Latest news with #AmericanCivilLibertiesUnion
NBC News
3 days ago
- Politics
- NBC News
Puerto Rico ACLU denounces transfer of immigrant detainees to 'Alligator Alcatraz'
The American Civil Liberties Union chapter in Puerto Rico is denouncing the transfer of immigrants detained in the U.S. territory to "Alligator Alcatraz," the new immigration detention facility built in Florida in just one week on an abandoned airstrip surrounded by swampland. People who are taken into immigration custody in Puerto Rico, many of them from the Dominican Republic, are sent to the mainland U.S., as the island lacks permanent detention centers that can hold detainees for prolonged periods. The ACLU of Puerto Rico said Friday in a news release that they had received reports this week of detainees from the island being transferred to the facility in Florida as well as allegations of "rights violations and dehumanizing treatment." Annette Martínez, the executive director of the civil rights nonprofit, condemned President Donald Trump's plan to build more detention centers as well as the construction of Alligator Alcatraz during an interview with NBC News earlier this month. "This isn't even a detention center. We're talking about a facility that more closely resembles a torture center," Martínez said in Spanish. "It's even been described as a place where you enter and you can't leave." In a lawsuit filed by the ACLU this week against the Department of Homeland Security, four people detained in Alligator Alcatraz and their attorneys alleged that the federal government has interfered with their ability to access detainees and provide counsel for those being held there. Michael Borrego Fernández, a Cuban national being held in the Florida detention center and one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, alleged "harsh and inhumane conditions" at the facility. "He reported that detained people were told that they are only allowed one meal a day (and given only minutes to eat), are not permitted daily showers, and are otherwise kept around the clock in a cage inside a tent," the complaint states. "Mr. Borrego also reported that there have been physical assaults and excessive use of force by people working as guards, and a lack of medical care and attention." DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin denied allegations of inhumane conditions, telling NBC News in a statement: 'No lawbreakers in the history of human civilization have been treated better than illegal aliens in the United States." An estimated 700 detainees in Alligator Alcatraz are being held in cage-style units covered by white tent structures erected in the middle of a hurricane-prone wetland surrounded by snakes and alligators. Since its construction, immigrant detainees and their loved ones have alleged terrible conditions in the facility — including lack of water, issues with electricity and copious mosquitoes. A Dominican immigrant who was arrested in Puerto Rico last month has spent two weeks detained in Alligator Alcatraz. In an interview with El Nuevo Día, a Puerto Rican newspaper, the immigrant alleged that detainees with medical conditions are unable to access treatment and described having little access to food and showers. "We are concerned that the United States government, which tries to present itself internationally as beacon of democracy and justice, is developing immigration policy in this way," Martínez said.
UPI
4 days ago
- Politics
- UPI
Protesters rally nationwide to honor John Lewis, oppose Trump policies
1 of 2 | Protesters ready their umbrellas at the Good Trouble Lives On and American Civil Liberties Union rally Thursday at Metro Center in Washington, D.C. Photo by Bridget Erin Craig/UPI WASHINGTON, July 17 (UPI) -- Protesters gathered and marched Thursday in Washington and across the United States in opposition to President Donald Trump and his administration's actions, which they say have unraveled years of progress towards civil, women's and human rights. The goal is to "march in peace," and "act in power," according to organizers, and to honor the fifth anniversary of the death of Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., a civil rights activist and politician. The motto "Good Trouble Lives On" is a rallying cry for what is called a national day of protest, and it's a spinoff of Lewis' phrase, "Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and help build the soul of America" -- by disrupting unjust systems and challenging the status quo. Protests throughout the day and around the country were organized by such groups as the Transformative Justice Coalition, Black Voters Matter, Indivisible, Declaration for American Democracy and Public Citizen, along with local organizers and activists. In Washington, a small group met at 9.a.m. at Metro Center for the start of a series of events that included an "umbrella protest." Organized by the American Civil Liberties Union, about 20 participants, mostly women, held umbrellas decorated with phrases calling for change. Some phrases included "No militarizing our cities," "Public Broadcasting benefits us all," "Immigrants made our country great" and "Trump-ism is making America sick." The goal of the demonstration was for participants to meet people as they walk by and reinforce how the Trump administration's policies affect everyone. "I am hoping to build consensus among the casual workers here in D.C., those lucky enough to still have jobs," said Karol Smith, a retired nurse and State Department employee. The State Department began to lay off 1,300 employees Friday as part of a reorganization plan. As protesters peacefully walked the Metro Center blocks and rode up and down the escalators, many people expressed gratitude for them taking the time to call for change. Smith said she has been protesting since Trump began his second term, calling the action the people's "final refuge." She