Home : Immigrants' Rights : Discrimination

ACLU of Florida, PRLDEF and Local Advocates Vow to Sue Over Palm Bay Anti-Immigrant Ordinance (08/15/2006)
PALM BAY, FL – The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, the Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center, the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund and the law firm of Weil, Gotshal & Manges today sent a letter to the City of Palm Bay expressing opposition to the anti-immigrant ordinances which are under consideration by the Palm Bay City Council. Should the Council vote to pass the ordinances, the organizations have vowed to challenge the laws in court on behalf of Palm Bay constituents.

Southern Californians Demand Citizenship After Excessive Delays (08/01/2006)
LOS ANGELES - On behalf of a U.S. military veteran, a medical doctor, small business owners and others who have been illegally denied citizenship, the America Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, the ACLU Immigrants' Rights Project and the Council on American-Islamic Relations filed a class action lawsuit today against the federal government.

Federal Judge in California Grants Citizenship to Palestinian Man After 20 Years (06/23/2006)
LOS ANGELES – In an historic case, a federal judge ruled today that a Palestinian man who came to the United States more than two decades ago seeking a better future should become a U.S. citizen. The man, Aiad Barakat, is one of the so-called L.A. 8, a group of eight people who were targeted by the government nearly 20 years ago for engaging in political speech and supporting Palestinian rights.

Ohio’s Proposed Immigration Plan Will Disadvantage Community (03/07/2006)
COLUMBUS, OH- Today, the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio warned legislators that a new plan to exclude immigrants from the census proposed by a group of Ohio lawmakers would harm communities and stretch scarce services for all Ohio families by not getting an accurate count of all those residing in the area.

Following Threat of ACLU of Virginia Lawsuit, Manassas Suspends Ordinance That Limit Right of Family Members to Live Together (01/05/2006)
RICHMOND, VA --Shortly after the the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia announced plans to mount a legal challenge, the City of Manassas suspended enforcement of the new ordinance that prevents aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, great-grandparents, or great-grandchildren from living together as a family unit, the ACLU announced today.

ACLU of Virginia Approves Lawsuit Challenging Manassas Ordinance That Limits Right of Family Members to Live Together (01/04/2006)
RICHMOND, VA -- The America Civil Liberties Union of Virginia today announced that it will support a legal challenge to a City of Manassas ordinance that prevents aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, great-grandparents, or great-grandchildren from living together as family unit.

ACLU Opposes Faulty "Border Security" Bill, Proposal Would Require Workers to Get Government "Permission Slip" (12/15/2005)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today urged the House of Representatives to oppose a border security bill that fails to properly address the issue of illegal immigration, undermines due process and creates a federally mandated "permission slip" for all Americans. This sweeping legislation has not been thoroughly examined by Congress, and yet could be considered as early as today.

Discriminatory Bank Policy Prohibits Foreigners from Receiving Credit, ACLU Charges (05/24/2005)
LOS ANGELES -- What do Yao Ming and Russell Crowe have in common? They, like Laguna Niguel resident Janice Rooney, can't get a credit card from the Union Bank of California. Despite incredible wealth, or good credit in the case of Rooney, Union Bank won't extend you credit if you are not a U.S. citizen, the American Civil Liberties Union said today in a lawsuit filed on Rooney's behalf.

ACLU Presses Government for Information on Immigration Sweeps (08/23/2004)
SEATTLE -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Washington today filed a freedom of information request with the federal Department of Homeland Security's Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) seeking information about recent immigration sweeps across the state. The ACLU also filed a request with the Washington Department of Corrections and the Pierce County Sheriff's Office for information about the involvement of their officers in the sweeps.

ACLU to Provide Legal Help to Muslims and Arabs Caught Up in New Round of FBI Questioning (08/05/2004)
NEW YORK - The American Civil Liberties Union announced today that it is working with attorneys around the country to offer free legal representation to anyone who is approached by the FBI during its latest round of "dragnet" interviews of Arabs and Muslims.

