Simone Biles, Sha’Carri Richardson, and How the Olympics Failed Black Women

NEWARK — Yesterday, federal agents reportedly fired pepper balls and tear gas at people gathered outside the Delaney Hall immigration detention facility in Newark, New Jersey, including U.S. Senator Andy Kim. This comes after days in which hundreds of individuals detained at Delaney Hall have engaged in a hunger strike decrying inhumane conditions and treatment. New Jersey elected officials, including Rep. Rob Menendez, Rep. LaMonica McIver, Rep. Analilia Mejia, Rep. Nellie Pou, Rep. Frank Pallone, Senator Andy Kim, state legislators, and Governor Mikie Sherrill, have continued to call for the closure of Delaney Hall, a facility that has been plagued by abusive conditions since it opened. The Department of Homeland Security has repeatedly obstructed officials’ access to the facility. The following is a statement from ACLU-NJ Executive Director Amol Sinha: “People detained at Delaney Hall are facing brutal and inhumane conditions. Their families and community members who are protesting their treatment, and the elected officials who are asking to inspect the facility, should not face pepper spray and rubber bullets for doing so. Our federal representatives – who have the congressional authority to conduct oversight visits of the facility – have instead taken pepper spray to their eyes and experienced abuse at the hands of federal agents.” “The calls for closure from officials across all levels of government reflect the will of a state that believes in due process, human dignity, and the rule of law. We urge the federal government to heed those calls, end the obstruction of congressional oversight, and immediately address the conditions that have driven detained people to risk their health and safety to be heard. No one should have to starve themselves to be treated with basic humanity. “The Trump administration continues to target people decrying its horrific mass detention and deportation agenda, and we need leaders at every level of government to take action to hold ICE accountable and end immigration detention. We also urge state leaders to ensure universal representation for people detained in New Jersey by increasing funding for the Detention and Deportation Defense Initiative to $20 million to meet the increased demand for legal services.” Haddy Gassama, senior policy counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union, had the following reaction: “The hunger strike at Delaney Hall is not an isolated action. It is a response to longstanding, systematic abuse in immigration detention, and it joins many other similar actions across the country. Against this brutal backdrop, the rates of death in detention have been steadily rising, at an average of one death in ICE custody every six days. “It just so happens Congress is debating whether to give the Department of Homeland Security another $70 billion to continue ramping up their mass deportations, all while federal agents shoot rubber bullets and pepper spray at elected officials, families of detainees, and community members. Their sickening display in Newark this Memorial Day weekend is but the latest reminder why our representatives and Senators must hold firm and refuse to be complicit in fueling ICE’s reckless abuses in our communities."

This case concerns the constitutionality of a highly intrusive law enforcement practice: the use of geofence warrants. Geofence warrants compel tech companies like Google to provide to law enforcement location data from every cell phone likely to have been within a certain area during a given time window. Then, law enforcement officers decide for themselves which users to focus on, and demand additional location information—and eventually identifying information—for the users they select. Geofence warrants raise grave constitutional concerns, including that (1) they authorize dragnet searches that sweep up the private data of many people without probable cause to believe that all or any of them were involved in any crime, and (2) they allow law enforcement officers to decide which users to focus on for additional data collection without judicial oversight. This case therefore has significant implications for Texans’ ability to secure their digital privacy and property against unjustified government intrusion.

WASHINGTON — Today, the Department of Justice indicted FBI Director James Comey for the second time in the last year. This indictment is the latest in a series of Trump administration actions targeting political opponents of the president, including an unsuccessful attempt to prosecute James Comey in November. Mike Zamore, the national director of policy and government affairs at the ACLU, issued the following statement in response: “In a democracy, being critical of a leader does not get you thrown in jail. James Comey’s latest indictment is yet another example of President Trump abusing his power to target his perceived political opponents. “The Trump administration has made it clear time and again: Appease the president or you will face the wrath of the federal government. Comey’s prosecution should severely trouble every American who values their freedom, no matter their political persuasion. “We’re witnessing the severe abuse and pressure-testing of our justice system. However, we remain confident that the American people and our institutions will vigorously defend our First Amendment rights, and this ham-handed attempt to intimidate and silence President Trump’s critics will fail."

NEW YORK – Today, the American Civil Liberties Union launched Know Your Rights University (KYR-U), a new, educational, animated series teaching children captivating and accessible lessons about free expression and other constitutional rights, as well as civic engagement. As efforts grow to limit what students can learn nationwide, this series invites young audiences to follow two inquisitive students as their teacher, with help from talking books, answers their questions on topics ranging from the first amendment to the legislative process. KYR-U's inaugural season features four episodes that will be released every other Thursday on YouTube Kids and ACLU.org. To learn more: View the full series trailer here. View episode one “Peace, Hats, and Understanding” here. The series was conceptualized and directed by the ACLU’s Brandon O. Lake, a stop motion animator, teacher, and proud parent. In partnership with Threadwood, the ACLU production team used stop motion animation, leveraging a classic approach to animation beloved by children and families for generations. “It feels like now, more than ever, is an important time to talk about civics and our constitutional rights and there's no better place to start than with our nation’s curious kids and the caring adults in their lives,” said Brandon O. Lake, senior creative producer at the ACLU. “So many of us grew up watching and singing along with educational content like Schoolhouse Rock! and Reading Rainbow. We hope Know Your Rights University makes learning about our rights and freedoms fun, engaging, and memorable for this generation of kids.” Developed for elementary school children as they begin learning civics, the ACLU production team worked closely with its own legal experts and external education advisors on each episode. KYR-U aims to deepen that education, offering children, teachers and parents a trusted and engaging resource. Study guides will be available on ACLU.org to help facilitate conversations and learnings after each episode. “It's more important than ever that our children understand how to responsibly engage within their communities, both inside and outside the classroom. KYR-U helps teach students about their rights and freedoms, in a climate where they're increasingly under attack. This knowledge is critical at every age, because when we know our rights, we are empowered to exercise them,” said Kriston McIntosh, chief communications and marketing officer at the ACLU. Additional Background on Know Your Rights University Censorship over what kids can and cannot learn is on the rise. Over the last several years, our nation has witnessed more than 23,000 books banned in public schools, billions cut in funding for public education, and lawmakers taking concerted efforts to strip history out of textbooks. In response, KYR-U teaches children that they have rights – in the classroom, at home, and in the streets protesting – and provides the tools necessary to engage in their communities and stand up for their beliefs. KYR-U leverages the ACLU’s century-long history of defending rights and freedoms, and marks the first time the organization has produced an animated series for kids. KYR-U brings viewers into Eastman-Baldwin Junior High – named after two ACLU founders, and follows the characters Aaron, Mr. Charles, and Lisa – with the last character being yoU, the audience, to spell out ACLU. Additionally, several ACLU staff members voice the characters, including creator Brandon Lake as Mr. Charles. Episode one is available here: https://youtu.be/_oHOpzjDynY A folder of images, including behind the scenes content and stills from the series, is available here with credit to the ACLU: https://aclunational-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/amadridaksoz_aclu_org/IgBzEZi0i4bZRqIUmkX7dJCfAX9N1VKp7cZnA4KDS6LpSpc?e=vhQbbX Supplementary materials are also available on the ACLU website: https://www.aclu.org/campaigns-initiatives/kyr-u