TAKE ACTION!
Visit the national ACLU Action Center >>
Learn more about the Utah legislative process
and how you can be involved >>
TAKE ACTION: Do YOU support religious liberty?
Posted 8/27/10 - Sign our petition and show your support for freedom of religion! "I stand with the ACLU and people all across America in defense of religious liberty. I also affirm my support for leaders like Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City who boldly oppose religious discrimination rooted in cultural stereotyping and resist those who seek to trade away our most precious values for political advantage."
Sign the petition >>
ACLU position on NYC Islamic Center >>
California Marriage Ban Struck Down - ACLU Hails Historic Decision And Urges Efforts In Other States To Ensure Success On Appeal
Posted 8/4/10 - In a landmark decision today, a federal judge ruled that Proposition 8, the California ballot initiative that excluded same-sex couples from marriage in the state, violates the United States Constitution. The American Civil Liberties Union, the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and Lambda Legal filed two friend-of-the-court briefs in the case supporting the argument that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional.
Read the press release >>
Help build on the victory in California. Take the pledge to keep working until same-sex couples are allowed to marry all across the country >>
ACLU of Utah Seeks Records About FBI Collection of Racial and Ethnic Data
Posted 7/27/10 - FBI's Power to Track and Map "Behaviors" and Lifestyle Characteristics" of American Communities Raises Alarms. According to a 2008 FBI operations guide, FBI agents have the authority to collect information about and map so-called “ethnic-oriented” businesses, behaviors, lifestyle characteristics and cultural traditions in communities with concentrated ethnic populations. Although some racial and ethnic data collection by some agencies might be helpful in lessening discrimination, the FBI’s attempt to collect and map demographic data using race-based criteria for targeting purposes invites unconstitutional racial profiling by law enforcement, says the ACLU.
Read
the press release >> English / Spanish
Read the full Freedom of Information Act request to the FBI >>
Learn more by reading the FBI's Domestic Intelligence and Operations Guide (DIOG) chapter which details provisions for using racial and ethnic data or you can access the entire DIOG here >>
Read a blog post by Sam Ritchie with the national ACLU, "Is the FBI Engaging in Race-Based Snooping?" >>
TAKE ACTION: Tell your member of Congress that you want them to find out what racial & ethnic demographic information the FBI is collecting in your community and how it’s being used.
Read a Salt Lake Tribune story, "ACLU wants FBI to explain data it's collecting on ethnic groups" >>
Read a Deseret News story, "ACLU worries FBI may be doing racial profiling" >>
Would You Ask This Man For His Papers?
Posted 7/22/10 - Would you ask this man for his papers? Why? Because of the color of his skin? Because of the language he's speaking? Because he's doing yard work?
The fact is, there is no way to tell who is documented and who is not. If SB 1070 is allowed to go into effect, American citizens WILL be subjected to racial profiling. People in this country legally will be stopped, interrogated and harassed simply because of what they look like or the language they are speaking.
That's not right and it's not constitutional. Help us protect the constitution. Help us stop SB 1070. What Happens in Arizona, Stops in Arizona >>
ACTION ALERT: What Happens in Arizona Stops in Arizona!
Posted 5/3/10 - Arizona's new law, S.B. 1070, is  unconstitutional and betrays American values. The law essentially turns Arizona into a police state, requiring citizens and immigrants alike to carry “papers” to avoid arrest. The law encourages racial profiling and undermines public safety by diverting scarce resources toward false threats; eroding trust between law enforcement and Latinos. Here in Utah, Rep. Sandstrom is threatening to introduce similar unconstitutional and extreme legislation. This law is bad for the United States, Arizona and will be bad for Utah too.
Read more >>
TAKE ACTION: Send a strong message to your state lawmaker and Governor Gary Herbert: What Happens in Arizona Stops in Arizona >>
Raising Arizona: Utah should not copy bad law - a Salt Lake Tribune Editorial >>
A Police State - blog post by Vivek Malhotra, ACLU Immigrants' Rights Project>>
Bill Threatens Reproductive Choice in Utah: Act Now!
Posted 2/3/10 - HB 12, "Criminal Homicide and Abortion Amendments," passed out of the House of Representatives and is headed for a committee hearing in the Senate. Although the bill was modified in the House to provide some additional protections for women, the bill still remains a threat to reproductive choice in Utah.
Read more and take action >>
Bill Will Protect the Right of Utahns to Vote: Act Now!
Posted 2/3/10 - SB 53, "Voter Challenge Revisions,"
will strengthen confidence in
the right to vote.
It passed out of committee yesterday with a unanimous vote and is headed for debate on the Senate floor. Please contact your senator to let him or her know how important it is to support SB 53!
Read more and take action >>
Should the Utah Government Decide How Pregnant Women Can Behave While Expecting ?
Posted 1/25/10 - Utah Rep. Carl Wimmer has introduced, HB 12, "Abortion Amendments," which actually has not much to do with abortion, but could potentially affect the thousands of Utah women and families who get pregnant every year.
Read more and take action >>
Take Action:
Fight for Women's Reproductive Freedom
Posted 12/1/09 - You have a critical role to play in the fight for women’s reproductive freedom in this country. We need everyone to let their senators know that we want health reforms that will protect reproductive freedom not put it in peril as the House did with its Stupak-Pitts amendment. The current Senate bill does not include the Stupak-Pitts language, but we are still a long way from victory. If we want to make sure the Senate stands up for women’s reproductive freedom and against the extremist forces that reared their ugly head in the House, we all need to come together and take action right now. Tell your senators to protect women’s ability to make private health care decisions without government interference.
Find more information and take action >>
Restore Fairness to the Immigration System
Posted 10/5/09 - In the aftermath of 9-11, our country has seen a steady erosion of basic human rights. Some of our laws have been denying basic due process to thousands of people in the United States, and many policies discriminate against people on the basis of national origin, race, religion, citizenship or immigration status. We need to change these laws, and ensure that our government upholds the human rights and civil liberties of all people in the US. The ACLU is part of a national campaign asking our government to restore fairness and due process to the broken immigration system.
Watch a 9 minute video, find more information and take action >>
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Indefinite Detention Without Trial: Unnecessary, Unwise, and Unconstitutional
Posted 9/18/09 - The John Adams Project, a joint effort of the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, has asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to halt the military commissions and declare them unconstitutional.
Take Action: We Cannot Imprison People Without Charge or Trial >>
More: Ashcroft Can Be Held Accountable For Post-9/11 Wrongful Detention >>
Learn More: Accountability for Torture >>
ACT NOW! Stop Sentencing Discrimination
Posted 8/21/09 - Current federal sentencing law punishes crack cocaine offenders more severely than any other drug offenders for possession. This disparity has resulted in a disproportionate number of African Americans sentenced under this mandatory minimum law. Numerous judges, medical professionals and civil rights advocates have all called on Congress to end the disparity between crack and powder cocaine sentences, and legislation has now been introduced to do just that. Contact Senator Orrin Hatch and your Representative and urge them to support legislation to end the disparity.
Find out more and take action >>
3/5/09 - Action Alert: Bill Protecting Constitutional Right to Vote Needs Help
3/2/09 - Action Alert: Oppose Bills Creating Barriers to Voting! |
