ACLU: Trump's Boat Strikes Are Illegal. The Public Needs Answers.

Trump's Boat Strikes Are Illegal. The Public Needs Answers.

If a president can murder civilians at sea and keep the legal justifications secret, we should all be concerned. The harm is even worse when basic factual evidence, such as full videos and orders, are also hidden from the American people.

Since September, the Trump administration has ordered 26 lethal strikes on civilian boats in international waters, killing 99 people and upending countless lives. The administration continues to push unsubstantiated, fear-mongering claims about who these people were, despite investigations showing that some of those killed were fishermen just trying to make a living for their families. The administration also refuses to release the secret memo that purports to provide a legal justification for these killings, or the full, unedited videos of the strikes themselves.

The danger is not just the body count, horrific as it is. It’s the precedent: a president asserting the power to redefine civilians as “combatants,” and pretend he has the authority to grant advance immunity to federal officials for killing people. That is an egregious abuse of power with life-or-death consequences, and it will only stop if the courts, Congress, and the public make clear that this cannot continue.

Why Trump’s Boat Strikes Memo Must Be Made Public

Under both U.S. and international law, it is flagrantly illegal to use the military to kill civilians suspected only of crimes. The United States is not in an armed conflict with anyone in Latin America. That means the people on these boats are civilians. Civilians, including those suspected of smuggling drugs, are not lawful targets. Just because The Trump administration says these strikes are firmly grounded in law doesn’t make it true.

The Trump administration is relying on a secret opinion from the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) to justify these ongoing strikes. This memo reportedly details the Trump administration’s legal reasoning behind a couple of its totally incorrect conclusions: that the strikes are lawful because the United States is in an “armed conflict” with unspecified drug cartels, and that the officials who have authorized or carried out these strikes should not be prosecuted for murder or other crimes. Even as legal experts from across the political spectrum have debunked these claims, the administration has refused to release the OLC memo or any related records.

That’s why the ACLU, the Center for Constitutional Rights, and the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) have filed a lawsuit demanding the immediate release of the OLC opinion and related documents about these boat strikes. If the Trump administration is relying on an OLC opinion to justify killing civilians in international waters, the public has a right to read it. Our lawsuit argues that the government has violated the Freedom of Information Act by refusing to release any records, despite FOIA’s clear deadlines and the urgent public interest in understanding how the administration is attempting to legally rationalize ongoing killings. We cannot be a nation of secret laws.

The devastation wrought by the Trump administration’s secret legal reasoning is not hypothetical. On September 2, after Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth reportedly gave an order to “kill everybody” on a boat in the Caribbean, according to media accounts, Admiral Frank Bradley ordered one or more additional strikes on two civilians who survived an initial strike and were ultimately killed after clinging to the boat’s wreckage for more than 40 minutes. After watching the video of this apparent “double-tap” strike, Democratic Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, the ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee, said to reporters, “What I saw in that room was one of the most troubling things I’ve seen in my time in public service.” When questioned about these heinous strikes, the White House press secretary insisted that they were carried out “in accordance with the law of armed conflict,” citing the “DOJ Office of Legal Counsel opinion and other related documents.”

We’re asking a court to step in. The president doesn’t have the power to create a private, secret legal universe where cold-blooded murder of civilians can be recast as lawful policy. Courts ordering disclosure of these documents is a crucial step toward transparency, accountability, and stopping the strikes.

Congress Must Demand Transparency and Accountability Now

At the same time, we’re pushing Congress to do its job: conduct real oversight, in public. We know that when the U.S. government is implicated in horrific and criminal conduct, transparency cannot wait. For example, in 2008, after reporting revealed that the U.S. was torturing prisoners at a US-run prison in Iraq known as “Abu Ghraib,” the Senate Armed Services Committee moved within days to hold public hearings with the defense secretary and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. By contrast, more than three months after the boat strikes, Congress has not held any hearings on the killings. Everything has been behind closed doors, other than the bits of video that Hegseth wants the public to see.

We have also made clear that oversight cannot stop with the “double-tap” strike, but must probe all the illegal strikes. As the ACLU explained in a letter to the Senate Armed Services Committee, while killing shipwrecked survivors is undoubtedly unlawful and grotesque, so too are the other 24 strikes that have been carried out in our name. As a chorus of legal experts have repeatedly explained, the United States may not use lethal force against any of the civilians in these boats. Upholding the rule of law means stopping illegal killing in its entirety, not just addressing its most nightmarish moments.

Even members of Congress who support the strikes, like Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, agree that the full unedited videos should be released. Military officials have repeatedly told members that they could be released as well.

That’s why we’re calling on Congress to:

1. Hold immediate public hearings on President Trump’s illegal boat strikes, with testimony from Secretary Hegseth and every official who planned, authorized, or carried them out.
2. Force transparency by insisting that the secret OLC opinion, unedited videos of the strikes, and the underlying orders be made public.
3. Make clear that killing civilians is a crime, not a policy choice and that the president does not have the authority to act as judge, jury, and executioner.

Transparency can’t wait while the government murders more people. That’s why we’re asking everyone to send a message to their representatives in Congress urging them to act now. Demanding answers, insisting on public hearings, and refusing to accept secret law as a license to kill, is how we can all help stop these unlawful strikes and defend the basic principle that no one – not even the president – is above the law.

Published December 19, 2025 at 03:40AM
via ACLU https://ift.tt/Jr59ten

ACLU: Trump's Boat Strikes Are Illegal. The Public Needs Answers.

Trump's Boat Strikes Are Illegal. The Public Needs Answers.

If a president can murder civilians at sea and keep the legal justifications secret, we should all be concerned. The harm is even worse when basic factual evidence, such as full videos and orders, are also hidden from the American people.

Since September, the Trump administration has ordered 26 lethal strikes on civilian boats in international waters, killing 99 people and upending countless lives. The administration continues to push unsubstantiated, fear-mongering claims about who these people were, despite investigations showing that some of those killed were fishermen just trying to make a living for their families. The administration also refuses to release the secret memo that purports to provide a legal justification for these killings, or the full, unedited videos of the strikes themselves.

