News & Commentary

Fear has always been a fixture in my life. As a transgender woman of color, like so many other trans and nonconforming people around the world, I’ve encountered hate speech, aggression and very real threats of violence on the daily.

Donald Trump's campaign promises and his victory last week have created deep anxiety among immigrants and our allies in California. Within the ACLU of California, many of us feel directly and personally affected by threats to our communities. This is all too real.

Government whistleblower and civil liberties hero Edward Snowden surprised actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt, when he presented Gordon-Levitt with a Bill of Rights Award via the "Snowbot," a live telepresence robot, at the 2016 ACLU of Southern California Bill of Rights Dinner on November 13.

The following is the full transcript of the keynote address delivered by ACLU SoCal Executive Director Hector Villagra at the 2016 Bill of Rights Dinner on Sunday, November 13, 2016 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel.

Search online for the phrase “immigration detention” and you’ll notice lots of hits over the past few months – mostly because the federal government now holds a record number of immigrants in detention facilities. That number will soon surpass 45,000 – a mid-sized city of immigrants locked in prison-like conditions. This week, over two hundred organizations, including the ACLU, wrote a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson expressing alarm over record immigration detention rates.

Back in the day, a student who broke school rules or otherwise misbehaved would be reprimanded by a teacher or sent to the principal’s office. But today, school administrators are increasingly relying on law enforcement to keep students in line, and the results can be dire.

Like countless other young women, Monica Jones fixed her hair, applied her make-up, put on a dress and set out on foot for an evening at a neighborhood bar in Phoenix. Along the way, Monica, a social work student, attracted the attention of two men in a car. They pulled over, flirted with her and offered her a ride to the bar. She accepted.

By Matt Cagle

The following was first published in the Voice of OC.