added: Trump is "wrecking the economy with his nonsense about tariffs. Secondly, I feel that he's robbed our federal government of a generation worth of talent." Three metro stops down the Red Line, another rally began In front of Union Station at Senate Park. The organization For Liberation and Resistance Everywhere, or FLARE -- a group dedicated to removing Trump from office, according to website -- hosted speakers and prepared to take elected officials on Capitol Hill. "If 1,000 people go through the halls of Congress and go to their offices and say 'If you support fascism, we will hold you accountable,'" FLARE speaker Cliff Cash said. "And, we will hold you accountable in every way the human mind can fathom the word accountability. Imagine it and that's how we'll do it," he continued, referencing the plans for the rest of the rally. Using a 50-page list of representatives, both Republicans and Democrats, and their political positions, FLARE attendees marched to the Hill to meet representatives in their offices and demand the legislative branch hold Trump accountable. Further actions were planned for late afternoon and early evening. At 5 p.m. in Woodley Park, there is to be a rally that focuses on civil rights and community solidarity. And at 5:30 p.m., attendees plan to march from Franklin Park to the former Black Lives Matter Plaza to honor Lewis and protest the Trump administration's policies. Kasse Andrews-Weller, a U.S. veteran, said her fondness for Lewis as motivation to participate in the show up at a morning event. "I was born and raised in Georgia, so John Lewis means a lot to me. I saw him at his last public appearance on the plaza for Black Lives Matter. It makes me have chills still up and down," she said. Having been involved in the "Hands Off" and "No Kings" protests over the last few months, Andrews-Weller said she is committed to demanding change as veterans' rights and benefits have been at risk since Trump took office. Good Trouble Lives On events -- some 1,600 -- are planned in all 50 states, many n major cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Miami. After Since Lewis died July 17, 2020, an actual Good Trouble Lives On organization formed. It partnered with other organizations for the national day of action, committed to "respond to attacks on our civil and human rights by the Trump administration. Together, we'll remind them that in America, the power lies with the people," according to its website. Lewis represented Georgia's 5th Congressional District from 1987 to 2020. Before heading to Congress, he rose to national prominence as a young leader in the civil rights movement. He participated in the 1960 Nashville sit-ins and became one of the original 13 Freedom Riders in 1961, risking his life to challenge segregation on interstate buses. As chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, he was one of the "Big Six" organizers of the 1963 March on Washington, and in 1965 led marchers across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., where he was beaten by police. During his time in office, he took bold political stances, such as opposing the Gulf and Iraq wars, calling for welfare reform and criticizing President George W. Bush's surveillance policies. He also sponsored the Peace Tax Fund bill, advocating for conscientious objection to military taxation.
CBS News
4 days ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Immigration rights groups, ACLU lawsuit alleges Alligator Alcatraz preventing detainees from having attorney access
A class-action lawsuit filed Wednesday alleges that people held at the immigrant-detention center dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz" are being prevented from having access to lawyers and "effectively have no way to contest their detention." "No protocols exist at this facility for providing standard means of confidential attorney-client communication, such as in-person attorney visitation and phone or video calls that are available at any other detention facility, jail or prison," the lawsuit, filed in the federal Southern District of Florida, said. "The only way that detained people can communicate with the outside world is via infrequent access to collect pay phone calls that are monitored and recorded, and last approximately five minutes." The lawsuit also alleges that lawyers have been barred from entering the facility in the Everglades and that officials have "made it virtually impossible for detainees, or their counsel, to file documents required to contest their detention with the immigration court." "No instruction exists as to which immigration courts have been designated for submission of motions for bond redetermination for people detained at Alligator Alcatraz," the lawsuit, filed by attorneys from the American Civil Liberties Union and Americans for Immigrant Justice, said. "As a result, detainees held at Alligator Alcatraz effectively have no way to contest their detention." The ACLU announced the lawsuit Wednesday evening. The lawsuit names as plaintiffs four men who are detained at the facility, three law firms, a legal services organization and an attorney. It names as defendants federal and state officials and agencies, including U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Gov. Ron DeSantis. The lawsuit, which alleges First Amendment and due-process violations, was the latest move in the controversy over the detention facility that the state built in recent weeks at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport, a remote site used for flight training and surrounded by the Everglades and the Big Cypress National Preserve. DeSantis and other state and federal officials have touted the facility as helping carry out President Donald Trump's mass deportation efforts for people who are in the country illegally. The project has drawn national attention, with the state Republican Party even selling