The danger is not just the body count, horrific as it is. It’s the precedent: a president asserting the power to redefine civilians as “combatants,” and pretend he has the authority to grant advance immunity to federal officials for killing people. That is an egregious abuse of power with life-or-death consequences, and it will only stop if the courts, Congress, and the public make clear that this cannot continue.

Why Trump’s Boat Strikes Memo Must Be Made Public

Under both U.S. and international law, it is flagrantly illegal to use the military to kill civilians suspected only of crimes. The United States is not in an armed conflict with anyone in Latin America. That means the people on these boats are civilians. Civilians, including those suspected of smuggling drugs, are not lawful targets. Just because The Trump administration says these strikes are firmly grounded in law doesn’t make it true.

The Trump administration is relying on a secret opinion from the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) to justify these ongoing strikes. This memo reportedly details the Trump administration’s legal reasoning behind a couple of its totally incorrect conclusions: that the strikes are lawful because the United States is in an “armed conflict” with unspecified drug cartels, and that the officials who have authorized or carried out these strikes should not be prosecuted for murder or other crimes. Even as legal experts from across the political spectrum have debunked these claims, the administration has refused to release the OLC memo or any related records.

That’s why the ACLU, the Center for Constitutional Rights, and the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) have filed a lawsuit demanding the immediate release of the OLC opinion and related documents about these boat strikes. If the Trump administration is relying on an OLC opinion to justify killing civilians in international waters, the public has a right to read it. Our lawsuit argues that the government has violated the Freedom of Information Act by refusing to release any records, despite FOIA’s clear deadlines and the urgent public interest in understanding how the administration is attempting to legally rationalize ongoing killings. We cannot be a nation of secret laws.

The devastation wrought by the Trump administration’s secret legal reasoning is not hypothetical. On September 2, after Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth reportedly gave an order to “kill everybody” on a boat in the Caribbean, according to media accounts, Admiral Frank Bradley ordered one or more additional strikes on two civilians who survived an initial strike and were ultimately killed after clinging to the boat’s wreckage for more than 40 minutes. After watching the video of this apparent “double-tap” strike, Democratic Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, the ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee, said to reporters, “What I saw in that room was one of the most troubling things I’ve seen in my time in public service.” When questioned about these heinous strikes, the White House press secretary insisted that they were carried out “in accordance with the law of armed conflict,” citing the “DOJ Office of Legal Counsel opinion and other related documents.”

We’re asking a court to step in. The president doesn’t have the power to create a private, secret legal universe where cold-blooded murder of civilians can be recast as lawful policy. Courts ordering disclosure of these documents is a crucial step toward transparency, accountability, and stopping the strikes.

Congress Must Demand Transparency and Accountability Now

At the same time, we’re pushing Congress to do its job: conduct real oversight, in public. We know that when the U.S. government is implicated in horrific and criminal conduct, transparency cannot wait. For example, in 2008, after reporting revealed that the U.S. was torturing prisoners at a US-run prison in Iraq known as “Abu Ghraib,” the Senate Armed Services Committee moved within days to hold public hearings with the defense secretary and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. By contrast, more than three months after the boat strikes, Congress has not held any hearings on the killings. Everything has been behind closed doors, other than the bits of video that Hegseth wants the public to see.

We have also made clear that oversight cannot stop with the “double-tap” strike, but must probe all the illegal strikes. As the ACLU explained in a letter to the Senate Armed Services Committee, while killing shipwrecked survivors is undoubtedly unlawful and grotesque, so too are the other 24 strikes that have been carried out in our name. As a chorus of legal experts have repeatedly explained, the United States may not use lethal force against any of the civilians in these boats. Upholding the rule of law means stopping illegal killing in its entirety, not just addressing its most nightmarish moments.

Even members of Congress who support the strikes, like Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, agree that the full unedited videos should be released. Military officials have repeatedly told members that they could be released as well.

That’s why we’re calling on Congress to:

1. Hold immediate public hearings on President Trump’s illegal boat strikes, with testimony from Secretary Hegseth and every official who planned, authorized, or carried them out.
2. Force transparency by insisting that the secret OLC opinion, unedited videos of the strikes, and the underlying orders be made public.
3. Make clear that killing civilians is a crime, not a policy choice and that the president does not have the authority to act as judge, jury, and executioner.

Transparency can’t wait while the government murders more people. That’s why we’re asking everyone to send a message to their representatives in Congress urging them to act now. Demanding answers, insisting on public hearings, and refusing to accept secret law as a license to kill, is how we can all help stop these unlawful strikes and defend the basic principle that no one – not even the president – is above the law.

Published December 18, 2025 at 10:10PM
via ACLU https://ift.tt/38cT4Uu

ACLU: Trump, Immigration, Trans Rights: The Stories That Shaped 2025

Trump, Immigration, Trans Rights: The Stories That Shaped 2025

This year, the ACLU’s most-read stories reflected the pressing issues shaping life in America: challenges to civil liberties, attacks on marginalized communities, and the ongoing struggle to hold those in power accountable.

From Trump’s unprecedented moves to expand domestic military operations and cut funding to public media, to the targeting of immigrant families and activists like Mahmoud Khalil, these stories reveal a society grappling with the consequences of abuse of power, political retaliation, and discrimination. Our work explaining Trump’s executive orders undermining protections for transgender people, and revealing how immigrant parents pushed back against Donald Trump’s attacks on birthright citizenship show our communities actively fighting for their rights.

These stories are not just headlines; they are evidence of the forces threatening democracy, free speech, and human dignity. They also show the resilience of individuals and advocates pushing back. Together, they offer a snapshot of the issues defining 2025 and the ongoing fight for justice.

---

Trump 2.0 and Abuse of Power

Starting mere hours after he was sworn in, Trump’s dangerous abuse of power threatens core democratic principles and civil liberties. These stories show how his expanded domestic deployment of the military and his attacks on press freedom risk silencing dissent and put vulnerable communities at risk.

Trump's Expanded Domestic Military Use Should Worry Us All

Starting in January, we sounded the alarm that military troops do not belong on our streets and should not be used to police civilians here at home. Since he took office, President Donald Trump has deployed military troops and federal agents in cities across the country in an effort to scare our communities, target political opponents and intimidate those who protest his policies.

