ACLU of the District of Columbia

Let’s be clear: the National Guard troops, federal law enforcement, and D.C. police cannot violate the Constitution or the D.C. Home Rule Act. Understanding your rights can help you make the best decision for yourself if approached by law enforcement.

Qué hacer si lo arresta el ICE: • Conserve la calma. • Permanezca en silencio. • No hable sobre su estado inmigratorio con nadie excepto su abogado. • No firme nada que no entienda. • Diga que necesita un intérprete. Conozca sus derechos. https://bit.ly/48iD3k3

If you are arrested by ICE, remember: • Remain calm. • Remain silent. • Do not discuss your immigration status with anyone but your lawyer. • Do not sign anything you do not understand. • Say you need an interpreter. Know your rights. https://bit.ly/4sulKWG

Across the country, federal agents like ICE are committing civil rights violations at a recently unprecedented scale. But immigrant communities and their allies like @dcmigrantmutualaid.org are supporting one another and fighting back. Listen to the full episode: www.acludc.org/podcast/

Curious about where candidates for the D.C. general election stand on the critical issues affecting your civil rights and liberties issues? See how candidates responded to our 2026 D.C. general election questionnaire. www.acludc.org/2026-general-election-aclu-d-c-candidate-questionnaire-results/

Life happens. Vote early.

How exactly do data centers erode civil rights and liberties? ACLU has the answers to all your questions. www.aclu.org/news/privacy-technology/your-questions-answered-how-data-centers-erode-civil-liberties

Our right to free speech grants us the freedom to criticize the government. Government officials don’t have to like it, but they can’t punish someone for their speech.

Your yearly reminder that the government does not get to decide whether or not your protest is funny.

Can't believe we're still saying this 250 years later: It’s time to end taxation without representation. It’s time to make D.C. the 51st state: action.aclu.org/send-message/congress-support-dc-statehood-now

Today's victory will undoubtedly prevent serious and irreparable harm. Gender-affirming care is health care, period. www.courthousenews.com/supreme-court-wont-let-trump-restrict-gender-affirming-care-for-transgender-inmates/

Join us in telling the D.C. Council: If preventing violence is the goal, expanding pretrial detention is not the way. Register by 9am this Friday to submit public testimony at the Council's hearing on the Protecting Victims Amendment Act of 2026 next Tuesday, October 27th: https://bit.ly/4ywjRu0

BREAKING: The Supreme Court rejected the Trump Administration’s request to cut off medical care for transgender people in federal prison. This ruling affirms that federal prison officials can’t deny transgender people essential health care.

Are you ready to vote your rights in D.C.'s November general election? Take our short quiz to find out! www.acludc.org/2026-d-c-general-election-voter-hub/

LGBTQ+ history is American history.

We cannot normalize military troops patrolling our communities in the nation's capital or anywhere else in the country. It's time for all National Guard troops to leave D.C. https://www.newsweek.com/why-washington-shouldnt-learn-to-live-with-troops-on-its-streets-opinion-12542083

As many people face uncertainty during these turbulent economic, political and social times, it's crucial that D.C. residents can rely on our local leaders to act with our best interests in mind. That means investing in our communities, not more policing. https://bit.ly/4dMtqgQ

We are building a District where people have an equal right to go about their lives without invasive, humiliating, or violent encounters with the criminal legal system regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, or disability. Join us. action.aclu.org/give/district-columbia-join-renew-today

Our vote is our power. Empower yourself. Check out our 2026 General Election Voter Hub and get ready to cast your ballot this November. https://www.acludc.org/2026-d-c-general-election-voter-hub/

No kings in America.