Alligator Alcatraz merchandise. But opponents have blasted conditions at the facility and argued it will harm the Everglades and the national preserve. Environmental groups last month filed a separate lawsuit that alleges violations of the National Environmental Policy Act, a federal law that requires evaluating potential environmental impacts before such a project can move forward. State officials have said the federal government will reimburse Florida for costs related to the Everglades facility. They also announced last month plans to build a second detention facility at North Florida's Camp Blanding, a training site for the Florida National Guard. DeSantis indicated Wednesday that plans for the Camp Blanding facility would move forward "once there's a demand" for bed space and more detainees are housed at the Everglades site. "Once there's a demand, then we would be able to go for Camp Blanding. But what I don't want to do is set up Blanding if one is 60 percent full and then the other is 40 percent. I'd rather just channel everyone to Alligator (Alcatraz), since it's easier," DeSantis told reporters at an event in Tampa. DeSantis said the Everglades facility can "easily" house 3,000 to 4,000 detainees. "We have not … received that many illegal aliens there yet, but it has grown pretty quickly," the governor said. Camp Blanding could house fewer detainees and become active "in a week or two," if needed, according to DeSantis. "I don't want to be creating some structure that can hold 2,000 illegals and then we end up having, like,150 there after a week. And I don't think that's the trend," he said. DeSantis administration officials did not respond Wednesday to a request for information about the number of detainees being held at the South Florida center. Friends of the Everglades and the Center for Biological Diversity on June 27 filed the lawsuit about potential environmental impacts. The Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida this week filed a motion seeking to join the case. DeSantis has disputed that the facility threatens the environment, pointing, in part, to the decades-old airport at the site. Also on Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Jose Martinez recused himself from the environmental groups' lawsuit, which was reassigned to U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams. As is typical in such instances, Martinez did not give a reason for stepping aside. Williams recently drew headlines when she held Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier in civil contempt in a lawsuit stemming from a law passed during a February special legislative session that created state crimes for undocumented immigrants who enter or re-enter Florida. Williams in April blocked enforcement of the law, ruling that it likely was preempted by federal immigration-enforcement authority. The contempt ruling stemmed from a letter the Uthmeier sent to law enforcement agencies after she blocked the law.
Boston Globe
6 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Governor Ayotte vetoes ‘bathroom bill' in N.H., just as her predecessor Chris Sununu did
Ayotte said she sees 'legitimate privacy and safety concerns' on this topic, but believes HB 148 was too broad and impractical, and risked creating 'an exclusionary environment' for some community members. 'While I believe that the legislature should address this serious issue,' she said, 'it must be done in a thoughtful and narrow way that protects the privacy, safety, and rights of all New Hampshire citizens.' Get N.H. Morning Report A weekday newsletter delivering the N.H. news you need to know right to your inbox. Enter Email Sign Up The legislation would have allowed public and private organizations to bar transgender individuals from using Advertisement Unlike the bathroom bills that have passed in other states, such as Every state in New England has adopted legal protections on the basis of gender identity. Had this bill been signed into law, New Hampshire would have become the only state in the region to add exceptions for transgender people in certain circumstances, according to Advertisement The legislation would have curtailed protections that Sununu When he vetoed a bill like HB 148 last year, Sununu Republican Representative Jim Kofalt of Wilton, the prime sponsor of HB 148, disagreed with Sununu's assessment and said school districts in New Hampshire have 'This is an important change that we need to make in our law so that we can respect everyone's privacy and security,' he told senators in May. The American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire opposed the bill, which policy advocate Courtney Reed called 'egregiously cruel legislation' that would permit discrimination. 'This discriminatory, detrimental, and regressive bill is an attempt to expel transgender Granite Staters from public life,' she said in a statement ahead of the bill's passage. Ayotte said in her veto message that she worried HB 148 would 'spur a plethora of litigation against local communities and businesses.' Ayotte said the provisions of HB 148 that pertain to athletics for women and girls are 'weaker' than New Hampshire's current law, which is being challenged in federal court. Advertisement Legal challenges to bathroom bans have had mixed results elsewhere. Some bans have been upheld, such as a Amanda Gokee can be reached at
The Hill
14-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
The Supreme Court is slowly strangling the Constitution
