ACLU Supporter, it's been a week since we learned Donald Trump would – once again – be the next president of the United States.

Here's what we've done:

• Ballot measures passed in 7 states enshrining our right to reproductive freedom in state constitutions. On abortion health care, we are building a firewall of freedom in the states.
• We're going to court in Missouri to implement Amendment 3, the state's winning abortion rights amendment, and restore abortion access in the state.
• We are already organizing in states like Massachusetts and New Jersey to pass state legislation to protect our communities from the Trump administration's coming attacks – like preventing the feds from commandeering state resources for Trump's planned mass deportation scheme.
• We're preparing to mobilize ACLU supporters for battles in Congress, including proactive efforts to stem the irrational spending of taxpayer dollars to harm civil rights – like saying no to President-elect Trump's demands for unlimited billions for immigration detention and saying yes to protecting our data privacy.
• Our legal team is preparing now to challenge President Trump when he puts his plans into motion. Whether he abuses his power to go after immigrants, protestors, or dissenters, we will go to court to stop him.

President-elect Trump's policies of hate and cruelty are already striking fear into communities across America. But take heart.

I speak from experience. Before taking on the role of National Legal Director, I worked as the director of the ACLU's Center for Democracy, fighting against the Trump administration's dangerous anti-democracy and anti-immigrant policies – including the Muslim ban, his illegal funding of the border wall, family separation, and his effort to chill minority participation in the 2020 Census.

During the first Trump presidency, we fought back. And we won. President-elect Trump has vowed to go after our communities and our fundamental freedoms even harder in his second term. And we will meet him every step of the way – with lawsuits, a policy firewall in states and cities around the country, and the power of the people.

Together, I know we can meet this moment with the response needed to protect all of our rights – no matter what morally and legally bankrupt policies come down from the Oval Office.

I'm glad to have you with me,

Cecillia Wang
Pronouns: She, her, hers
National Legal Director, ACLU