ACLU Statement on the Southern Poverty Law Center
WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Department of Justice officials announced that a grand jury in Montgomery, Alabama returned an indictment against the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC).
American Civil Liberties Union Executive Director Anthony D. Romero had the following response:
“The investigation into the Southern Poverty Law Center is yet another example of the Trump administration’s extreme attempts to silence its critics. This administration’s continued weaponization of the Justice Department to target organizations speaking out against its agenda is anti-American behavior harkening back to the McCarthy era.
“The ACLU stands in solidarity with the Southern Poverty Law Center. The SPLC’s work fighting hate, racism, and injustice in the American South has played a critical role in strengthening the civil rights of millions of Americans. While the Trump administration may not agree with the SPLC’s civil rights mission or work, its efforts to target the organization are fundamentally wrong.
“The Trump administration’s attack against the Southern Poverty Law Center is a direct threat to the values that make America great. In this time of unprecedented peril for our democracy, we urge all Americans of good conscience to join us as we stand in support of the Southern Poverty Law Center.”
Learn More About the Issues in This Press Release
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