Top Stories From the ACLU of Southern California

Truths Revealed Through FOIA Effort

On Jan. 31, 2011, after securing the release of more than 2500 pages of documents relating to the federal government’s unlawful treatment of workers detained during a huge workplace raid in Los Angeles three years ago, a coalition of civil rights groups has agreed to dismiss its Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against federal immigration officials.

The documents released by the government shed light on agents’ conduct during the raid. Specifically, the documents established that, although government officials only had warrants to arrest a few individuals, they actively planned to arrest up to 200 workers in their raid dragnet. Furthermore, ICE officials admitted that they engaged in the raid as a result of an anonymous tip. The released documents were an important part of establishing that the workers arrested in the raid should have their immigration proceedings terminated because the arresting agents violated the workers’ rights.

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Jan 31, 2011 |  permalink

Choose Education, Not Executions

When Governor Jerry Brown released his 2011 Budget Proposal earlier this month, we were glad to see he suggested turning away from a cuts-only approach to solving California's dire financial crisis and had included revenue creating options. But even still, there's one huge source of revenue the Governor completely ignored, so it's up to us to tell him: Cut the Death Penalty!

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Jan 28, 2011 |  permalink

Victory for Educational Equality

On Jan. 21, Superior Court Judge William F. Highberger approved the landmark settlement in Reed v. State of California, et al., a class action suit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, Public Counsel, and Morrison & Foerster, LLP, in February 2010 on behalf of students at three Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) middle schools. The lawsuit targeted the devastating impact of massive and disproportionate teacher layoffs on students’ right to equal educational opportunity under the California Constitution.

The settlement, reached between the plaintiffs and LAUSD and the Mayor’s Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, protects students in up to 45 Targeted Schools in the unfortunate event of budget-based teacher layoffs and provides support and resources aimed at stabilizing and improving these schools, including retention incentives for teachers and principals.

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Jan 21, 2011 |  permalink

Civics 101: Explaining The 14th Amendment

This week a group of Republican lawmakers in several different states unveiled a new plan that attempts to deny U.S.-born children state citizenship. The proposal is unconstitutional. The majestic words of the Fourteenth Amendment establish not only that “All persons born or naturalized in the United States” are U.S. citizens, but also that they are citizens “of the State wherein they reside.”

The U.S.Supreme Court established over one hundred years ago that this language protects not only the children of slaves, but all people, including in that case the children of Chinese immigrants who could not themselves become citizens at the time. “The proposal to redefine citizenship is contrary to our most basic American values,” said Ahilan Arulanantham, director of immigrants’ rights and national security at the ACLU/SC. “Our country has only one class of citizens because we do not believe in judging people based on the actions of their parents. One hundred and fifty years ago we fought a bloody Civil War to establish that basic principle, and also its corollary: that the states cannot adopt differing – and racially discriminatory – definitions of who is a citizen of the United States. The Fourteenth Amendment’s basic notion of fairness and equality puts everyone born in this country on an equal footing in the eyes of the law. It is the most enduring legacy of the Civil War, and our most precious national heritage.”

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Jan 6, 2011 |  permalink

Terra Universal: In Their Own Words

In June 2010, federal immigration agents raided Terra Universal, a factory in Fullerton, California. Agents corralled the workers and handcuffed and arrested 43 people, most of whom are now in deportation proceedings. With the support of the ACLU of Southern California and the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, the the workers arrested in the raid are now fighting their deportation cases. In late August 2010, the workers filed a lawsuit in federal district court, charging the multi-million dollar federal government contractor with violations of federal wage and hour laws for requiring employees to work long hours without overtime pay and systematically discriminating against Latino workers based on their race and immigration status. The workers are represented by the ACLU and the law firm Hadsell Stormer Keeny Richardson & Renick in their class action suit. Watch a video telling the story of some of these immigrant workers and their collective fight for justice.

Dec 22, 2010 |  permalink

We Stand With The First Amendment

The American Civil Liberties Union and a coalition of free speech organizations today sent an open letter to public officials cautioning against the prosecution of third party publishers for publishing leaked government documents and efforts to limit the rights of individuals to view the documents.

"The First Amendment clearly protects third parties who publish leaked information from prosecution. The government should not be expanding old laws or creating new ones with the express purpose of skirting the Constitution," said Michael W. Macleod-Ball, ACLU Legislative Chief of Staff and First Amendment Counsel. "It is in controversial situations that our adherence to the principle of free speech is most important. Government censorship and prosecution of third parties for publishing truthful information are not the answer."

Download a pdf of the letter.

Dec 22, 2010 |  permalink

Watch: Mark Rosenbaum at the Ninth Circuit

Back in September, ACLU/SC Legal Director Hector Villagra explained the importance of the Ninth Circuit deciding to hear our case addressing the religious liberty of a Muslim woman forced by Orange County Sheriff’s Department officials to remove her headscarf in front of strangers.

"We seemingly lost the case back in May, when a panel from this very same appellate court ruled, by a 2-1 vote, that the courthouse holding facility where our client was held did not meet the standard as defined by the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act," he wrote.

On Dec. 13, ACLU/SC Chief Counsel Mark Rosenbaum argued the case before the appellate court. Now you can watch the full hearing here.

Dec 21, 2010 |  permalink

Tehachapi Schools Officials Knew of Seth Walsh's Bullying, Did Nothing

On Dec. 16, the California affiliates of the American Civil Liberties Union partnered with Wendy Walsh, mother of 13 year-old Seth Walsh who recently took his own life after enduring years of anti-gay harassment at school, to send an important message to schools about anti-gay bullying.

An ACLU investigation found that officials in the Tehachapi Unified School District knew about and largely ignored the harassment Seth faced. Even after Seth's death, the district has not taken adequate steps to remedy the hostile environment for students who are or are perceived to be lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT). The U.S. Department of Education has also launched an investigation of the school district. In a letter sent today, the ACLU outlines several immediate steps the district should take to create a safe environment for LGBT students. These steps are a template for schools to ensure that they are protecting all vulnerable students.

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Dec 16, 2010 |  permalink

The Boisterous Blog of Liberty!

Our Twitter and Facebook pals got a sneak peek last week, and now we're pleased to share the news with everyone else!

Visit the Boisterous Blog of Liberty, now live on the internet! Add it to your RSS reader and tell everyone you know!

Dec 13, 2010 |  permalink

No More Mandatory Public School Fees. Ever.

On Dec. 9, the California affiliates of the American Civil Liberties Union announced a settlement with the State of California that will establish a comprehensive monitoring and enforcement system to ensure school districts do not unlawfully charge fees to students for educational activities.

The settlement, which requires court approval, is contingent on enactment of legislation that would empower students and parents to use the existing Williams Uniform Complaint Process to identify, and receive reimbursement for, illegal school fees and that would amend the annual independent audits of school districts to determine if schools collected illegal fees.

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Dec 9, 2010 |  permalink