Free Exercise of Religion
The ACLU works in courts, legislatures, and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and the laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country.
The Latest
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Religious Discrimination Persists in Zoning Proceedings, Despite Strong Legal Protections
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Customs and Border Protection is Singling Out Muslim Travelers for Invasive Religious Questioning
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Muslim Americans Sue Border and Immigration Officials Over Illegal Religious Questioning
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Supreme Court to Decide Whether to Grant Final Religious Requests of Individual on Death Row
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What We're Focused On
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Defending the Rights of Religious Minorities
The ACLU works in courts, legislatures, and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and the...
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Religious Liberty in the Criminal Justice System
The ACLU works in courts, legislatures, and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and the...
What's at Stake
The right to practice religion, or no religion at all, is among the most fundamental of the freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. Religious liberty requires that the government permit a wide range of religious exercise and expression for people of all faiths, in public and in private. Government officials may not impede such religious exercise unless it would threaten the rights, welfare, and well-being of others or violate the core constitutional ban on governmental promotion of religion.
The ACLU vigorously defends the rights of all Americans to practice their faith. We represent both Christians and adherents of minority faiths, who are often disproportionately affected and treated as second-class citizens. Our free exercise work is also especially relevant for underrepresented populations, such as students and prisoners.
The right to practice religion, or no religion at all, is among the most fundamental of the freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. Religious liberty requires that the government permit a wide range of religious exercise and expression for people of all faiths, in public and in private. Government officials may not impede such religious exercise unless it would threaten the rights, welfare, and well-being of others or violate the core constitutional ban on governmental promotion of religion.
The ACLU vigorously defends the rights of all Americans to practice their faith. We represent both Christians and adherents of minority faiths, who are often disproportionately affected and treated as second-class citizens. Our free exercise work is also especially relevant for underrepresented populations, such as students and prisoners.
