The Wisconsin Supreme Court will directly hear a case brought by the ACLU on behalf of an immigrant rights group challenging the legality of local jails holding immigrant detainees at the request of federal authorities. The court, controlled 4-3 by liberal justices, will expedite the process, potentially reaching a final ruling by mid-2026. The lawsuit, filed against five county sheriffs, argues that honoring ICE detainers, which extend detention beyond state law requirements, constitutes illegal arrests. The ACLU contends that this practice, which has seen over 700 requests in the first seven months of the year, violates Wisconsin law, while the sheriffs maintain their actions are lawful within the existing framework.
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A DC resident, Sam O’Hara, has filed a lawsuit against DC Metro police officers after being arrested for playing Darth Vader’s theme music near National Guard troops. O’Hara was protesting the troops’ presence in the city by recording them and playing “The Imperial March,” which the ACLU lawyers argue is a form of protected expression. Despite not impeding the troops or engaging in any threatening behavior, O’Hara was arrested after an Ohio National Guard member complained about the satirical protest. The officers then handcuffed and detained O’Hara, but he was eventually released when officials realized there was no legal basis for his arrest.
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A Chicago pastor, Rev. David Black, injured during a protest outside a Broadview ICE facility, is now a plaintiff in a federal lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s response to demonstrations. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed the lawsuit on behalf of journalists, media organizations, clergy, and local residents, alleging that federal agents used excessive force, including tear gas and pepper balls, against peaceful protestors. The plaintiffs argue that these actions violated First Amendment rights and are seeking to restrict federal tactics at the facility. The court is currently considering a temporary restraining order while the case proceeds.
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A recent report reveals that hundreds of individuals detained at the Alligator Alcatraz immigration processing center in Florida have disappeared from federal records. Lawyers are accusing U.S. authorities of creating a detention “black hole” as detainees vanish from ICE’s online locator. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has criticized ICE’s refusal to update detainee locations, which hinders attorney-client communication and undermines due process. By late August, around 800 detainees were no longer listed in ICE’s database, with others only showing the instruction to “Call ICE for details”.
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The legal team of Mahmoud Khalil has submitted a letter to the federal court in New Jersey, contesting an immigration judge’s denial of a waiver of removability. This decision, made in Louisiana, brings Mr. Khalil closer to deportation based on “misrepresentation” charges added after his detention. The letter argues the judge’s rushed decision, procedural irregularities, and reliance on government charges demonstrate retaliation for Mr. Khalil’s advocacy for Palestinian human rights. Khalil’s legal team is now challenging the immigration judge’s decision, alleging it is another attempt to silence him and violate his First Amendment rights.
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A federal judge has mandated that Mississippi redraw its Supreme Court electoral map due to its detrimental impact on the voting power of Black residents. The court found the current map, in place since 1987, violated the Voting Rights Act by splitting the Delta region, a historically Black area, and diminishing its influence. This ruling, supported by the ACLU, highlights a historic injustice and will necessitate the Mississippi Legislature to create a new map before future elections. It may serve as a precedent for challenging similar maps nationwide, emphasizing the importance of fair representation and equal voting rights for all Mississippians.
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A federal judge has issued a temporary order to halt immigration raids in Los Angeles and several other California counties, siding with the ACLU in a civil rights lawsuit. The ruling prohibits agents from making detentive stops based on factors like race, ethnicity, language spoken, or location, emphasizing the need for reasonable suspicion. The judge’s order also mandates access to legal counsel for detainees, addressing claims of constitutional violations by the Trump administration. While the Trump administration denies the claims, the ruling temporarily restrains specific practices and impacts the counties involved in the lawsuit.
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Opponents of President Trump’s executive order on birthright citizenship are pursuing new legal strategies to challenge it. The ACLU and immigration rights advocates have filed a class-action lawsuit arguing the order violates the Constitution, seeking an emergency restraining order. The suit, filed in New Hampshire, seeks to protect a class of babies and their parents, potentially filling gaps left by existing litigation. The legal move is an attempt to navigate a recent Supreme Court decision limiting sweeping injunctions, although justices have raised concerns about the use of nationwide class actions to challenge the order.
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Immigrant rights advocates swiftly filed a nationwide class action lawsuit challenging President Trump’s executive order restricting birthright citizenship. This action was taken in direct response to a Supreme Court decision limiting nationwide injunctions against the order. The lawsuit, filed by the ACLU and other groups, alleges the administration is violating the Constitution, congressional intent, and Supreme Court precedent, seeking protections for affected babies and their parents. Constitutional experts and Rep. Jamie Raskin criticized the Supreme Court’s ruling and predicted the action of public interest groups would be to file a nationwide class action suit. This legal strategy follows the Supreme Court leaving the door open to other avenues to challenge the administration.
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The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit on behalf of a 14-year-old student who was allegedly humiliated by a teacher for refusing to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance in protest of U.S. support of Israel’s war in Gaza. The lawsuit claims the teacher told the student, whose family is of Palestinian descent, to leave the country, resulting in emotional distress. The ACLU argues that the student’s First Amendment rights were violated, seeking financial compensation, while the school district has stated they do not tolerate discrimination but declined further comment due to the ongoing litigation.
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John Q. Hosedrinker