Preparing for the fight ahead.

Friend –

As 2024 comes to a close, we are reflecting on all that we've accomplished together. From protecting our First Amendment rights <[link removed]> to reporting major racial disparities in D.C. stop-and-frisk practices <[link removed]>, it's been a busy year full of meaningful progress. You can read more about our work in our latest newsletter, which you should find in your mailbox soon.

We are also, of course, bracing ourselves for what is to come when President-elect Donald Trump and anti-D.C. members of Congress take office. Trump and his allies have threatened to “take over” D.C., but we are ready to be on the defensive, protecting the basic rights and freedoms that are rightfully ours.

The looming threats are real, but so is our power and resilience. At the ACLU, we're prepared to use all the lessons we learned during the first Trump Administration and all the tools at our disposal. We will continue ensuring our nation lives up to the promise of the Constitution.

Here are highlights of our recent work and ways that you can get involved.

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Guide: How to Talk to Your Friends & Family About D.C. Statehood <[link removed]>

The nearly 700,000 residents of D.C. want our full voting rights, control over our own tax dollars, and the ability to govern ourselves. But because D.C. is not a state, the federal government can repeal our laws and dictate how we in D.C. spend our own tax dollars.

Making D.C. Statehood a reality requires each one of us to talk with our pro-democracy friends, families, and allies around the country about why D.C. Statehood matters – and what everyone can do to help. As you travel to other states this holiday season or welcome out-of-town guests to D.C., use this guide <[link removed]> to talk to your friends and family to build the national support we need to make D.C. a state the very next chance we get.

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Lawsuit: Challenging the District for Depriving Children of Prompt Rehabilitative Care <[link removed]>

The law requires the District's juvenile system to provide rehabilitation to the children in their custody. But in D.C., children can be held for months in an overcrowded, understaffed, and jail-like detention center before they ever receive any rehabilitation treatment and services. In October, together with the Public Defender Service, we sued on behalf of children who have been detained for months and effectively denied rehabilitation. Today, we were in court on this case, arguing that the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services must live up to its legal obligation and promptly place these children into rehabilitative care.

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You're Invited: Bill of Rights Celebration <[link removed]>

May 13, 2025
6 - 9 p.m.
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
641 D St NW
Washington, D.C. 20004

Join us for an exciting evening of community, entertainment, and civil rights as we come together to honor those who have made outstanding contributions to this fight in the District, including former ACLU National Legal Director and D.C. Resident David Cole. Tickets are $51 <[link removed]>, symbolizing our ongoing fight for D.C. Statehood, and include access to the awards ceremony, happy hour, and dessert hour.

Thank you for your continued support this year. The next four years will be challenging, but with your continued support, we're ready to fight for our freedoms, together.

Thanks for sticking with us,

ACLU of the District of Columbia


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