American Civil Liberties Union

Rights of the Poor:
Poor people are one of the least powerful groups in the U.S. and their civil liberties are therefore always in a precarious state. The ACLU has defended the rights of the poor against government arbitrariness and abuse through litigation, lobbying and public education.


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Rights of the Poor : Welfare Reform : Press Releases

ACLU Says Current Welfare Reform Measure Ineffective, Calls for Civil Rights Protections, Better Poverty Elimination Efforts (09/10/2003)
WASHINGTON - As the Senate Finance Committee considers a key welfare reauthorization bill, the American Civil Liberties Union today reiterated its insistence that an effective welfare system must have poverty reduction as its highest priority. The ACLU also said that the welfare reform legislation would, in many cases, open doors in the states to significant violations of the core civil liberties of welfare recipients.

ACLU Joins Chorus Against Marriage Promotion in Welfare Reform; Says Policy Threatens Increased Spousal Abuse, Undercuts Privacy (07/17/2003)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today stood with a group of conservative libertarians, progressive advocates and lawmakers in calling for the removal of provisions in the Republican version of welfare reform legislation that authorize and allocate funds for marriage promotion schemes in the states.

Welfare Reform Must Aim to Eliminate Poverty and Protect Civil Rights; Current Legislation Not Up to Task, ACLU Says (02/13/2003)
WASHINGTON - Saying that an effective welfare system must have poverty reduction as its highest priority, the American Civil Liberties Union today warned Congress that welfare reform legislation set for consideration this afternoon in the House is not up to the task and would, in many cases, open doors in the states to significant violations of the core civil liberties of welfare recipients.

Welfare Must Work at Eliminating Poverty, Protecting Civil Rights; ACLU Warns Senate Most Reform Schemes Not Up to Task (06/26/2002)
WASHINGTON - Saying that an effective welfare system must have poverty reduction as its highest priority, the American Civil Liberties Union today warned a Senate committee that most current reform plans are not up to the task and would, in many cases, encourage the ongoing state-level violation of welfare recipients' core civil liberties.

Welfare Must Work at Eliminating Poverty and Protecting Civil Rights; Current Reform Scheme Not Up to Task, ACLU Says (05/16/2002)
WASHINGTON - Saying that an effective welfare system must have poverty reduction as its highest priority, the American Civil Liberties Union today warned Congress that welfare reform legislation set for a vote this afternoon in the House is not up to the task and would, in many cases, open doors in the states to significant violations of the core civil liberties of welfare recipients. 

Michigan Court Asked to Strike Down High School's Urine Testing Policy (06/05/2001)
FLINT, MI--The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan today asked a Circuit Court to rule Grand Blanc High School's drug testing policy a violation of the state Constitution's protection against unreasonable searches and seizures. 

In Case Brought on Behalf of CA's Poor, ACLU Wins Changes to Punitive 'Family Cap' Welfare Rule (09/15/2000)
LOS ANGELES, CA -- State welfare "reform" policies that sought to prevent families on welfare from having more children will be less punitive and capricious as a result of a settlement approved by the court yesterday, in a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and others on behalf of poor women and children statewide.

Citing "Dangerous Precedent," Federal Judge Blocks MI's Plan to Drug Test Welfare Recipients (09/05/2000)
DETROIT, MI -- A federal district judge today blocked the country's first-ever law requiring welfare recipients to undergo drug testing, saying that the policy, enacted by Michigan last year, sets a "dangerous precedent" under the Constitution.

ACLU Urges NJ Court to Strike 'Family Cap' Provision for Welfare Recipients (08/30/2000)
NEWARK, NJ--The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey along with the lawyers from NOW Legal Defense entered court today in their challenge to the Child Exclusion provision of New Jersey's welfare law.

Court Rejects Michigan's Attempt to End ACLU Challenge to Urine Testing of Welfare Recipients (04/18/2000)
DETROIT, MI -- Rejecting Michigan's attempt to end a lawsuit challenging drug testing of welfare recipients, a court today ruled that the action brought by the American Civil Liberties Union must go forward.

Judge Blocks First-Ever Mandatory Drug Testing of Michigan Welfare Recipients (11/10/1999)
DETROIT, MI -- A federal judge in Michigan today halted the state's attempt to impose mandatory drug tests on all welfare recipients, confirming American Civil Liberties Union arguments that being poor is not an indication of being criminal.

Michigan ACLU Seeks Halt to Nation's First Mandatory Welfare Drug Testing Program (09/30/1999)
DETROIT -- Saying that Michigan's poorest families should not be treated like criminals, the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan today filed a federal class-action lawsuit to halt the nation's first statewide drug testing requirement for welfare recipients.

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