ACLU of Southern California Plans to Represent Muslims and Others Targeted for New Round of FBI Questioning (07/27/2004)
LOS ANGELES - The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California today announced that it is offering free legal representation to all persons in the Southern California area who are questioned by the FBI in its latest dragnet interview program.

Somali Merchants in Seattle Receive Compensation for Government Abuses Committed During Post-9/11 Raid (07/22/2004)
SEATTLE -- After more than two years of negotiations by the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington, two Somali merchants are finally receiving compensation for losses they suffered in a raid by government agents, the ACLU announced today.

ACLU Opposes Latest Court-Stripping Assault on Rights of Immigrants; Unnecessary Proposal Includes Another Piece of 'Patriot 2' (05/20/2004)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today strongly condemned new proposed legislation that would restrict immigrants' access to federal court, and called on Congress to reject the measure. The proposed bill would explicitly restrict access to the "Great Writ" of habeas corpus, which lies at the core of American liberty, and also contains a provision of the now defunct "Patriot Act 2" legislation leaked last year.

ACLU Says New Border Fingerprinting System Likely To Sow Confusion, Tracking of Arab and Muslims Based on National Origin Will Continue (01/05/2004)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today warned that a new immigrant tracking program, known as US VISIT, can only increase confusion among immigrants to the United States in terms of when, where and how they have to register with the government, and will do nothing to end discriminatory tracking of Arabs and Muslims based on national origin and religion.

ACLU Questions Newly Extended Employment Eligibility Verification System; Says Flaws in Databases Hurt Hard-Working Non-Citizens, Threaten Privacy (12/04/2003)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today criticized the recent under-the-radar expansion in Congress of a flawed system to check whether job applicants are eligible to work in the United States. Most troubling, the ACLU said, is that incorrect and outdated information will unfairly deny jobs to many eligible applicants and that the law threatens to permit privacy violations through misuse of the system.

Treasury Department Considering Blocking Bank Accounts For Immigrants; ACLU Calls Move Unnecessary, Unfair, Opening for National ID (07/17/2003)
WASHINGTON - Referring to the Treasury Department's decision to reconsider regulations - finalized after September 11 - that allow non-citizens to use safe and secure foreign-issued identification when opening bank accounts, the American Civil Liberties Union today called the move unfair, fundamentally unnecessary in the fight against terrorism and the next step toward opening the door for a national identification card for all Americans.

ACLU Says New Justice Department Racial Profiling Policy Lacks Enforcement Tool, Suffers From Huge National Security Loophole (06/17/2003)
WASHINGTON - Calling new racial profiling guidelines released today by the Justice Department little more than rhetorical smoke and mirrors, the American Civil Liberties Union said that it remains critical of Attorney General John Ashcroft for not taking comprehensive and unqualified steps to follow through on his long-standing promise to end profiling in the United States.

Congress Restores Controversial Immigrant Tracking and Detention Program, But Demands Answers from Administration (02/14/2003)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today criticized Congressional Republicans for bringing back to life a controversial immigrant-tracking program that has led to widespread fear in immigrant communities and resulted in hundreds of detentions, but noted Congress' pointed demands for answers from the Administration, saying they reflect widespread concern, on both sides of the aisle, about the program.

Federal Court in CA Blocks Government from Denying Airport Screener Jobs to Qualified Noncitizens (11/15/2002)
LOS ANGELES - A federal district judge today sided with the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and other civil rights groups in granting a court order that would allow qualified, noncitizen airport screeners to remain on the job or be considered for jobs they lost as a result of a federal law that would require all airport screeners to be United States citizens.

ACLU Calls Immigrant Fingerprinting Plan Discriminatory and Ineffective (08/13/2002)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today said that the Department of Justice plan to fingerprint and track immigrants and visitors to the United States, made final yesterday, is discriminatory and will inevitably be ineffective.