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]

Feb 11, 2020

ACLU Statement on D.C. Statehood Markup

The House Oversight Committee voted the D.C. Statehood bill out of committee. The bill now goes for a full vote in the House.
Issue Areas: D.C. Statehood
Jan 13, 2020

ACLU-DC Sues D.C. Police Officer for Sexually Abusive Search

This is the fourth lawsuit the ACLU-DC has brought in recent years that involves an individual MPD officer conducting a sexually invasive search.
Dec 06, 2019

ACLU Files Lawsuit Against Programs that Rush Migrants Through Asylum Screenings Without Access to Attorneys in Border Patrol Facilities

The new programs make it impossible for migrants in CBP custody to obtain legal assistance for asylum hearings.
Oct 28, 2019

Trump Administration Drops Unconstitutional Anti-Protest Proposal

The ACLU and ACLU-DC had led a months-long campaign against the unconstitutional proposal.
Issue Areas: Freedom of Speech and Association
Oct 23, 2019

Civil Rights Groups Sue District for Weeks-Long Water Crisis at St. Elizabeths

The lawsuit charges patients were exposed to filthy conditions and denied physical and mental health care during the water outage.
Oct 08, 2019

ACLU-DC Calls on Mayor Bowser to Relocate St. Elizabeths Patients During Ongoing Water Crisis

The bacteria that causes Legionnaires' disease was found in the hospital's water supply on September 26. The facility continues to admit patients.
Oct 04, 2019

ACLU-DC Sues D.C. for Disability Discrimination Against Medical Marijuana Patient

The lawsuit charges the D.C. Department of Public Works with discriminating against an employee who lawfully uses medical marijuana outside of work hours to treat chronic back pain.
Oct 02, 2019

After MPD Overhauls Data Collection Practices, ACLU-DC Agrees to Dismiss NEAR Act Case

The ACLU-DC and District government have agreed to dismiss the case brought against District officials for noncompliance of the data collection provision of the NEAR Act.
Sep 28, 2019

Federal Court Blocks Trump Fast-Track Deportation Policy

A federal court has blocked a Trump administration policy that sought to massively expand fast-track deportations without a fair legal process such as a court hearing or access to an attorney.