Latest news with #ACLUofIndiana
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Trump Administration overturns Biden-era guidance on emergency abortions
WASHINGTON, D.C. — This week, Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) rescinded Biden-era guidance on emergency abortions under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA). 'The guidance that had existed made very clear that when the health of the mother was at risk that abortion was an appropriate type of medical service,' Chris Daley with the ACLU of Indiana said. 'The guidance around EMTALA was particularly helpful in a state like Indiana, where the exceptions in the law in terms of the health of the mother to access abortion are so incredibly narrow.' 'The Biden Administration issued the guidance in 2022 to provide more of a cushion to physicians to make decisions that would save women's lives,' Jody Madeira, an IU School of Law professor, said. According to Madeira, the Trump Administration's reversal takes away that cushion from medical providers in states with total or near-total abortion bans, like Indiana. 'They risk prosecution under state law, perhaps they risk litigation,' Madeira said. 'They risk loss of license, if they, if they make, what others might consider 'the wrong decision.'' Democrats argue the move could cause confusion among physicians and ultimately delay care for pregnant women whose lives are at risk. 'Indiana is already the third worst state in the nation for maternal mortality,' State Rep. Carey Hamilton (D-Indianapolis) said. 'This is about saving women's lives at the hospital when their pregnancy goes awry. That's what it's about, and we're now making it harder for those women to survive.' A statement from the Indiana Hospital Association on the decision reads: 'Indiana hospitals have and will continue to adhere to all state and federal laws related to the limited circumstances when an abortion can be provided in Indiana including when necessary to prevent any serious health risk to the pregnant woman or to save the pregnant woman's life.' Last year, the ACLU of Indiana did not prevail in a lawsuit against the state over its near-total abortion ban. The organization is currently appealing the judge's decision in that case. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Axios
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Axios
ACLU sues Braun over IU board of trustees change
Changes to the Indiana University Board of Trustees slipped into the state budget bill in the final days of the legislative session are being challenged in court. Why it matters: The election for the open alumni seat on the board is set to begin next month. A lawsuit filed this week in Monroe County by the ACLU of Indiana and one of the candidates seeks an injunction to prevent the law, which would negate the election, from going into effect. Catch up quick: Language added to last-minute budget deal gives Gov. Mike Braun total control over the nine-member board that governs the IU system body, overseeing its financial and legal affairs, administration and nearly 90,000 students. Previously, the governor appointed six of the nine members (including one student representative) and the other three seats were filled by alumni, elected by alumni. The budget language eliminates the elected seats, allowing Braun to appoint the entirety of the board, and gives Braun the power to replace any current elected board members. Driving the news: The lawsuit alleges that the change violates the prohibition on "special legislation" in the Indiana Constitution, which bans laws that single out an individual case, person, company or industry for special treatment. "Every other four-year public university in the state has a process for allowing alumni to select at least some members of the board of trustees, and there is no justification for denying that ability to the alumni of IU," ACLU of Indiana legal director Ken Falk said in a news release. While IU is alone in holding an election, other schools allow for input through alumni councils and associations. The other side: Lawmakers defended the move by saying that participation in the election was low and Braun said he wants a board "that's going to produce better results." What they're saying: "Alumni elected by alumni would, in effect, be replaced by the highest bidders seeking to gain favor for appointment," said a letter from more than two dozen past chairs of the Board of Managers of the IU Alumni Association. "Governors may appoint trustees because of their political beliefs, but alumni do not," the letter said. "That seems a valuable balance to ensure no party nor system of conservative or liberal views governs for any reason other than what is best for students, faculty, and the university." Between the lines: Conservatives have been targeting higher education for years but those efforts have ramped up since President Trump took office in January and began making sweeping changes to the country's system of colleges and universities. Indiana lawmakers didn't only target IU with their last-minute additions to the budget bill. Other provisions erode tenure and remove decision-making authority from faculty at all of the state's public colleges and universities. Delaney Howard, a rising senior at IU Bloomington studying biology and history, is worried about what the changes — federal and state — will mean for academic freedom. She's part of a new student group, Advocates for Science at IU. "We've been focusing on the research cuts that have been coming federally," she said. "And now, with the recent changes the governor has put in place … there's a lot of concern, specifically within research groups, about what's going to be allowed to go forward. Is there going to be free speech? Is there going to be free research?" What we're watching: The IU Dean of Libraries, which administers the alumni election, sent an email to candidates Wednesday morning telling them there would not be an election because of the law change.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Indiana international students have visa status returned after Trump policy reversal
The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana announced April 29 that state universities and the Department of Homeland Security have confirmed that international students targeted by the Trump administration have had their legal status and visas restored. Earlier this month, international students living in Indiana and across the nation began receiving notices from their respective universities that the Department of Homeland Security had removed them from its student tracking database. Such removal meant these students had their legal status and visas to stay in the United States revoked without notice. Nine of those international students in Indiana partnered with the ACLU Indiana to file two lawsuits against the Department of Homeland Security, arguing that their legal status and visas were wrongfully revoked. Department of Justice attorneys announced on April 25 that the government would restore the student visa registrations of potentially thousands of foreign students in the U.S. More: Trump administration reverses controversial termination of student visas On Tuesday, attorneys with the ACLU of Indiana received additional reassurance after Department of Homeland Security lawyers confirmed the government had restored all of the international students' legal status. 