This is all part of a continued effort by President Trump to abuse his power and deploy federal agents and military troops anywhere he wants, against whoever he wants. Cities and communities have pushed back, joining the ACLU and our partners to stop our neighborhoods from becoming places where people feel afraid to leave their homes.

What Happens Next: Courts have so far blocked the Trump administration’s attempts to federalize state National Guard troops and deploy them to multiple cities, including Portland and Chicago. But the government has now asked the Supreme Court to affirm its attempt to federalize and deploy troops to Chicago. The ACLU continues to urge both the courts and Congress to block these deployments and hold the Trump administration accountable for any abuses that stem from these activations.

Read The Full Story

Trump's Attacks on Press Freedom Escalate: NPR, PBS Funding Cuts Explained

Trump’s efforts to defund NPR and PBS were a historic assault on press freedom. In a May 2025 executive order titled “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Biased Media,” Trump directed agencies to cut both direct and indirect federal funding to these public media outlets, accusing them of biased reporting. In response, NPR and several local stations filed a lawsuit, arguing that the order violates the First Amendment by retaliating against them for their editorial choices. The ACLU filed a friend-of-the-court brief in support.

What Happens Next: These lawsuits, and the fight for press freedom, is ongoing.

Read The Full Story

---

Safeguarding Immigration and Speech Rights

Trump’s immigration policies violate constitutional protections and basic human rights. Key concerns include threats to birthright citizenship, as well as the detention and deportation of individuals for political advocacy.

A Letter From Palestinian Activist Mahmoud Khalil

Our client, Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil wrote a powerful letter to his newborn son from an immigration detention center in Louisiana, where he was held for three months after ICE arrested him without a warrant in retaliation for his protected speech. In his letter, he appeals to students, advocates, and elected officials to defend the right to protest — framing his case not just as personal persecution but as part of a broader attack on immigrants, the rule of law, and people who spoke out in support of Palestinian human rights.

What Happens Next: Khalil was released from detention in June 2025 after a federal judge ordered his release and blocked the administration from deporting him as the case proceeds. His immigration case and his lawsuit challenging his unconstitutional detention are both ongoing.

Read The Full Story

‘My Child is Now a Political Debate’: Immigrant Families Battle Trump’s Birthright Citizenship Threats

Across the country, iImmigrant parents—many of whom have U.S.-born children—had to confront the reality that their own kids could be treated like political bargaining chips. The ACLU represented several families in their lawsuit against the Trump administration's unlawful executive order targeting birthright citizenship. They told us that revoking citizenship for children born in the U.S. was not only terrifying, but a violation of their constitutional rights.

What Happens Next: The Supreme Court announced in December that it will hear our case challenging Trump’s attempt to deny birthright citizenship to babies born in the U.S. We’re prepared to remind the court that the administration’s attempt to end birthright citizenship is a direct violation of the 14th Amendment.

Read The Full Story

---

Protecting Our Communities and Ourselves

Trump’s unlawful policies targeting transgender people endanger safety, compromise health, and strip transgender and intersex people of dignity and autonomy. We continue to challenge these actions in court

Trump's Executive Orders Promoting Sex Discrimination, Explained

In January, Trump’s executive orders targeting transgender people ordered the Federal Bureau of Prisons and Department of Homeland Security to force transgender women into men’s prisons and detention centers, ignoring safety guidelines, and withdraw medically-necessary care, putting more than 2,000 incarcerated trans people at high risk of abuse. The order also blocked transgender and intersex people from updating sex markers on new passports, visas, and trusted traveler documents, effectively outing them and limiting their ability to travel.

What Happens Next: The Supreme Court allowed the government to enforce a discriminatory passport policy against transgender people. A federal judge, however, blocked the Trump administration from denying incarcerated people gender-affirming care.

Read The Full Story

Published December 18, 2025 at 10:06PM
via ACLU https://ift.tt/xJgtvh0

ACLU: Trump, Immigration, Trans Rights: The Stories That Shaped 2025

Trump, Immigration, Trans Rights: The Stories That Shaped 2025

This year, the ACLU’s most-read stories reflected the pressing issues shaping life in America: challenges to civil liberties, attacks on marginalized communities, and the ongoing struggle to hold those in power accountable.

From Trump’s unprecedented moves to expand domestic military operations and cut funding to public media, to the targeting of immigrant families and activists like Mahmoud Khalil, these stories reveal a society grappling with the consequences of abuse of power, political retaliation, and discrimination. Our work explaining Trump’s executive orders undermining protections for transgender people, and revealing how immigrant parents pushed back against Donald Trump’s attacks on birthright citizenship show our communities actively fighting for their rights.

These stories are not just headlines; they are evidence of the forces threatening democracy, free speech, and human dignity. They also show the resilience of individuals and advocates pushing back. Together, they offer a snapshot of the issues defining 2025 and the ongoing fight for justice.

---

Trump 2.0 and Abuse of Power

Starting mere hours after he was sworn in, Trump’s dangerous abuse of power threatens core democratic principles and civil liberties. These stories show how his expanded domestic deployment of the military and his attacks on press freedom risk silencing dissent and put vulnerable communities at risk.

Trump's Expanded Domestic Military Use Should Worry Us All

Starting in January, we sounded the alarm that military troops do not belong on our streets and should not be used to police civilians here at home. Since he took office, President Donald Trump has deployed military troops and federal agents in cities across the country in an effort to scare our communities, target political opponents and intimidate those who protest his policies.

This is all part of a continued effort by President Trump to abuse his power and deploy federal agents and military troops anywhere he wants, against whoever he wants. Cities and communities have pushed back, joining the ACLU and our partners to stop our neighborhoods from becoming places where people feel afraid to leave their homes.

What Happens Next: Courts have so far blocked the Trump administration’s attempts to federalize state National Guard troops and deploy them to multiple cities, including Portland and Chicago. But the government has now asked the Supreme Court to affirm its attempt to federalize and deploy troops to Chicago. The ACLU continues to urge both the courts and Congress to block these deployments and hold the Trump administration accountable for any abuses that stem from these activations.

