Press Releases

ACLU-D.C. lawyers and advocates are among the nation's leading experts on civil liberties and constitutional freedoms. They are regularly sought out by leading broadcast, print and online media to lend an essential voice to the conversation about some of the most important issues facing the nation and the District. For all press inquiries, please contact: [email protected]

Dec 02, 2021

TSA Reinstates Employee with Full Back Pay and Clean Record After 11-Month Suspension Over a False Allegation Without Due Process

“This case shows why due process is so important. How can an innocent person defend himself if he’s never told what he’s accused of? TSA needs to do a better job of respecting the rights of its own employees.”
Issue Areas: Due Process/Procedural Rights, Government Employees' Rights
Court Cases: Cruz-Martin v. Dept. of Homeland Security – Defending due process for government employees
Nov 19, 2021

ACLU-DC Responds to Verdict in Kyle Rittenhouse Case

The ACLU-DC will continue to defend and advance that right to ensure that all protestors’ voices can be heard without fear of violence.
Issue Areas: Freedom of Speech and Association, Equal Protection and Discrimination
Nov 03, 2021

ACLU-DC Statement on Inhumane Conditions Inside D.C. Jail

Following Discovery of “Systemic Failures,” U.S. Marshals Will Move All 400 Federal Detainees out of D.C. Jail to a Federal Prison in Pennsylvania
Court Cases: Banks v. Booth - Challenging Life-Threatening Lack of COVID-19 Precautions at the D.C. Jail
Nov 01, 2021

ACLU Statement on Mayor Bowser’s Encampment Evictions Affecting Unhoused People in the District

The ACLU-DC calls on Mayor Bowser to suspend the encampment evictions and permanent closures that are being carried out as part of the Administration’s CARE pilot program, and for the D.C. Council to pass emergency legislation to stop further encampment clearings and closings.
Issue Areas: Police Practices and Police Misconduct, Due Process/Procedural Rights, Criminal Justice Reform, Racial Justice
Oct 05, 2021

Supreme Court Affirms Lower Court Decision Denying D.C. Residents Voting Member of Congress

The US Supreme Court affirmed a lower court ruling in Castañon v. United States that denies D.C. residents voting representation in Congress. The ACLU-DC joined a friend-of-the-court brief in support of the petitioner, Angelica Castañon, whose case challenged the lack of representation in Congress.
Court Cases: Castañon v. United States - Seeking Congressional Representation for D.C.
Sep 30, 2021

Court Denies Preliminary Relief and Class Status in D.C. Jail Trans Housing Case But Allows Case to Continue

The United States District Court for the District of Columbia denied a preliminary injunction and class certification in Hinton v. District of Columbia, a case brought on behalf of Sunday Hinton, a trans woman who was housed in the men’s unit of the D.C. Jail for more than two weeks.
Issue Areas: LGBTQ+ Rights, Criminal Justice Reform, Equal Protection and Discrimination, Women's Rights/Gender Equity