News & Commentary

Today, the Ninth Circuit lifted the stay preventing California from marrying same-sex couples. The ruling comes two days after the U.S. Supreme Court restored marriage for same-sex couples in California, nearly five years after California voters, through Proposition 8, stripped same-sex couples of their freedom to marry.

For those concerned about civil rights, this week's Supreme Court rulings provided an emotional roller coaster. On Tuesday, the Court dealt a crippling blow to the Voting Rights Act, jeopardizing nearly 50 years of progress on voting discrimination. Then, just one day later, the Court overturned part of the indefensible Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), paving the way for married same-sex couples to receive federal benefits, rights, and responsibilities.

ACLU of Southern California Deputy Legal Director Ahilan Arulanantham argued yesterday before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, defending a simple position: when the U.S. government lies to a court, it should not go unpunished.

As a result of a recent court ruling in Rodriguez v. Robbins, the government can no longer lock up immigration detainees for six months or longer without a bond hearing. Since this ground-breaking ruling went into effect, hundreds of immigration detainees in Southern California have had their first opportunity to ask a judge for release on bond.

By James Gilliam Two years ago, my best friend asked me to officiate at her wedding. It was an honor to play that special role in her life, and I loved doing it. But standing before the crowd, I was struck by the unfortunate

On June 28, the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals lifted the stay preventing California from marrying same-sex couples. See our updated FAQ for Marriage for Same-Sex Couples in CA.

Two years ago, my best friend asked me to officiate at her wedding. It was an honor to play that special role in her life, and I loved doing it. But standing before the crowd, I was struck by the unfortunate irony of the situation: Even as I married my friend and her husband, I could not marry my own partner. I decided that hers would be the last wedding I attended until I had the freedom to have my own.

Today, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a central part of the Voting Rights Act, holding that the criteria Congress established for which states must get federal permission before changing voting laws was unconstitutional.

In a disappointing 5-4 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court today struck down Section 4, a critical provision of the Voting Rights Act that had protected the right to vote for people of color and language minorities since 1965.