Read The Full Story

Trump's Attacks on Press Freedom Escalate: NPR, PBS Funding Cuts Explained

Trump’s efforts to defund NPR and PBS were a historic assault on press freedom. In a May 2025 executive order titled “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Biased Media,” Trump directed agencies to cut both direct and indirect federal funding to these public media outlets, accusing them of biased reporting. In response, NPR and several local stations filed a lawsuit, arguing that the order violates the First Amendment by retaliating against them for their editorial choices. The ACLU filed a friend-of-the-court brief in support.

What Happens Next: These lawsuits, and the fight for press freedom, is ongoing.

Read The Full Story

---

Safeguarding Immigration and Speech Rights

Trump’s immigration policies violate constitutional protections and basic human rights. Key concerns include threats to birthright citizenship, as well as the detention and deportation of individuals for political advocacy.

A Letter From Palestinian Activist Mahmoud Khalil

Our client, Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil wrote a powerful letter to his newborn son from an immigration detention center in Louisiana, where he was held for three months after ICE arrested him without a warrant in retaliation for his protected speech. In his letter, he appeals to students, advocates, and elected officials to defend the right to protest — framing his case not just as personal persecution but as part of a broader attack on immigrants, the rule of law, and people who spoke out in support of Palestinian human rights.

What Happens Next: Khalil was released from detention in June 2025 after a federal judge ordered his release and blocked the administration from deporting him as the case proceeds. His immigration case and his lawsuit challenging his unconstitutional detention are both ongoing.

Read The Full Story

‘My Child is Now a Political Debate’: Immigrant Families Battle Trump’s Birthright Citizenship Threats

Across the country, iImmigrant parents—many of whom have U.S.-born children—had to confront the reality that their own kids could be treated like political bargaining chips. The ACLU represented several families in their lawsuit against the Trump administration's unlawful executive order targeting birthright citizenship. They told us that revoking citizenship for children born in the U.S. was not only terrifying, but a violation of their constitutional rights.

What Happens Next: The Supreme Court announced in December that it will hear our case challenging Trump’s attempt to deny birthright citizenship to babies born in the U.S. We’re prepared to remind the court that the administration’s attempt to end birthright citizenship is a direct violation of the 14th Amendment.

Read The Full Story

---

Protecting Our Communities and Ourselves

Trump’s unlawful policies targeting transgender people endanger safety, compromise health, and strip transgender and intersex people of dignity and autonomy. We continue to challenge these actions in court

Trump's Executive Orders Promoting Sex Discrimination, Explained

In January, Trump’s executive orders targeting transgender people ordered the Federal Bureau of Prisons and Department of Homeland Security to force transgender women into men’s prisons and detention centers, ignoring safety guidelines, and withdraw medically-necessary care, putting more than 2,000 incarcerated trans people at high risk of abuse. The order also blocked transgender and intersex people from updating sex markers on new passports, visas, and trusted traveler documents, effectively outing them and limiting their ability to travel.

What Happens Next: The Supreme Court allowed the government to enforce a discriminatory passport policy against transgender people. A federal judge, however, blocked the Trump administration from denying incarcerated people gender-affirming care.

Read The Full Story

Published December 18, 2025 at 04:36PM
via ACLU https://ift.tt/T5B2giI

ACLU: Inside an ICE Detention Center: Detained People Describe Severe Medical Neglect, Harrowing Conditions

Inside an ICE Detention Center: Detained People Describe Severe Medical Neglect, Harrowing Conditions

When U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained Fernando Viera Reyes, his first concern was deportation. His second: prostate cancer.

“It’s one thing being healthy and going through that, but now there’s no medical attention,” Viera Reyes said. “I talked to guys who had been in detention. One guy said you’re not going to make it. You’re going to suffer.”

Viera Reyes is among seven people detained by ICE who sued the Trump administration on November 12 over inhumane conditions at the privately owned California City Detention Facility. The plaintiffs filed their lawsuit with the support of the ACLU, California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice, Prison Law Office, and Keker Van Nest & Peters as a class action representing all people detained at California City. They cite punishing conditions, enforced isolation, neglect of people with disabilities, denial of access to counsel, and, as in Viera Reyes’ case, the facility’s terrifyingly inadequate medical care. ICE’s neglect of Viera Reyes’s medical condition is so severe that he filed an emergency motion.

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Medical Neglect at ICE Detention Center

While he was detained in a different California immigration detention center in 2024, Viera Reyes was in agonizing pain, and had blood in his urine and stool. He underwent multiple tests that showed signs of prostate cancer. Viera Reyes has since been in an endless limbo of trying to get a final test: a biopsy to diagnose the cancer, so he can receive prompt treatment.

Detention administrators failed to get him that biopsy before he was transferred to California City Detention Facility, the largest immigration detention center in the state, in August 2025. Since his transfer, Viera Reyes’ barriers to treatment and painful uncertainty regarding his health have worsened. Not only has ICE thwarted his attempts to get a biopsy, Viera Reyes also cannot access the medication he needs to manage symptoms. He has had difficulty seeing a doctor, let alone a specialist. ICE also did not send his health care records with him when he was transferred from another ICE facility to California City, further delaying his treatment. At this point, he has reason to believe his cancer has spread.

Since Viera Reyes arrived at California City, his health has gotten worse. He stays in bed more than he used to. It’s difficult for him to use the bathroom without feeling pain and discomfort, especially without medication. Lately, a pulsating feeling has intensified.

“I was in prison for over 30 years,” Viera Reyes said. “The conditions at California City are worse.”

At least in prison there were fewer barriers to access medical care than he has faced in ICE detention. He was also able to work out, participate in classes and go to church. Now, all he can do to distract himself is watch television. “I always worry. My mind right now is racing,” he said. “We’re just stuck and the only thing that works a lot is our mind, the anxiety.”

Because the levels in his blood work that indicate illness are escalating, Viera Reyes has advocated constantly for his own wellbeing by putting in multiple emergency requests to see a urologist, but his requests have been ignored. When he reported the pain he was experiencing and asked for medication, the doctor prescribed him Vitamin C. Others told him to buy Tylenol from the commissary.

