News & Commentary

In a letter today, the ACLU of Virginia has urged Gov. Terry McAuliffe to veto House Bill 1468. Patroned by Del. Robert Marshall (R-Fairfax), HB1468 is an unconstitutional, confusing "message" bill. Virginia already has some of the toughest laws regarding compliance with federal immigration law. Everyone's status is check when arrested and there is a presumption against bail for immigrants with detainers who have been accused of serious crimes. As well, federal courts have already declared that, absent a criminal warrant, people cannot be held in local jails for violation of civil immigration law. This bill also creates a conflict between a judge's order to release someone on bond for a minor crime and the local jail official's refusal to release that person except to federal officials. It is not the job of sheriffs and jail officials to enforce immigration law.

Since 1992, the county approved 25 “pump and haul” permits. The only one it denied was for a mosque.By Rebecca Guterman Paralegal, ACLU national

Want to get a better idea of how the American Civil Liberties Union has made America better? Take two minutes and watch our highlights reel.

Note: This guest blog was originally posted on the ACLU national website on Jan. 19, 2017.By Dierdre Grim

Guest Blog by Theo Kahn

Please re-watch our Nov. 17, 2016, Facebook Live conversation on the topic of Know Your Rights at Protests and Demonstrations.

Please re-watch our Nov. 2, 2016, Facebook Live conversation on the topic of Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers (TRAP).

The right to vote is a vital to our democracy. No person should be permitted to engage without sanction in conduct that threatens that right.

By Gail Deady, The Secular Society Women’s Rights Legal Fellow