Protect your protest rights this weekend with our guide on knowing your rights when demonstrating in D.C. Learn more: www.acludc.org/know-your-rights/know-your-rights-demonstrations-dc/

No matter what uniform they wear, federal agents and military troops are bound by the Constitution, including our rights to peaceful assembly. Know your rights when encountering law enforcement and military troops in the District. https://bit.ly/4hVbYYM

Have you checked out @aclu-norcal.bsky.social's new podcast, MAKE the CASE yet? Each episode takes you behind the scenes of the legal fight unfolding around an issue in the headlines, from Flock cameras to voting rights to immigration. Learn more: https://www.aclunorcal.org/make-the-case/

ICE is refusing to return personal items to people who've been released, including driver's licenses and passports, proof of immigration status, employment authorization documents, cell phones, wedding rings, cash, and more. This is illegal. The ACLU of DC and ACLU of Illinois are suing.

The D.C. General Election is less than three weeks away! Do you have a plan to cast your ballot? Our 2026 General Election Voter Hub has all the information you need to make sure you can vote for your rights: https://www.acludc.org/2026-d-c-general-election-voter-hub/

It's time for the National Guard to go home.

Yesterday, a federal judge ruled that President Trump can't ban reporters from CNN, MSNOW, and Politico from the White House while the case proceeds. The government can't punish journalists because it doesn't like their reporting. This is a win for our First Amendment rights.

Today, D.C. is in court fighting to end President Trump's unnecessary and undemocratic deployment of National Guard troops to the nation's capital. Flooding D.C. streets with military troops untrained for domestic law enforcement only makes our communities less safe.

The Trump administration's national deportation force is a threat to all Americans and our multiracial democracy. https://bit.ly/4s2MtcB

NEW: Today, the government dismissed its appeal in our free speech case defending Accountability NOW USA's right to criticize Trump and call for his impeachment and removal from office. Political speech is protected speech. It's why the First Amendment exists in the first place.

Do you know your free speech rights as a federal employee? If you're speaking: 1. as a private citizen 2. about a matter of public concern 3. your speech does not interfere with your job then your speech is protected. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4j9Ekkg

We're here. We're queer. And we'll see you in court.

Today and everyday, we’ll keep fighting for justice alongside Native Americans and Indigenous communities.

Lafayette Park is the people's park. Period.

Freedom of expression is the cornerstone of our democracy. When our First Amendment rights are infringed upon, so too is our freedom to exercise other fundamental rights, like the right to vote. That's why we say no to a permanent fence around Lafayette Park.

We are honored to represent @commoncause.org and 4 courageous TX voters in this lawsuit alongside @aclu.org, @aclu-dc.bsky.social, @citizensforethics.org, and the Democracy & Rule of Law Clinic at Harvard Law School. Read more:

Accountability NOW USA has a point of view and the freedom to express it in public. The president doesn’t have to like it. But he and his administration do have to accept the organization’s right to say it. https://bit.ly/4y7kAl3

No one should be above the law. Tell the D.C. Council: Make federal officers accountable. https://action.aclu.org/petition/no-one-is-above-the-law

📚 Happy Banned Books Week! 📚 We all have a right to learn free from government censorship. That's why we’re fighting across the nation to defend everyone’s freedom to read.

Our communities deserve better than policies built on fear and division.

A new ACLU report details how the Trump administration is not only fueling violence but also undermining our democratic system of checks and balances, by defying court orders, attacking Congressional independence, and threatening civil society. Read here: https://bit.ly/3TplX0n

Without the right to sue federal officers for violating our constitutional rights, the path toward justice is surprisingly limited. Sign the petition to pass a law that would allow people in D.C. to sue any officer who violates our rights: action.aclu.org/petition/no-one-is-above-the-law

This isn't just about access to a park. Protecting Lafayette Park means protecting our right to engage in political speech — a right that is fundamental to exercising our constitutional freedoms in America. https://nyti.ms/4rQuKF2

More police does not equal more safety. Fostering public safety means investing in our communities with the resources they need, when they need them. https://www.acludc.org/publications/building-safety-through-resources/

This LGBTQ History Month we remember the generations of advocates, heroes and icons who paved the path for us. As LGBTQ rights face increasingly dangerous attacks from politicians across the nation, we’re not slowing down in the fight for our right to exist as we are without political interference.

Queer people have always been here — and we always will be.