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ICE Detention Center Violates Immigrant Rights and Basic Needs

Despite the egregious medical neglect Viera Reyes is experiencing, his story is just one among the hundreds of people detained at California City. Led by the people detained, the lawsuit unveils the myriad ways that ICE and the Department of Homeland Security fail to accommodate basic human needs for the people in their care.Fernando Gomez Ruiz, another person who is suing ICE alongside Viera Reyes, was repeatedly denied insulin, leading to elevated blood sugar levels. He also has an ulcer on his foot that he was not getting proper treatment for. Another plaintiff, Yuri Alexander Roque Campos, could not get his heart medications, even though he had two emergency room visits as soon as he arrived at the facility. The emergency room doctor told the facility that he urgently needed to see a cardiac specialist within 72 hours. He is still waiting for that specialist appointment three months later.

Plaintiffs in the lawsuit also cite excessively restrictive and punitive conditions. For example, Gustavo Guevara Alarcon was placed in solitary confinement for asking to finish his shower.

“Sometimes it feels like they’re treating us like prisoners, but we’re not,” Viera Reyes said. “It’s like they want us to act like prisoners. They want us to be hostile, even for medical reasons, banging on the door and yelling.”

In addition to the severely broken medical system at California City, people with disabilities are denied basic accommodations, such as sign language interpreters and wheelchairs. One plaintiff in the lawsuit who is Deaf and only speaks in American Sign Language, Jose Ruiz Canizales, has only interacted with a sign language interpreter by the facility once, via video. It’s made him feel completely isolated. When he tried to communicate with staff, they would often shrug their shoulders, walk away, or laugh at him.

“So often what happens in a detention facility behind locked doors and barbed wire is invisible to the public,” said Kyle Virgien, senior staff attorney at the ACLU National Prison Project. “It's really important that people know what's being done by our government in our name.”

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Detained People Describe Punitive Treatment and Harsh Conditions

The facility holds people in small concrete cells the size of a parking space for hours on end without adequate clothing, food, or water. They deny people basic medical care, disability accommodations, and access to their lawyers and loved ones. Sewage bubbles up from the shower drains, and insects crawl up and down the walls of the cells in the decrepit facility. Officers threaten people who speak out against the abusive conditions with violence and solitary confinement, which they use excessively. Temperatures are frigid. Some wear socks on their arms as sleeves to stay warm.

California City previously operated as a state prison in the middle of the Mojave Desert managed by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. ICE contracted with the for-profit company CoreCivic to re-open the prison as an immigration detention center this year. It can hold up to 2,560 immigrants in the facility. Since its re-opening, it has come under intense criticism, with people detained at California City describing the facility as a “torture chamber,” and community members expressing outrage over its deplorable conditions. Detained people also have engaged in numerous sit-ins and hunger strikes, including in mid-September, when over 100 people across several housing pods engaged in collective action to demand an end to many of the abuses the lawsuit challenges.

“It's important to remember we lawyers have the freedom to bring this lawsuit without facing many personal consequences,” Virgien said. “But for the people on the inside, they are standing up against the government while they are under complete control of the government. So the fact that they're willing to stand up even though they might face retaliation or harm is just truly impressive. I'm so honored to be able to fight alongside them.”

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Immigrants Detained Struggle to Maintain Hope in the Face of Deportation and Mistreatment

While some have been empowered to fight back, pervasive fear and suffering have driven others to abandon their legal rights and agree to deportation.

One man at California City attempted suicide by hanging. He remains anonymous in the lawsuit. Another plaintiff, Sokhean Keo, who was friends with that man, saw his body hanging in the cell. The man survived and was transported to receive medical care. California City staff did not offer mental-health services to the people who had witnessed his suicide attempt. Instead, staff disciplined anyone who had not returned to their cells after the incident, people who remain haunted by the image of their friend’s body hanging in his cell.

Viera Reyes had heard that the man left a note that said he would rather die in America than be deported. “It triggered something in my mind like, ‘Wow, he has a point.’ I put myself in his shoes, because I know what’s going to happen to me if I get deported. But you start thinking about your family.”

At least two other detained people have attempted suicide, and others believe the number is higher. The desolation and desperation has rattled Viera Reyes. He said he tells other detained people in the facility: “Faith is going to have to be your base. Stand on that and believe that something is going to change,” he said. “I know I’m going through pain and I know they’re not doing what they’re supposed to do, but we have to have determination.”

Published December 17, 2025 at 08:02PM
via ACLU https://ift.tt/VJCkecq

ACLU: Inside an ICE Detention Center: Detained People Describe Severe Medical Neglect, Harrowing Conditions

Inside an ICE Detention Center: Detained People Describe Severe Medical Neglect, Harrowing Conditions

When U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained Fernando Viera Reyes, his first concern was deportation. His second: prostate cancer.

“It’s one thing being healthy and going through that, but now there’s no medical attention,” Viera Reyes said. “I talked to guys who had been in detention. One guy said you’re not going to make it. You’re going to suffer.”

Viera Reyes is among seven people detained by ICE who sued the Trump administration on November 12 over inhumane conditions at the privately owned California City Detention Facility. The plaintiffs filed their lawsuit with the support of the ACLU, California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice, Prison Law Office, and Keker Van Nest & Peters as a class action representing all people detained at California City. They cite punishing conditions, enforced isolation, neglect of people with disabilities, denial of access to counsel, and, as in Viera Reyes’ case, the facility’s terrifyingly inadequate medical care. ICE’s neglect of Viera Reyes’s medical condition is so severe that he filed an emergency motion.

---

Medical Neglect at ICE Detention Center

While he was detained in a different California immigration detention center in 2024, Viera Reyes was in agonizing pain, and had blood in his urine and stool. He underwent multiple tests that showed signs of prostate cancer. Viera Reyes has since been in an endless limbo of trying to get a final test: a biopsy to diagnose the cancer, so he can receive prompt treatment.

Detention administrators failed to get him that biopsy before he was transferred to California City Detention Facility, the largest immigration detention center in the state, in August 2025. Since his transfer, Viera Reyes’ barriers to treatment and painful uncertainty regarding his health have worsened. Not only has ICE thwarted his attempts to get a biopsy, Viera Reyes also cannot access the medication he needs to manage symptoms. He has had difficulty seeing a doctor, let alone a specialist. ICE also did not send his health care records with him when he was transferred from another ICE facility to California City, further delaying his treatment. At this point, he has reason to believe his cancer has spread.

