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ACLU on Immigration
American Civil Liberties Union
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Opposed requiring local police to enforce immigration laws
SB1156: Policies prohibited that restrict enforcement of federal immigration laws.Opinion by ACLU 5/22/19: ACLU-VA opposes SB1156, the so-called anti-sanctuary bill, because it is unnecessary legislation that will make our streets less
safe. A combination of the Dillon Rule and existing state mandates make the existence of a sanctuary locality a legal impossibility in the Commonwealth.
Veto message from Gov.Northam: This bill would send a clear message to people across
this Commonwealth that law enforcement officials are to be feared and avoided rather than trusted and engaged. The safety of our communities requires that all people, whether they are documented or not, feel comfortable reporting criminal activity and
cooperating with local law enforcement investigations.
Legislative Outcome: Passed House 51-47-1 on Feb/19/19; Passed Senate 21-19-0 on Jan/17/19; Vetoed by Gov. Northam on Mar/19/19.
Source: ACLU voting recommendation on˙Virginia voting record SB1156
, May 22, 2019
No national emergency for a border wall
The ACLU issued the following statement upon filing a lawsuit: "By the president's very own admission in the Rose Garden, there is no national emergency. He just grew impatient and frustrated with Congress, and decided to move along his promise for a
border wall 'faster.' This is a patently illegal power grab that hurts American communities and flouts the checks and balances that are hallmarks of our democracy."The ACLU will argue that President Trump's use of emergency powers to evade
Congressional funding restrictions is unprecedented and that 10 U.S.C. 2808, the emergency power that Trump has invoked, cannot be used to build a border wall. Congress restricted the use of that power to military construction projects,
like overseas military airfields in wartime, that "are necessary to support" the emergency use of armed forces.
Source: ACLU "Proclamation 9844" voting recommendation
, Feb 15, 2019
Birthright citizenship is protected by the 14th amendment
Trump is planning on issuing an executive order that would revoke birthright citizenship. An historian explained that guaranteeing automatic citizenship was the intention of the men who drafted the 14th amendment: "Read the debate in the US Senate,
Jan. 30, 1866. The framers clarified that children born in the U.S. were citizens regardless of the immigration status of their parents. They even understood this to be true for children whose parents would then have been racially ineligible for
citizenship, such as the Chinese."The ACLU has spoken out against Trump's proposed executive order. "The president cannot erase the Constitution with an executive order, and the 14th Amendment's citizenship guarantee is clear," the director of the
ACLU's Immigrants' Rights Project said in a statement. "This is a transparent and blatantly unconstitutional attempt to sow division and fan the flames of anti-immigrant hatred in the days ahead of the midterms."
Source: Salon.com on 2018 Trump Administration, "Birthright"
, Oct 30, 2018
Muslim ban cannot be reworked to be constitutional
On the Muslim ban: [The Trump administration's original January 2017 executive order reduces to 50,000 the annual number of refugees allowed from 7 Muslim countries, and zero from Syria. The March 2017 order replaced the list of 7 countries with Iran,
Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, & Yemen, for 90 days]. The director of the ACLU's Immigrants' Rights Project had this reaction:"The Trump administration has conceded that its original Muslim ban was indefensible. Unfortunately, it has replaced it with
a scaled-back version that shares the same fatal flaws. The only way to actually fix the Muslim ban is not to have a Muslim ban. Instead, Pres. Trump has recommitted himself to religious discrimination, and he can expect continued disapproval from both
the courts and the people. The changes the Trump administration has made completely undermine the bogus national security justifications the president has tried to hide behind. and only strengthen the case against his unconstitutional executive orders."
Source: ACLU 2017 voting records of Trump Administration
, Mar 6, 2017
No-Fly list against Muslims is unconstitutional
Muslim communities in the U.S. have faced a disturbing wave of bigotry and outright hostility, including vicious rhetoric from presidential candidates. Some of the issues we've specifically focused on include:- Bans on Sharia and
International law
- Mosques and community centers: Ongoing vandalism and resistance to new mosques
- Discrimination based on appearance against Muslim women
- Infiltration and surveillance of Mosques and Muslim communities
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Congressional hearings on the so-called "radicalization" of the American Muslim community
- Unconstitutional administration of the "No Fly List" (lawsuit on behalf of 15 U.S. citizens and lawful residents, all of whom are Muslim)
- FBI mapping of local communities and businesses based on race and ethnicity
- Anti-terrorism financing laws
- Invasive questioning at U.S. borders
Source: ACLU 2015-16 voting recommendation on Muslim Ban
, Nov 14, 2014
Let DREAMers join military, whether legal or not
The DREAM Act promotes fundamental fairness for young people by allowing access to affordable post-secondary education and military service opportunities, regardless of immigration status, and would provide a path to citizenship for undocumented
immigrants who came to the U.S. as children, have lived here for at least five years and have graduated from high school.The US has dropped from first in the world in our number of college graduates to ninth,
which has had a dramatic impact on our country's economy. The DREAM Act could result in billions of dollars in additional tax revenue from tapping the potential of DREAM-eligible students and future service personnel.
Since September 11, 2001, more than 69,000 immigrants have earned citizenship while serving, and more than 125 who entered military service after that date have made the ultimate sacrifice in war by giving their lives for this nation.
Source: ACLU 2015-16 voting recommendation on DREAMers
, Jun 28, 2011
Page last updated: Apr 29, 2021