Speaking for a 6-3 majority in Trump v. CASA, the Supreme Court case involving birthright citizenship, Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote that while the 'executive has a duty to follow the law, the judiciary does not have unbridled authority to enforce this obligation.' That sentence should strike fear into the heart of every American. And it was the last thing the Framers had in mind when they designed the U.S. Constitution. If anyone had heard those words when the Constitution was debated, it would have been rejected out of hand. Opponents of the Constitution — and there were many — agreed with Patrick Henry that the proposed new government with its presidential office 'squints towards monarchy; and does not this raise indignation in the breast of every true American?' Barrett's controversial statement arose from a legal challenge to Executive Order 14160 signed by Donald Trump on Jan. 20. It identified circumstances in which a person born in the United States is not 'subject to the jurisdiction thereof' and bluntly stated: 'The 14th Amendment has never been interpreted to extend citizenship universally to everyone born within the United States.' The 14th Amendment came into being as a result of the infamous 1857 Dred Scott v. Sanford decision, a ruling described by Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter as 'one of the court's great self-inflicted wounds.' Chief Justice Roger B. Taney declared in his ruling that slaves had no constitutional rights and were analogous to property, or as Frederick Douglass put it, were no different from horses, sheep, or swine sold on the auction block. Douglass called the decision an endorsement of the slaveholders' mantra: 'A firmer hold and a tighter grip.' In making its case to the Supreme Court, the Trump administration cleverly did not ask it to rule on the executive order's constitutionality, but whether federal courts could issue nationwide injunctions against its enforcement. The court ruled that enforcing Trump's executive order would only apply in the 22 states and the cities of San Francisco and the District of Columbia that were a party to the lawsuit; it did not apply elsewhere until a final ruling on the order's constitutionality is issued sometime in the Supreme Court's next term. A New Hampshire federal judge has restored the nationwide ban on enforcing Trump's order thanks to a class action lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union following the Supreme Court's decision. Immediately following that ruling, White House spokesman Harrison Fields said the Trump administration 'will be fighting vigorously against the attempts of these rogue district court judges to impede the policies President Trump was elected to implement.' According to Trump's retelling of American history, birthright citizenship is a 'historical myth' that applied only to the 'babies of slaves, very obviously.' He further stated that the 14th Amendment 'has never been interpreted to extend citizenship universally to everyone born within the United States.' Wrong. In several decisions issued after the 14th Amendment was ratified in 1868, the Supreme Court ruled that persons of various nationalities who were born in the U.S. are citizens who possess the full rights and responsibilities of citizenship. Nonetheless, Trump said he was 'grateful' to the court, calling Barrett's decision 'brilliantly written.' The three dissenting justices in Trump v. CASA were hardly filled with gratitude. Justice Sonia Sotomayor called the ruling a 'travesty.' She was particularly disturbed by the precedent it created. 'No right is safe in the new legal regime the court creates,' she wrote. 'Today, the threat is to birthright citizenship. Tomorrow, a different administration may try to seize firearms from law-abiding citizens or prevent people of certain faiths from gathering to worship,' she wrote Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was particularly aggrieved by the court's plain disregard of the language contained in the 14th Amendment. 'A Martian arriving here from another planet would see these circumstances and surely wonder, 'what good is the Constitution, then?'' she wrote. 'What really is this system for protecting people's rights if it amounts to this — placing the onus on the victims to invoke the law's protection, and rendering the very institution that has the singular function of ensuring compliance with the Constitution powerless to prevent the government from violating it?'' Jackson finished the thought, writing 'Those things Americans call constitutional rights seem hardly worth the paper they are written on!' With the Supreme Court's decision in this case, yet another dagger is aimed at the very heart of the Constitution. Retired federal appeals court judge J. Michael Luttig says: 'It is no longer possible for the Supreme Court to stop this president.' A grateful Trump is relishing his newfound powers. After signing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law, Trump confessed: 'I think I have more power now [than I did in the first term.]' He's right. And therein lies a mortal threat to the republic. In 1860, the Republican Party Platform stated that the 'maintenance of the principles promulgated in the Declaration of Independence and embodied in the federal Constitution' was 'essential to the preservation of our republican institutions,' adding that 'the Federal Constitution, the rights of states, and the union of states must and shall be preserved.' But Trump's Republican Party refuses to abide by those inspiring words. In their new book, 'Subverting the Republic,' political scientists Nicholas F. Jacobs and Sidney M. Milkis, write, 'The republic is sick.' More to the point, the patient is on life support. Back in 2020, Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee on the neck of George Floyd for nine minutes and twenty-nine seconds, until he died. Like the slaveholders of yesteryear, Trump and the Supreme Court have 'a firm hold and a tighter grip' on the very lifeblood of the U.S. Constitution. It's already eight minutes and counting. John Kenneth White is a professor emeritus at The Catholic University of America. His latest book is titled 'Grand Old Unraveling: The Republican Party, Donald Trump, and the Rise of Authoritarianism.'