Since Viera Reyes arrived at California City, his health has gotten worse. He stays in bed more than he used to. It’s difficult for him to use the bathroom without feeling pain and discomfort, especially without medication. Lately, a pulsating feeling has intensified.

“I was in prison for over 30 years,” Viera Reyes said. “The conditions at California City are worse.”

At least in prison there were fewer barriers to access medical care than he has faced in ICE detention. He was also able to work out, participate in classes and go to church. Now, all he can do to distract himself is watch television. “I always worry. My mind right now is racing,” he said. “We’re just stuck and the only thing that works a lot is our mind, the anxiety.”

Because the levels in his blood work that indicate illness are escalating, Viera Reyes has advocated constantly for his own wellbeing by putting in multiple emergency requests to see a urologist, but his requests have been ignored. When he reported the pain he was experiencing and asked for medication, the doctor prescribed him Vitamin C. Others told him to buy Tylenol from the commissary.

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ICE Detention Center Violates Immigrant Rights and Basic Needs

Despite the egregious medical neglect Viera Reyes is experiencing, his story is just one among the hundreds of people detained at California City. Led by the people detained, the lawsuit unveils the myriad ways that ICE and the Department of Homeland Security fail to accommodate basic human needs for the people in their care.Fernando Gomez Ruiz, another person who is suing ICE alongside Viera Reyes, was repeatedly denied insulin, leading to elevated blood sugar levels. He also has an ulcer on his foot that he was not getting proper treatment for. Another plaintiff, Yuri Alexander Roque Campos, could not get his heart medications, even though he had two emergency room visits as soon as he arrived at the facility. The emergency room doctor told the facility that he urgently needed to see a cardiac specialist within 72 hours. He is still waiting for that specialist appointment three months later.

Plaintiffs in the lawsuit also cite excessively restrictive and punitive conditions. For example, Gustavo Guevara Alarcon was placed in solitary confinement for asking to finish his shower.

“Sometimes it feels like they’re treating us like prisoners, but we’re not,” Viera Reyes said. “It’s like they want us to act like prisoners. They want us to be hostile, even for medical reasons, banging on the door and yelling.”

In addition to the severely broken medical system at California City, people with disabilities are denied basic accommodations, such as sign language interpreters and wheelchairs. One plaintiff in the lawsuit who is Deaf and only speaks in American Sign Language, Jose Ruiz Canizales, has only interacted with a sign language interpreter by the facility once, via video. It’s made him feel completely isolated. When he tried to communicate with staff, they would often shrug their shoulders, walk away, or laugh at him.

“So often what happens in a detention facility behind locked doors and barbed wire is invisible to the public,” said Kyle Virgien, senior staff attorney at the ACLU National Prison Project. “It's really important that people know what's being done by our government in our name.”

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Detained People Describe Punitive Treatment and Harsh Conditions

The facility holds people in small concrete cells the size of a parking space for hours on end without adequate clothing, food, or water. They deny people basic medical care, disability accommodations, and access to their lawyers and loved ones. Sewage bubbles up from the shower drains, and insects crawl up and down the walls of the cells in the decrepit facility. Officers threaten people who speak out against the abusive conditions with violence and solitary confinement, which they use excessively. Temperatures are frigid. Some wear socks on their arms as sleeves to stay warm.

California City previously operated as a state prison in the middle of the Mojave Desert managed by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. ICE contracted with the for-profit company CoreCivic to re-open the prison as an immigration detention center this year. It can hold up to 2,560 immigrants in the facility. Since its re-opening, it has come under intense criticism, with people detained at California City describing the facility as a “torture chamber,” and community members expressing outrage over its deplorable conditions. Detained people also have engaged in numerous sit-ins and hunger strikes, including in mid-September, when over 100 people across several housing pods engaged in collective action to demand an end to many of the abuses the lawsuit challenges.

“It's important to remember we lawyers have the freedom to bring this lawsuit without facing many personal consequences,” Virgien said. “But for the people on the inside, they are standing up against the government while they are under complete control of the government. So the fact that they're willing to stand up even though they might face retaliation or harm is just truly impressive. I'm so honored to be able to fight alongside them.”

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Immigrants Detained Struggle to Maintain Hope in the Face of Deportation and Mistreatment

While some have been empowered to fight back, pervasive fear and suffering have driven others to abandon their legal rights and agree to deportation.

One man at California City attempted suicide by hanging. He remains anonymous in the lawsuit. Another plaintiff, Sokhean Keo, who was friends with that man, saw his body hanging in the cell. The man survived and was transported to receive medical care. California City staff did not offer mental-health services to the people who had witnessed his suicide attempt. Instead, staff disciplined anyone who had not returned to their cells after the incident, people who remain haunted by the image of their friend’s body hanging in his cell.

Viera Reyes had heard that the man left a note that said he would rather die in America than be deported. “It triggered something in my mind like, ‘Wow, he has a point.’ I put myself in his shoes, because I know what’s going to happen to me if I get deported. But you start thinking about your family.”

At least two other detained people have attempted suicide, and others believe the number is higher. The desolation and desperation has rattled Viera Reyes. He said he tells other detained people in the facility: “Faith is going to have to be your base. Stand on that and believe that something is going to change,” he said. “I know I’m going through pain and I know they’re not doing what they’re supposed to do, but we have to have determination.”

Published December 17, 2025 at 02:32PM
via ACLU https://ift.tt/frU8dhC

ACLU: The ACLU's Holiday Conversation Guide

The ACLU's Holiday Conversation Guide

Pass the yams and the politically-fraught chatter, everyone — it’s that time of year again.

We know many of us will find ourselves gathering around tables this holiday season with a wide range of folks in our lives — loved ones, friends, chosen family, and the family you'd only choose to spend one day a year with. We also know not everyone in our lives will agree on the issues that we so firmly believe in.

Trust us, we get how challenging those conversations can be. That’s why our experts put together a guide to help you navigate some of the issues that are most likely to get brought up at the holiday dinner table: free speech, abuse of power, immigrants’ rights, federal law enforcement and military deployments, and trans justice.

