On Monday evening, Judge Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed and sworn into the Supreme Court of the United States. This confirmation will have potentially severe impacts on healthcare, immigration, and abortion rights. If Roe v. Wade were overturned, abortion rights would be in the hands of individual states. Some states have already enacted bans that […]
Barrett’s Appointment to Supreme Court Breaks Norms and Generates Outrage
Yesterday, Judge Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed and sworn into the Supreme Court. Barrett was confirmed by a 52-48 vote with all Democratic senators voting no for the first time in 151 years. This confirmation occurs in the context of an ongoing pandemic and an election that is now only one week away. In fact, more […]
Thousands of Women March in Washington D.C. to Protest Amy Coney Barrett’s Nomination
Last Saturday, thousands of Women’s March demonstrators marched the streets of Washington D.C. to protest Trump’s nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. This march was organized by the Women’s March and required masks or face coverings and social distancing. Several events were also held virtually. Rachel Carmona, executive director of the […]
Los Angeles County Agrees to Pay $14 Million to Settle Immigration Suit
Yesterday, Los Angeles County voted to pay out $14 million to settle a class action suit that claimed that the Sheriff’s Department illegally held more than 18,500 people in jail beyond their release dates. The L.A. County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to settle, so the only thing left is a judge’s approval. This lawsuit […]
Senate Holds Confirmation Hearings for SCOTUS Nominee Amy Coney Barrett
Yesterday, confirmation hearings began in the Senate for President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett. Many of the speeches and declarations made were regarding the 2020 elections, particularly Trump’s backing of a lawsuit against the Affordable Care Act and the rushing of this hearing during a pandemic that has impacted many on Capitol Hill. […]
Senate in Recess Because of Coronavirus Cases
As of Monday, the Senate is in recess for two weeks due to many members of Trump’s staff, as well as three senators, testing positive for coronavirus. This is the first time since May that Mitch McConnell has adjourned the Senate because of coronavirus, and will potentially impact both the confirmation of Judge Amy Coney […]
Trump Administration Will Stop Blocking Pregnant Minors in Custody from Accessing Abortion
According to a judge-approved agreement from Wednesday, the Trump administration will cease blocking immigrant teens in federal custody from accessing abortion care. The policy follows an ACLU lawsuit from 2017 on behalf of a 17-year-old from Central America seeking an abortion, referred to as “Jane Doe”. The ACLU claimed that the government’s abortion ban has […]
Federal Judge Blocks Increase in Citizenship & Immigration Application Fees
Yesterday, a San Francisco federal judge temporarily blocked an increase in the cost of citizenship and other immigration application fees, an upsurge initiated by the Trump administration. These increases were scheduled to go into effect on Friday, October 2nd, and would raise the citizenship application cost from $640 to $1,160– an 81% increase. The proposal […]
Trump Nominates Conservative Judge Amy Coney Barrett to Fill RBG’s Seat
President Trump announced that he will nominate Judge Amy Coney Barrett to fill the Supreme Court vacancy left by the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Barrett is a staunch conservative with opposite views of Justice Ginsburg’s. Judge Barrett is a member of the religious group People of Praise, which “preaches women’s subordination to men and […]
Grand Jury Fails to Charge Officers Responsible for Breonna Taylor’s Murder
On September 23, a decision was made by a grand jury concerning the murder of Breonna Taylor, the 26-year-old Black woman from Louisville, KY who was killed in her home in March of this year. Out of the three officers present at her murder, only one – Brett Hankison – was charged. Hankison was charged […]
Celebrating Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Enormous Contribution to Women’s Rights
The impact Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg left on the contours of American society are unmatched, unprecedented, and too numerous to count. Below are a few examples of her impact, both in and out of the courtroom. ACLU Women’s Rights Project: in 1972, Justice Ginsburg founded the Women’s Rights Project in the ACLU. One of its […]
Federal Court Blocks Trump Order Prohibiting Census from Counting Undocumented Immigrants
Yesterday, a three-judge panel in New York ruled unanimously that President Trump’s executive order to exclude undocumented immigrants from the census count was unlawful. The President’s July memo stated that undocumented immigrants should not count for purposes of deciding the reapportionment of the House. The court’s decision mandates that his order violates the 14th Amendment […]
Federal Court Rules That Students May Use Bathrooms That Match Their Gender Identity
In a win for transgender rights, a federal appeals court has ruled that a Virginia high school’s transgender bathroom rule is unconstitutional, discriminatory, and a violation of Title IX rules. Gavin Grimm sued his Virginia high school in 2015 after being barred from using the boys restroom, citing Title IX protections against sex discrimination. While […]
Michigan Women Sue To Repeal Period Tax
Three Michigan women are suing the state’s Treasury Department over taxes on menstrual products, claiming the taxes violates the equal protections clause in both the state and U.S. constitutions. The plaintiffs, represented by menstrual equity group Period Equity, is suing to end the tax and to issue a refund to people who have paid the […]
Despite Landmark Cases, Abortion & Transgender Rights Challenged in Courts
Last June, the Supreme Court delivered two landmark decisions regarding abortion & transgender rights. In June Medical Services v. Russo, the court struck down a restrictive Louisiana law that would have left just a single abortion clinic in the entire state open, and in Bostock V. Clayton, the court ruled that the Civil Rights Act […]
Federal Court Rules in Favor of Arkansas Abortion Law
The Eight Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Friday to lift a block on four restrictive abortion laws passed in Arkansas. Legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Arkansas, Holly Dickson, stated: “This ruling is a reminder that the fight against these extreme abortion restrictions is far from won… we are evaluating our […]
Court Rules that Trans Students Must Have Access to Bathrooms that Match Their Gender
On Friday, a federal court in Florida ruled that it is unconstitutional for public schools to ban transgender students from using the bathroom that best matches their gender identity. In a 2-1 decision, the Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit issued the ruling on the basis that “a public school […]
New York Attorney General Seeks to Dissolve the NRA, Citing Fraud and Abuse
Following an 18-month investigation into the National Rifle Association (NRA), New York Attorney General Letitia James took action on Thursday to dissolve the organization, which she argued is “fraught with fraud and abuse.” In a press conference, James announced that she was filing a lawsuit against the NRA along with four individuals affiliated with the […]
Trump Administration Places Further Limitations on DACA in Defiance of Court Order
On Tuesday the Trump administration took further action to limit the scope of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA). Chad Wolf, Acting Secretary for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), announced in a memo that the Trump administration would not accept new applications for DACA and would force those currently enrolled in […]
Judge Temporarily Blocks Tennessee Abortion Ban
A federal judge temporarily blocked Tennessee’s abortion law on Friday. The law – or “heartbeat bill” – would ban abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, which can be as early as six weeks. The bill was previously stopped through a temporary restraining order by District Judge William L. Campbell less than an hour after […]
