ACLU/SC Mourns the Loss of Developer, Philanthropist Doug Ring

The ACLU of Southern California mourns the loss of Doug Ring, an influential civic leader, philanthropist and developer who during his decades in Los Angeles left an indelible imprint on the city’s artistic, political and business communities. The breadth of his interest and his work touched many of us. A rare breed, he was a developer who supported affordable housing, and a political insider who advocated for investigative journalism. Doug Ring was also a staunch champion of fairness and justice -- and a friend the ACLU of Southern California could count on. We are proudly accepting donations in his name, per his family’s request. To make a contribution, call (213) 977-5254.

Ripston: Root Out Racially Biased Policing

Ramona Ripston, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, has issued the following statement regarding the LAPD Inspector General’s latest discipline report to the Los Angeles Police Commission:

“The inspector general’s report disturbingly suggests that complaints of racial profiling by LAPD officers have not always been investigated thoroughly or dispassionately by the department. This will only heighten concerns among black and Latino residents that they are stopped, searched, frisked and arrested more often than white residents – a fact that the ACLU of Southern California pointed out a year ago in a report on racially biased policing by the LAPD.

“We urge the Police Commission and the LAPD to pay close attention to the inspector general’s conclusions, and to make rooting out racially biased policing the cornerstone of ongoing efforts to ensure that reforms in upper levels of the department filter down to officers on the streets.”

Victory for Citizenship Applicants

Immigrants who waited for years for their citizenship applications to be processed due to extraordinary backlogs will finally have the chance to become Americans and enjoy the privileges of citizenship, under the terms of a settlement announced today.

The settlement puts an end to indefinite delays in processing naturalization applications caused by routine FBI background checks, and requires USCIS to adjudicate hundreds of citizenship applications from the Los Angeles, Santa Ana, and San Bernardino areas within six months. It also requires the federal government to provide naturalization data from the Los Angeles area to the legal groups who filed the lawsuit, in order to ensure that lengthy processing delays do not recur.

Learn more.