We hope this guide helps you have productive conversations this holiday season. If you're looking for more ways to celebrate with your loved ones, consider giving the gift of an ACLU membership. And if the conversation wasn't as productive as you hoped, well, you can always make a gift to defend their constitutional right to free speech in their honor!

Published December 15, 2025 at 07:45PM
via ACLU https://ift.tt/IGnhZ8l

ACLU: The ACLU's Holiday Conversation Guide

The ACLU's Holiday Conversation Guide

Pass the yams and the politically-fraught chatter, everyone — it’s that time of year again.

We know many of us will find ourselves gathering around tables this holiday season with a wide range of folks in our lives — loved ones, friends, chosen family, and the family you'd only choose to spend one day a year with. We also know not everyone in our lives will agree on the issues that we so firmly believe in.

Trust us, we get how challenging those conversations can be. That’s why our experts put together a guide to help you navigate some of the issues that are most likely to get brought up at the holiday dinner table: free speech, abuse of power, immigrants’ rights, federal law enforcement and military deployments, and trans justice.

We hope this guide helps you have productive conversations this holiday season. If you're looking for more ways to celebrate with your loved ones, consider giving the gift of an ACLU membership. And if the conversation wasn't as productive as you hoped, well, you can always make a gift to defend their constitutional right to free speech in their honor!

Published December 16, 2025 at 01:15AM
via ACLU https://ift.tt/nd6gqDc

ACLU: Through the Lens of Liberty: The ACLU’s Year in Photos

Through the Lens of Liberty: The ACLU’s Year in Photos

As Donald Trump started his second presidential term, 2025 began with a lot of uncertainty. However, the ACLU was ready to protect the civil liberties of individuals around the country, as we had done hundreds of times during Trump’s first term. This year saw many wins, setbacks, and enduring battles over issues like immigrants rights, trans justice, and the right to vote. As we look back on a pivotal year, join us in remembering the many moments captured on camera that defined 2025 at the ACLU.

January

Credit: Adam Perez

Trump’s second administration immediately began targeting immigrant communities around the country by carrying out inhumane civilian seizures and pushing legislation that would strip individuals of their legal status. The ACLU’s “Letters to America” campaign aimed to spotlight that the individuals affected by these policies are regular people, parents and children seeking safety and opportunity.

More moments from the month: We kept individuals informed on the flurry of executive orders signed by the president during that time, as well as how they affect sex discrimination, DEI and accessibility efforts, and birthright citizenship.

February

Credit: Scout Tufankjian

As part of our continued advocacy for trans rights amidst mounting political attacks, we commenced our Freedom To Be campaign, a multifaceted effort spotlighting trans joy along with trans and ally voices around the country. Among these efforts was the Freedom to Be monument, a quilt composed of hundreds of squares by artists celebrating trans resilience, community, and joy. Participants were welcome to join the ACLU at the Brooklyn Museum to craft their quilt panels and share stories.

More moments from the month: We showcased multiple immigrants’ rights activists in a web series combatting Trump’s anti-immigrant attacks.

March

Credit: Lynsey Weatherspoon

We sponsored and participated in this year’s Selma Jubilee, which celebrated the 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama to support civil rights. Activists endured brutal attacks by law enforcement during the march, but the event helped introduce and usher along the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Since then, a similar march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge takes place annually to honor past civil rights trailblazers, especially as voting access faces continued legal attacks. We also helped to inform readers about Trump’s attacks on the Department of Education and emphasized the importance of state and local authorities in the fight for our civil liberties.

April

Credit: Scout Tufankjian

The Trump administration’s unconstitutional abduction and threats to deport several students for voicing their opinions was a blatant affront to our First Amendment freedoms. But the ACLU and partners fought back against these unlawful seizures in court and helped to ensure that these brave individuals — Mahmoud Khalil, Rümeysa Öztürk, and Mohsen Mahdawi — were released and reunited with their families.

More moments from the month: We spotlit volunteers who work to ensure that detained immigrants know their rights.

May

Credit: Allison Shelley

The ACLU unveiled its Freedom To Be monument on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. in May. Inspired by the AIDS Memorial Quilt, the sprawling installation, made up of hundreds of quilt squares, spelled out the words “Freedom To Be, and celebrated trans resilience. Observers were welcomed to wander along the mall, and admire the individual quilt squares made by trans artists, activists, and allies.

More moments from the month: We amplified the voices of undocumented immigrants around the country enduring attacks from the Trump administration, and highlighted key Supreme Court cases happening in the coming months.

June

Credit: Jordana Bermúdez

Pride Month and the consequential SCOTUS case U.S. v. Skrmetti put LGBTQ rights front and center. And though the decision on the case was a blow to gender-affirming care access, the ACLU remained steadfast in its support of trans rights through advocacy, court battles, and reflections on past legal battles that shaped LGBTQ rights.

July

Credit: Scout Tufankjian

Since his first day back in office, Trump has sought to end birthright citizenship — the constitutional right to citizenship of children born in the United States. The ACLU and partners swiftly sued to block Trump’s attempts, but the legal battle has continued throughout the year, and may soon be heading to the Supreme Court. During the summer, the ACLU continued to advocate for this legal right, by keeping supporters informed about the evolving issue, and filing a class action lawsuit.

August

Credit: Scout Tufankjian

The Trump administration continued its unprecedented aggression against immigrant communities, by creating several immigration detention facilities that fly in the face of proper approval channels and due process protocols. The ACLU quickly took action by highlighting the unconstitutionality of these widespread detention measures and making sure that the rights of U.S. immigrants remained on people’s minds.

September

Credit: Kohar Minassian

The president took further authoritarian action in September by deploying hundreds of D.C. National Guard troops federal law enforcement agents to patrol DC’s streets. The ACLU was quick to call out that federal troops do not belong on our streets and that their role isn’t to be Trump’s personal policing power.

More moments from the month: We spotlit the country’s spreading censorship problem and began a series celebrating books that help readers understand civil liberties and civil rights.

October

Credit: Alex Garcia

For the second time this year, communities around the country took to the streets for No Kings National Day of Action to call out the Trump administration’s abuses of power and advocate for our inalienable rights. The ACLU was a crucial partner in these nationwide actions, providing live coverage throughout the day, and making sure that protestors knew their rights before taking action.

