News & Commentary

LOS ANGELES – The nation’s first class action lawsuit on behalf of immigrant detainees with severe mental disabilities – detainees who are left defenseless in a system they cannot comprehend – was filed late Monday by a coalition of legal organizations led by the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, Public Counsel, and Sullivan & Cromwell LLP.

John Horton was held in solitary confinement in the Los Angeles County Men's Central Jail following his arrest for drug possession. He committed suicide.

Dear Lindsay,

Dear Lindsay,

California's governor has proposed closing the state's $20 billion budget gap with a drastic cuts-only approach, slashing funding for vital human services without working to increase revenue. Yet one state program seems to be immune from these cuts: the death penalty. We think the time has come to CUT THIS.

Last week, Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers arrested a suspect they believe is the elusive "Grim Sleeper" serial killer responsible for 11 murders across South Los Angeles, dating as far back as 1985. The arrest made national news, in part because the LAPD broke the case by using a controversial new technique known as "familial DNA" searching. Prosecutors are now using this success to argue that familial DNA should be used more widely.

Ahilan T. Arulanantham is director of immigrant rights and national security for the ACLU/SC.

Ramona Ripston is Executive Director of the ACLU of Southern California.