the Supreme Court after the arguments.
2015
ACLU of Nebraska's Marriage Freedom Plaintiffs Marj Plumb and Tracy Weitz with Jim Obergefell, the ACLU's Plaintiff in Obergefell v. Hodges
Before the Supreme Court issued its historic Obergefell v. Hodges decision establishing marriage equality for same-sex couples nationwide, the ACLU of Nebraska scored a victory at the district court level. In this photo, two ACLU of Nebraska clients, Marj Plumb and Tracy Weitz, meet with Jim Obergefell.
Watch Jim Obergefell Thank ACLU Supporters for Proving Love Wins
The landmark 2015 Supreme Court case Obergefell v. Hodges established marriage equality nationwide. The ACLU served as co-counsel for client Jim Obergefell, seen in this video marking the one-year anniversary of the ruling.
ACLU's James Esseks and James Obergefell Outside the Supreme Court After Arguments
The landmark 2015 Supreme Court case Obergefell v. Hodges established marriage equality nationwide. The ACLU served as co-counsel for client Jim Obergefell. In this photo, Obergefell wipes his eyes after exiting the Supreme Court following historic arguments over the right of gay and lesbian couples to marry. James Esseks, director of the ACLU LGBT & HIV Project, left, was instrumental in the legal strategy.
Defending the Right to Vote For People with Disabilities
This January, 2015 report from the ACLU and the Center for Accessible Technology documented how nearly every state's online voter registration website was inaccesible to people with disabilities, and outlined the steps necessary to make registering to vote accessible to every citizen.
2016
ACLU's Scathing Report "Fatal Negligence: How ICE ignores Death and Detention"
Egregious violations of ICE medical care standards played a prominent role in eight deaths in immigration detention facilities from 2010 to 2012. “Fatal Neglect: How ICE Ignores Deaths in Detention,” a report jointly produced by the ACLU, Detention Watch Network, and National Immigrant Justice Center, examines these deaths and the agency’s response to them.
Posters of #TakeCTRL Initiative To Protect Digital Privacy
In 2016, the ACLU launched the #TakeCTRL campaign, in which a diverse, bipartisan coalition of state legislators simultaneously announced legislation to protect their constituents' digital privacy. Led by ACLU Policy Counsel Chad Marlow, the campaign successfully passed six laws within 180 days.
ACLU Advocates Call On President Barack Obama: Pardon Edward Snowden
Ben Wizner, a deputy legal director at the ACLU, has served as the lead legal advisor for NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden since July 2013. He coordinated Snowden's asylum process and still oversees his defense against U.S. espionage charges, including on First Amendment grounds. Here, Naureen Shah (former Amnesty International Director of USA's Security and Human Rights Program and current ACLU Director of Government Affairs, Equality Division) and Wizner speak at the launch of a 2016 campaign calling upon President Barack Obama to pardon Snowden before leaving office.
2018
ACLU of West Virginia Pins Defending Reproductive Rights
These pins were created by the ACLU of West Virginia in 2018 as part of their fight against Amendment 1, which stripped the right to abortion from the West Virginia Constitution.
ACLU Tells President Trump: Children are Waiting
In response to the Trump administration's family separation policy, the ACLU launched the “Children Are Waiting" campaign, which aired on MSNBC, CNN, and HGTV, along with a Spanish-language version on Telemundo and Univision. This campaign was part of a larger advocacy effort that included a mobilization at a Brownsville, Texas courthouse where migrants were prosecuted as part of the “zero tolerance” immigration policy.
ACLU of New Mexico Fights for Indigenous Rights in Johnson v. Board of Education
In 2018, McKenzie Johnson, a Navajo student at Cibola High School, was called a racist slur in front of her entire class by her teacher, who also cut off another Indigenous student’s braids without her consent. The ACLU of New Mexico stepped in to represent Johnson in her lawsuit against the Albuquerque Public Schools, alleging that the district failed to protect Native American students from a racially hostile educational environment and failed to provide adequate training to prevent discrimination. The New Mexico Court of Appeals revived the lawsuit in 2023, holding that public schools are subject to the New Mexico Human Rights Act. The ruling affirmed that students are entitled to learn in environments free from discrimination and reinforced that schools have a legal and moral obligation to ensure every student is treated with dignity, respect, and equal protection under the law. Pictured is ACLU-NM Executive Director Leon Howard with several Indigenous justice youth advocates from across the state.
What a Difference a DA Makes
In 2018, the ACLU of Massachusetts hosted the nation’s first political debate inside a jail. At the Suffolk County House of Correction, ACLU-MA and the local sheriff’s department organized a debate among six candidates campaigning for district attorney of Suffolk County, which covers Boston and three other towns. The debate was an opportunity for people personally experiencing the criminal legal system to ask meaningful questions about reforming it. Incarcerated folks questioned candidates about police accountability, treatments for substance abuse disorders, and re-entry programs. This debate was part of ACLU-MA's long-standing “What a Difference a DA Makes” campaign, a public education initiative to drive awareness about what DAs do.
Actor Jay Ellis: "Families Belong Together"
Ms. L. v. ICE is a landmark national class-action lawsuit filed by the ACLU in February 2018 against the U.S. government. It challenged the "zero tolerance" border policy that forcibly separated thousands of migrant parents and children at the US–Mexico border. The lawsuit cites violations of the Constitution’s due process clause, federal law protecting asylum seekers, and the government’s own directive to keep families intact. The ACLU organized a Families Belong Together rally in Brownsville to uplift this case, and actor Jay Ellis spoke. "Ms. L" and her daughter were reunited in March 2018, though the national class-action lawsuit continues.
2019
Television Personality Padma Lakshmi Speaks At McDonalds Headquarters Protesting Sexual Harassment
McDonald's workers and activists listen as actress and television personality Padma Lakshmi speaks outside the company's headquarters in Chicago, Illinois during a sexual harassment protest against the restaurant, May 2019.
ACLU's Dale Ho Challenges Trump Administration's Plan to Include Citizenship Question on 2020 Census
In this 2019 Supreme Court case, Department of Commerce v. New York, the ACLU represented a coalition of civil rights groups challenging the U.S. Department of Commerce’s decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census. Dale Ho, pictured here, then-director of the ACLU's Voting Rights Project, successfully argued the case.
Audio Clip of ACLU Attorney Dale Ho Successfully Arguing Supreme Court Voting Rights Case
In this 2019 Supreme Court case, Department of Commerce v. New York, the ACLU represented a coalition of civil rights groups challenging the U.S. Department of Commerce’s decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census. Dale Ho, heard here, then-director of the ACLU's Voting Rights Project, successfully argued the case.
Read ACLU's Amicus in Ramos v. Louisiana
In the 2019 Ramos v. Louisiana case, the Supreme Court ruled that the Sixth Amendment requires unanimous jury verdicts to convict defendants of serious crimes in state and federal courts. The ACLU filed an amicus brief, seen here, in support of Evangelisto Ramos, exposing the racist "Jim Crow" origins of non-unanimous jury laws.
ACLU's Emmy Award Win
The short documentary “Trans In America: Texas Strong” — created by the ACLU and Little By Little Films and broadcast by the digital platform Them — won Outstanding Short Documentary at the 40th Annual News and Documentary Emmy Awards in 2019. Pictured here is the Emmy, owned by the ACLU's Chase Strangio, co-director of the LBGT & HIV Project.