More moments from the month: We amplified that the mounting pressure and censorship of late night television hosts like Jimmy Kimmel are blatantly unconstitutional — and got a few friends to cosign.

November

Credit: Scout Tufankjian

Along with partners Ben & Jerry’s, YOLA Mezcal, and Gabriela Hearst, the ACLU hosted Creatives For Freedom at Pioneer Works in Brooklyn. The event brought together artists including Maggie Rogers, Sheryl Crow, St. Vincent, and Mark Ronson to celebrate the ACLU’s ongoing civil liberties initiatives and to urge attendees to get involved.

Published December 9, 2025 at 10:22PM
via ACLU https://ift.tt/sl8AxKv

ACLU: Through the Lens of Liberty: The ACLU’s Year in Photos

Through the Lens of Liberty: The ACLU’s Year in Photos

As Donald Trump started his second presidential term, 2025 began with a lot of uncertainty. However, the ACLU was ready to protect the civil liberties of individuals around the country, as we had done hundreds of times during Trump’s first term. This year saw many wins, setbacks, and enduring battles over issues like immigrants rights, trans justice, and the right to vote. As we look back on a pivotal year, join us in remembering the many moments captured on camera that defined 2025 at the ACLU.

January

Credit: Adam Perez

Trump’s second administration immediately began targeting immigrant communities around the country by carrying out inhumane civilian seizures and pushing legislation that would strip individuals of their legal status. The ACLU’s “Letters to America” campaign aimed to spotlight that the individuals affected by these policies are regular people, parents and children seeking safety and opportunity.

More moments from the month: We kept individuals informed on the flurry of executive orders signed by the president during that time, as well as how they affect sex discrimination, DEI and accessibility efforts, and birthright citizenship.

February

Credit: Scout Tufankjian

As part of our continued advocacy for trans rights amidst mounting political attacks, we commenced our Freedom To Be campaign, a multifaceted effort spotlighting trans joy along with trans and ally voices around the country. Among these efforts was the Freedom to Be monument, a quilt composed of hundreds of squares by artists celebrating trans resilience, community, and joy. Participants were welcome to join the ACLU at the Brooklyn Museum to craft their quilt panels and share stories.

More moments from the month: We showcased multiple immigrants’ rights activists in a web series combatting Trump’s anti-immigrant attacks.

March

Credit: Lynsey Weatherspoon

We sponsored and participated in this year’s Selma Jubilee, which celebrated the 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama to support civil rights. Activists endured brutal attacks by law enforcement during the march, but the event helped introduce and usher along the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Since then, a similar march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge takes place annually to honor past civil rights trailblazers, especially as voting access faces continued legal attacks. We also helped to inform readers about Trump’s attacks on the Department of Education and emphasized the importance of state and local authorities in the fight for our civil liberties.

April

Credit: Scout Tufankjian

The Trump administration’s unconstitutional abduction and threats to deport several students for voicing their opinions was a blatant affront to our First Amendment freedoms. But the ACLU and partners fought back against these unlawful seizures in court and helped to ensure that these brave individuals — Mahmoud Khalil, Rümeysa Öztürk, and Mohsen Mahdawi — were released and reunited with their families.

More moments from the month: We spotlit volunteers who work to ensure that detained immigrants know their rights.

May

Credit: Allison Shelley

The ACLU unveiled its Freedom To Be monument on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. in May. Inspired by the AIDS Memorial Quilt, the sprawling installation, made up of hundreds of quilt squares, spelled out the words “Freedom To Be, and celebrated trans resilience. Observers were welcomed to wander along the mall, and admire the individual quilt squares made by trans artists, activists, and allies.

More moments from the month: We amplified the voices of undocumented immigrants around the country enduring attacks from the Trump administration, and highlighted key Supreme Court cases happening in the coming months.

June

Credit: Jordana Bermúdez

Pride Month and the consequential SCOTUS case U.S. v. Skrmetti put LGBTQ rights front and center. And though the decision on the case was a blow to gender-affirming care access, the ACLU remained steadfast in its support of trans rights through advocacy, court battles, and reflections on past legal battles that shaped LGBTQ rights.

July

Credit: Scout Tufankjian

Since his first day back in office, Trump has sought to end birthright citizenship — the constitutional right to citizenship of children born in the United States. The ACLU and partners swiftly sued to block Trump’s attempts, but the legal battle has continued throughout the year, and may soon be heading to the Supreme Court. During the summer, the ACLU continued to advocate for this legal right, by keeping supporters informed about the evolving issue, and filing a class action lawsuit.

August

Credit: Scout Tufankjian

The Trump administration continued its unprecedented aggression against immigrant communities, by creating several immigration detention facilities that fly in the face of proper approval channels and due process protocols. The ACLU quickly took action by highlighting the unconstitutionality of these widespread detention measures and making sure that the rights of U.S. immigrants remained on people’s minds.

September

Credit: Kohar Minassian

The president took further authoritarian action in September by deploying hundreds of D.C. National Guard troops federal law enforcement agents to patrol DC’s streets. The ACLU was quick to call out that federal troops do not belong on our streets and that their role isn’t to be Trump’s personal policing power.

More moments from the month: We spotlit the country’s spreading censorship problem and began a series celebrating books that help readers understand civil liberties and civil rights.

October

Credit: Alex Garcia

For the second time this year, communities around the country took to the streets for No Kings National Day of Action to call out the Trump administration’s abuses of power and advocate for our inalienable rights. The ACLU was a crucial partner in these nationwide actions, providing live coverage throughout the day, and making sure that protestors knew their rights before taking action.

More moments from the month: We amplified that the mounting pressure and censorship of late night television hosts like Jimmy Kimmel are blatantly unconstitutional — and got a few friends to cosign.

November

Credit: Scout Tufankjian

Along with partners Ben & Jerry’s, YOLA Mezcal, and Gabriela Hearst, the ACLU hosted Creatives For Freedom at Pioneer Works in Brooklyn. The event brought together artists including Maggie Rogers, Sheryl Crow, St. Vincent, and Mark Ronson to celebrate the ACLU’s ongoing civil liberties initiatives and to urge attendees to get involved.

Published December 9, 2025 at 04:52PM
via ACLU https://ift.tt/kJL3OlT