Friend –

We hope you were able to find some peace and joy over the holiday season, and we'd like to extend our gratitude for all your support for the ACLU-D.C. in 2025.

There's no sugarcoating it: 2025 was tough. We've faced challenges in the District like none in recent memory. But in this crisis, we have collectively proven that we are resilient and have the power to fight back. We, alongside our clients, partners, and supporters, have mounted a strong resistance against the erosion of our rights.

Now 2026 has arrived, and we're rolling up our sleeves to keep building a more just and free D.C. Here are some highlights of our recent work and a chance to hear directly from our legal director, Scott Michelman.

Victory

• Federal Judge blocks unlawful immigration arrests in D.C. Last month, a federal court judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from continuing to carry out unlawful civil immigration arrests in a lawsuit we filed in September on behalf of targeted D.C. residents and an immigration organization. This temporary order prohibits immigration agents from arresting people without a warrant or probable cause that the person is 1) in the U.S. unlawfully and 2) that they may leave the country before a warrant is obtained. The court's ruling affirms that immigration agents are not above the law and that all federal agents are required by law to respect our rights.

Lawsuit

• Former federal employees sue over civil rights violations. In December, a group of former federal employees filed a class action lawsuit challenging the Trump administration for unlawfully firing employees who the administration claimed were involved with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work. We are asking the court to reinstate the employees and to make them whole for lost wages and other damages. The president cannot fire dedicated civil servants simply because of who they are or what the Trump administration thinks they believe.

Event Jan 27, 6 p.m.

• Trump, Your Rights, and Resistance Talk. Our nation looks a lot different a year after President Trump took office in January 2025. What has actually happened – and what does it mean for our rights? Join Profs & Pints for an informed breakdown on the civil rights and civil liberties issues that have defined the past year, with Scott Michelman, legal director of the ACLU of D.C. and lecturer on law and Shikes Fellow in Civil Liberties and Civil Rights at Harvard Law School. Tickets start at $13.50 (plus sales tax and processing fee), and the talk begins at 6:30 p.m.

Blog

• A Year of Resistance in the Nation's Capital. In this blog post, ACLU-D.C. Executive Director Monica reflects on our work in 2025 under the second Trump administration. Since day one, we've taken over 12 legal actions challenging the Trump administration, our intake program has responded to over 1,500 civil rights and liberties violation complaints, and we've formed stronger relationships with congressional offices for federal support on D.C. issues. Read her full blog post to see why she concludes that "Trump's tactics have shone a very bright light on why D.C. needs full autonomy and independent self-governance through statehood."