Home : Immigrants' Rights

Secret Immigration Enforcement Memo Exposed (09/07/2005)
NEW YORK - The American Civil Liberties Union today made public a previously secret legal memo it received from the Department of Justice as a result of a court order. The Department had repeatedly invoked the memo to justify a radical shift in immigration enforcement policy that has generated considerable controversy among state and local police, immigrant advocates, and others, but refused to release it until ordered to by a federal Court of Appeals.

U.S.: Scores of Muslim Men Jailed Without Charge (06/27/2005)
NEW YORK -- Operating behind a wall of secrecy, the U.S. Department of Justice thrust scores of Muslim men living in the United States into a Kafkaesque world of indefinite detention without charge and baseless accusations of terrorist links, Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union said in a report released today.

Appeals Court Requires Justice Department to Turn Over Secret Memo on Immigration Policy (06/02/2005)
NEW YORK -- Calling it another blow to government secrecy over post-9/11 policies and practices, the American Civil Liberties Union today hailed a unanimous federal appeals court ruling that requires the Justice Department to disclose a secret legal memorandum that outlines the government's legal position advocating for unprecedented power by local police to enforce civil immigration laws.

Iranian American "Know Your Rights" Campaign Launched By National Organizations (06/02/2005)
LOS ANGELES -- At a breakfast briefing this morning the American Civil Liberties Union and leaders of the Iranian American community launched a ""Know Your Rights"" Campaign designed to address community-specific concerns.

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 of Rhode Island Sues DMV Over Driver's License Procedures For Immigrants (05/23/2005)
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The ACLU of Rhode Island today filed a lawsuit against the Division of Motor Vehicles, charging the agency with a complete failure to comply with an important state law designed to ensure open and responsive government. The Administrative Procedures Act requires state agencies to provide advance public notice and seek public comment before they adopt rules and regulations governing their activities.

ACLU Files Lawsuit to Protect Religious Liberty of Imprisoned Asylum Seeker (05/18/2005)
SAN FRANCISCO -- The American Civil Liberties Union today filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging restrictions on an asylum seeker's right to wear a religious head covering. The plaintiff, Harpal Singh Cheema, is a devout Sikh, imprisoned since 1997 while awaiting a decision on his asylum application.

ACLU Dismayed at Governor Schwarzenegger's Endorsement of Armed Vigilantes on California's Border (04/29/2005)
NEW YORK -- The Immigrants' Rights Project of the national American Civil Liberties Union is dismayed at the statements of Governor Schwarzenegger praising the activities of the ""Minuteman"" vigilantes at the Arizona border.

ACLU of California Criticizes Governor Schwarzenegger's Comments on Controversial "Minuteman" Program (04/29/2005)
SACRAMENTO -- A governor who ran for office as the people's politician should unite the residents of California rather than divide.

ACLU Immigrants' Rights Project Staff Travels to Arizona to Support Monitoring Efforts by ACLU of Arizona (04/16/2005)
NEW YORK -- The Immigrants' Rights Project of the American Civil Liberties Union today announced that it has sent two national staff members to Arizona to support the Legal Observer Project organized by the ACLU of Arizona.

ACLU of Arizona Denounces Unlawful Imprisonment of Immigrant by Minuteman Volunteer (04/07/2005)
DOUGLAS, AZ -- The American Civil Liberties Union today condemned the actions of volunteers with a controversial citizen border patrol program known as the ""Minuteman Project"" for reportedly holding an individual against his will and photographing him holding a t-shirt with a mocking slogan.

ACLU of Arizona to Provide Legal Observers During Controversial "Minuteman" Border Watch Program (03/30/2005)
PHOENIX -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona, in its traditional role as a guardian of civil liberties, announced today that it will be providing legal observers throughout the month of April at the site of the Minuteman Project at the Arizona-Mexico Border.