ACLU of Massachusetts

The Trump administration’s attacks on law firms are a clear overreach and abuse of power. First, President Trump targeted specific firms for their political clients. And now, Boston-based firms are in the administration’s crosshairs for their recruitment practices. The ACLU of Massachusetts strongly denounces these attacks, and we reject efforts to undermine the courts, the legal profession, and the rule of law. Lawyers work every day to uphold American values, and our courts play a vital role in our democracy. Lawyers, judges and others in the legal profession are not enemies of the state, period. We stand in solidarity with the Massachusetts legal community. As Boston Bar Association President Matthew McTygue recently noted, an impartial and independent justice system is core to who we are as a commonwealth. Indeed, as John Adams drafted in our state constitution, we are “a government of laws and not of men.” Now is the time to fiercely defend these principles and each other. – Carol Rose for the latest Mass Lawyers Weekly https://lnkd.in/dbDjVuZK

UPDATE: Hours after filing our amended petition, a federal judge ordered Rümeysa ?ztürk can't be removed from the U.S. until further court order. The government must respond to the amended petition by Tuesday at 5pm. This is a critical next step. We'll continue to work to ensure she is released.

BREAKING: We, ACLU and CUNY CLEAR are joining Rümeysa ?ztürk’s legal team after ICE unlawfully arrested and detained her in retaliation for her political speech. Speaking out against a war, a policy, or a government is not a crime.? ? The government must immediately release Ms. ?ztürk.? https://lnkd.in/eY9rm3En

Rümeysa ?ztürk is a Fulbright Scholar and a doctoral student. The government must immediately release her from custody. The First Amendment protects all of us — regardless of citizenship status.? https://lnkd.in/eMAz88Nv?

This week, we went to court to challenge the Trump's administration's executive order that denies accurate passports to transgender, non-binary, and intersex people. The ACLU Action Team took to the streets and marched in support of our clients. “The new passport policy threatens to expose transgender people to violence, harassment, and discrimination in nearly every element of public life: while flying, opening bank accounts, enrolling in school, and more,” said?Jessie Rossman, legal director at the ACLU of Massachusetts.?“We’re challenging this policy because every person deserves the right to move freely about the world safely and with dignity." Read more on Orr v. Trump: https://lnkd.in/eRAid484

Tomorrow, a federal district court in Boston will hear arguments from attorneys representing transgender and nonbinary Americans impacted by a new State Department policy requiring U.S. passports to reflect their sex assigned at birth, rolling back decades of State Department policy. We’re challenging this policy because every person deserves the right to move freely about the world safely and with dignity. Join us in support of our clients for a walk and standout near the courthouse. We will gather at 10 a.m. at Martin's Park. Our walk will be less than a mile and we will end back near where we started for a standout. https://lnkd.in/eKdwaJnH

The Trump Administration’s attacks undermine the courts, the legal profession, and the rule of law. This is a threat to the foundation of our democracy. ? Lawyers, judges, and others in the legal profession are not enemies of the state, period.??https://lnkd.in/eGSF5Yaa

HANDS OFF OUR PASSPORTS! Join us March 25 at 10:00 AM! Martin's Park -> Moakley Court House Following a January 2025 executive order from President Donald Trump barring people from updating the sex designation on their passports, the ACLU filed a federal lawsuit challenging the State Department’s refusal to issue passports with accurate sex designations on behalf of seven transgender, nonbinary, and intersex people. On Tuesday, March 25, there will be a hearing in our lawsuit at the Moakley Court House in the Seaport. Join us in support of our clients for a walk and standout near the courthouse. We will gather at 10 a.m. at Martin's Park. Our walk will be less than a mile and we will end back near where we started for a standout. https://lnkd.in/dMTmsxz2

Democracy is for ALL of us. When more people have access to government, our democracy gets stronger. The extension of hybrid open meetings will prevent barriers for community members participating in local government. The next step is to guarantee hybrid access to open meetings on a permanent basis, so equitable access cannot be denied from town to town or meeting to meeting. We look forward to working with House and Senate leadership to get this done this session. https://lnkd.in/egNZ_vyy

This week, Deputy Field Director for Regional Engagement Javier?Luengo-Garrido will join Massachusetts Immigrant & Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA) for the Immigrants' Rights Conference. This will be the 29th Annual Immigrants Day at The State House!