Defending Iranian American rights, a monumental immigration reform bill, and more. Keep up with what's happening on the frontlines.

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Every week, we send emails like these wrapping up the latest news in civil rights and liberties. It's an easy way for activists like you to keep up with some of the most urgent issues of the day. After all, staying informed is a key part of defending our democracy.

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This week's best reads from the front lines of the fight for civil liberties.

ALL RIGHTS, ALL THE TIME
Iranian Americans Have Rights, Too – No Matter What's Happening Abroad

In the state of Washington this weekend, U.S. border authorities summarily detained and interrogated Iranian Americans and lawful permanent residents who were on their way home from Canada. Some of them were returning from holiday trips to see family in Vancouver, some had visited for a pop concert, others were simply on vacation. All were singled out because of their Iranian heritage. This news is highly disturbing, but it's not the first time law enforcement officers have targeted vulnerable communities. As political tensions continue to flare between the U.S. and Iran, it is important to know our rights – and assert them.

Read more →
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By Abdi Soltani
January 8, 2020

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AT LIBERTY PODCAST
Ruth Bader Ginsburg's Stamp on the ACLU

This week, we are bringing back a very special episode from 2019 featuring our former director of the Women's Rights Project, Lenora Lapidus. Lenora passed away just a few months after the interview, having fought a long battle with cancer. She started as an intern in 1988, later served as legal director of the ACLU of New Jersey, and for nearly two decades led the ACLU's Women's Rights Project, which was founded by Ruth Bader Ginsburg. During this memorable conversation, Lenora reflects on her own journey as a women's rights advocate, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg's lasting impact on the ACLU.

Listen here →
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By ACLU Staff
January 9, 2020

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FIGHT OF THE CENTURY
Writers Reflect on 100 Years of Landmark ACLU Cases

We've covered a lot of ground in 100 years, and now there's a book to show for it. "Fight of the Century" features original essays by some of today's most influential authors – including Viet Thanh Nguyen, Ann Patchett, Yaa Gyasi, and many more – who provide unique literary takes on pivotal legal battles that have advanced our civil rights and liberties in the past century. The essays are edited and compiled by Michael Chabon and Ayelet Waldman. You can now preorder the book before it goes on sale January 21. (Note: This link will direct you to Simon & Schuster's website.)

Order your copy →
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By ACLU Staff
January 7, 2020

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A BREAKTHROUGH FOR IMMIGRATION
How a Monumental Bill Could Fix the System

In 1996, at the height of the "tough on crime" era, President Bill Clinton signed two laws that dramatically helped usher in today's draconian immigration enforcement system. In December 2019, however, four congress members introduced the New Way Forward Act, groundbreaking legislation that both restores fundamental due process protections for immigrants and breaks down automatic pipelines to deportation from the criminal legal system. The ACLU enthusiastically supports the New Way Forward Act, which if passed will change the lives of countless immigrants and communities and restore due process in our immigration system.

Read more →
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By Madhuri Grewal and Yesenia Chavez
January 7, 2019

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NEW ANSWERS TO AN OLD ATROCITY
Tulsa's Troubling Past is Not Far Removed from Its Present

The Tulsa massacre of 1921 may have become known to many Americans because of a fictional HBO series, but it is far from fictitious. Is the probable discovery of previously undiscovered mass graves in Tulsa enough to propel the city to a reckoning – an unambiguous admission of responsibility for horrific acts and a determined mind to make right what was wrong? We are about to find out. As forensic scientists explore the ground beneath Tulsa in search of answers, one thing is clear: Until the truth is reckoned with, the stench of racism will hover over Tulsa.

Read more →
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By Jeffery Robinson
January 6, 2019

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CAPITAL PUNISHMENT ON THE BIG SCREEN
"Clemency:" Exposing the Machinery of Death

"Clemency," a new film starring Alfre Woodard as a prison warden, explores the brutalizing effect the death penalty has on everyone else in the system – the wardens, prison guards, chaplains, defense lawyers, and their families, as well as the families of the victims and the condemned. The power of the film is its ability to portray the price paid by everyone involved in the death penalty, including, by extension, our society – you and me. It is a harrowing reminder that those who care about justice and the dignity of every human life are not alone. We can abolish the death penalty once and for all.

Read more →
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By Stephen Rohde
January 9, 2019

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