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]

May 11, 2021

ACLU-DC, Public Defender Service File Discrimination Case Against D.C. Jail for Housing Trans Woman in Men’s Unit

The ACLU-DC and Public Defender Service filed a lawsuit against the D.C. government to stop the Department of Corrections from housing a trans woman in the men's unit at the D.C. Jail.
Issue Areas: Equal Protection and Discrimination, LGBTQ+ Rights, Criminal Justice Reform
May 04, 2021

In Light of Significant Improvements at St. Elizabeths, Court Lifts Remedial Order

“This injunction has been life-saving for patients at St. Elizabeths and we're pleased to announce an agreement with the District that it should be ended, as it has done its job in preventing the rampant spread of COVID-19 at the Hospital."
Apr 26, 2021

D.C. to Pay $1.6 Million to Settle Claims from 2017 Inauguration Day Demonstrations

The ACLU-DC, the Law Office of Jeffrey Light, and the District of Columbia filed court papers stating the District will pay $1.6 million to settle two demonstrators’ rights lawsuit, which were filed on behalf of journalists, legal observers, and demonstrators who protested the 2017 Inauguration.
Issue Areas: Freedom of Speech and Association, Police Practices and Police Misconduct
Court Cases: Horse v. District of Columbia - Challenging Mass Arrests, Excessive Force, and Unconstitutional Detention Conditions as to Anti-Inaguration Demonstrators
Apr 06, 2021

ACLU Files Lawsuit on Behalf of Michigan Father Wrongly Placed on No-Fly List

"For over two years I’ve tried to get off the No-Fly List, but the government won’t even give me its reason for putting me on the list or a fair process to clear my name and regain my rights. No one should suffer what my family and I have had to suffer.”
Mar 10, 2021

ACLU-DC Response to D.C. Police Union Statement on Swann Street Report

“Our report was based on interviews with more than 50 witnesses and protestors who shared what they experienced and saw that evening on Swann Street. For the union to dismiss the accounts of these witnesses as ‘fraudulent’ is deeply insulting to those who suffered trauma."
Jan 11, 2021

ACLU Calls for Special Counsel to Investigate Federal Crimes by Trump and Associates

“District residents deserve nothing short of a full, independent examination by a special counsel to investigate the crimes that led to this subversion of our democracy and threatened the safety of those who live and work within the District.”
Jan 08, 2021

ACLU-DC Calls for Independent Investigation into Failures of Law Enforcement During Attempted Coup

The failures of leadership on display this week put the lives of all who work and live in the District at severe risk.
Jan 06, 2021

ACLU Statement on Violence at the U.S. Capitol Building

“We hope all of our friends, neighbors, and colleagues in the District are staying safe in this fraught time. We denounce the attempt to subvert our government and the will of the voters and condemn this armed assault on our democracy.”
Jan 03, 2021

ACLU-DC Statement on the Introduction of H.R. 51, a bill to make Washington, D.C. the 51st state.

"Granting Washington D.C. statehood is a necessary step in our nation's long journey towards racial justice and equality, and the only path to equal civil rights and full citizenship for D.C. residents."