'The last few weeks have been incredibly difficult for these students,' said Ken Falk, legal director, ACLU of Indiana. 'They faced enormous financial, academic, and emotional hardship as a result of DHS's actions, and we're relieved that they once again have their student status. They deserve to continue their studies here in Indiana.' On April 3, 2025, international students in Indiana started receiving notices from their universities' international services departments explaining that their F-1 student status had been revoked. This status allowed them to stay in the United States during their schooling and accompanying practical training, according to the lawsuit. The ACLU filed two lawsuits in the Indiana court system; one in the southern court on behalf of a student attending Indiana University in Indianapolis and another in the northern court on behalf of six Purdue University students, one Notre Dame student and one student from Indiana Tech in Fort Wayne. The two lawsuits noted that the students were in full compliance with the terms of their F-1 status and had not engaged in conduct that would justify the termination. The lawsuit claims that the students were wrongfully removed from Homeland Security's SEVIS record system, a government database that tracks international and exchange students' legal status in the United States. The termination of their SEVIS records meant they would be unable to finish their education in the United States and were at risk of being deported. In April, the ACLU filed a request with the federal court to protect the students from involuntary removal; however, the judge denied this request, claiming that the students had "not demonstrated irreparable harm to warrant the extraordinary exercise of judicial power." None of the students listed in the ACLU lawsuits were subject to deportation proceedings. The two ACLU cases are still active in the Indiana federal courts, even though the Justice Department announced that it would be restoring the student visa registrations of potentially thousands of foreign students. Contact IndyStar reporter Noe Padilla at npadilla@ follow him on X @1NoePadilla or on Bluesky @ This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Legal status restored for Indiana international students after DOJ reversal
Indianapolis Star
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Indianapolis Star
Indiana international students have visa status returned after Trump policy reversal
The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana announced April 29 that state universities and the Department of Homeland Security have confirmed that international students targeted by the Trump administration have had their legal status and visas restored. Earlier this month, international students living in Indiana and across the nation began receiving notices from their respective universities that the Department of Homeland Security had removed them from its student tracking database. Such removal meant these students had their legal status and visas to stay in the United States revoked without notice. Nine of those international students in Indiana partnered with the ACLU Indiana to file two lawsuits against the Department of Homeland Security, arguing that their legal status and visas were wrongfully revoked. Department of Justice attorneys announced on April 25 that the government would restore the student visa registrations of potentially thousands of foreign students in the U.S. On Tuesday, attorneys with the ACLU of Indiana received additional reassurance after Department of Homeland Security lawyers confirmed the government had restored all of the international students' legal status. 'The last few weeks have been incredibly difficult for these students,' said Ken Falk, legal director, ACLU of Indiana. 'They faced enormous financial, academic, and emotional hardship as a result of DHS's actions, and we're relieved that they once again have their student status. They deserve to continue their studies here in Indiana.' How did international students lose their legal status? On April 3, 2025, international students in Indiana started receiving notices from their universities' international services departments explaining that their F-1 student status had been revoked. This status allowed them to stay in the United States during their schooling and accompanying practical training, according to the lawsuit. The ACLU filed two lawsuits in the Indiana court system; one in the southern court on behalf of a student attending Indiana University in Indianapolis and another in the northern court on behalf of six Purdue University students, one Notre Dame student and one student from Indiana Tech in Fort Wayne. The two lawsuits noted that the students were in full compliance with the terms of their F-1 status and had not engaged in conduct that would justify the termination. The lawsuit claims that the students were wrongfully removed from Homeland Security's SEVIS record system, a government database that tracks international and exchange students' legal status in the United States. The termination of their SEVIS records meant they would be unable to finish their education in the United States and were at risk of being deported. In April, the ACLU filed a request with the federal court to protect the students from involuntary removal; however, the judge denied this request, claiming that the students had "not demonstrated irreparable harm to warrant the extraordinary exercise of judicial power." None of the students listed in the ACLU lawsuits were subject to deportation proceedings. The two ACLU cases are still active in the Indiana federal courts, even though the Justice Department announced that it would be restoring the student visa registrations of potentially thousands of foreign students.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Judge denies request for order to safeguard international students' rights
Judge denies request for order to safeguard international students' rights INDIANAPOLIS —- A U.S. District Court judge denied the ACLU of Indiana's request for a temporary restraining order to protect seven Indiana international students whose lawful status was terminated without explanation. Earlier this week, the ACLU of Indiana filed a lawsuit against the United States Department of Homeland Security alleging that DHS violated the federal Administrative Procedure Act and the students' Fifth Amendment right to due process. 'We're obviously disappointed in this decision,' said Ken Falk, legal director at the ACLU of Indiana. 'These students have invested years of their lives and thousands of dollars in their education. For DHS to terminate their status with no warning or reason is deeply unfair, and we believe it is illegal.' Of the students named in the lawsuit, six are citizens of China attending Purdue University or Indiana University Indianapolis. One is a citizen of Nigeria attending the University of Notre Dame. Two of the students named in the lawsuit are slated to graduate this May. The ACLU of Indiana said it was considering its options.
