ACLU of Northern California

aclunorcal.orgWhy ACLU NorCal Opposes Proposition F on the San Francisco Ballot - ACLU of Northern CaliforniaProp F undermines the independence of San Francisco’s Elections Commission and Police Commission

Prop F in San Francisco would undermine the independence of the city's Elections Commission and Police Commission, making both susceptible to political influence. We urge SF voters to vote No.

sos.ca.govVCA Participating Counties :: California Secretary of State

If you live in one of California’s 30 Voter’s Choice Act counties, you can cast your ballot at any vote center in your county. Check here to see if yours is one of them. However you vote, by mail or in person, do it as soon as possible.

Federal law prohibits voter intimidation by anyone — including federal, state, and local officials. Don’t let anyone interfere with your right to vote. Your community is counting on you! You can still register and vote in person at any vote center or polling place through Nov. 3 election day.

La ley federal prohíbe la intimidación a los votantes por parte de cualquier persona, incluidos funcionarios federales, estatales y locales. No permita que nadie interfiera con su derecho al voto. Aún puede registrarse y votar en persona en cualquier centro de votación hasta el 3 de noviembre.

aclunorcal.orgMAKE the CASE: Vallejo Badge Bending – A Terrifying Case of Police Misconduct - ACLU of Northern CaliforniaWhat happens when police fail to honor the code to serve and protect? Avi Frey, deputy director of the ACLU of Northern California’s Criminal Law and Immigration Project, discusses the Vallejo police ...

What happens when police fail to serve and protect? On Make the Case, ACLU attorney Avi Frey discusses Vallejo officers accused of bending their badges to mark civilian killings—and the lawsuit that forced the city to release its hidden investigation. www.aclunorcal.org/podcast/make...

ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties

Last call to register and update your registration *online* for the Nov. 3 election, California! 👉🏾 registertovote.ca.gov After Oct. 19, you can register any time until polls close on Election Day at all county elections offices, polling places, and vote centers.

ACLU of Northern California reposted

@sdicaclu.bsky.social

Replying to @sdicaclu.bsky.social

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Don’t forget to make your voice heard by voting like your civil rights depend on it — because they do.”

aclunorcal.orgMAKE the CASE: Safety Through Mass Surveillance is an Illusion - ACLU of Northern CaliforniaWhat can go wrong when a private company builds a nationwide mass surveillance network that records billions of license plate scans per month? Nick Hidalgo, senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Northe...

"No one wants to be followed everywhere they go." In the latest episode of our podcast Make the Case, ACLU NorCal attorney Nick Hidalgo examines claims that Flock cameras fight crime — and the consequences of tracking millions of people as they go about their daily lives. @nickhidalgo.bsky.social

aclunorcal.orgKnow Your Rights: If ICE Confronts You - ACLU of Northern CaliforniaDo NOT open your door. ICE can’t come into your home unless they have a signed search warrant or you let them in.

ICE is arresting large numbers of people in Fresno and other Central Valley communities. While much remains unknown about the scope and duration of this operation, immigrants have rights. If ICE arrests someone you know, call the Valley Watch Rapid Response Network: 559-206-0151. Share widely.

ACLU of Northern California reposted

NEW: We're urging the California Civil Rights Department to investigate Criteria Corporation, which develops technology that companies use to make hiring decisions. This tech must not be allowed to discriminate against applicants based on their disability, race, and sex.

ACLU of Northern California reposted

United Farm Workers

@ufw.bsky.social

We are aware of multiple stops conducted today by federal agents in the Madera and Fresno areas. We remind the public to stay calm, to verify information, and to exercise one’s rights, including the right to not answer questions. If detained, do not sign anything without speaking to a lawyer. 1/

Our new podcast MAKE the CASE launches today! Go behind the scenes of legal battles around the most consequential issues of our day, from surveillance & immigration to voting rights & police accountability. Listen at www.aclunorcal.org/make-the-case/ and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

aclunorcal.orgMarin County Sheriff's Office Shared Automated License Plate Reader Information with Outside Law Enforcement Agencies - ACLU of Northern CaliforniaThe California ACLUs and the Electronic Frontier Foundation sued the county in 2021 for illegally sharing drivers' locations with federal and out-of-state agencies.

In 2022, we settled a lawsuit against the Marin County Sheriff's Office for illegally sharing millions of drivers’ license plates and locations with federal and out-of-state law enforcement agencies, including ICE. Two years later, they reportedly did it again. We’re calling for an investigation.

ptreyeslight.comMarin’s Flock data breached - Point Reyes LightA Pulitzer Prize-winning weekly covering West Marin, including the towns of Point Reyes Station, Inverness, Bolinas, Stinson Beach, Marshall, Nicasio, Lagunitas, Woodacre, San Geronimo, Forest Knolls,...

MCSO shared sensitive ALPR information with outside agencies during the final three months of 2024, including 254,131 times that November alone. MCSO must put safeguards in place to ensure a harmful breach like this doesn't happen again.

capitolweekly.netLawsuit that prompted better care for mentally ill inmates ends - Capitol WeeklyAn 11-year lawsuit that helped transform how California cares for people who have committed crimes and struggle with mental illness has come to a quiet conclusion. In a five-page order issued last Mon...

We're dismayed the court ended oversight in our case to protect people found incompetent to stand trial. But our lawsuit led to major reforms. 2,745 hospital beds, 28-day treatment instead of months in jail. Oversight's over, but we'll keep fighting to hold the state accountable

aclunorcal.orgThe ACLU Mobilizes Against Prop 39, California's Voter Suppression Ballot Measure - ACLU of Northern CaliforniaRemember the number: 39. And vote No in November.

The Trump administration is employing every tactic in the authoritarian playbook to cling to power. Here in California, Trump allies have sponsored Prop 39 — a voter ID ballot measure whose sole purpose is to make it harder for millions of eligible Californians to cast a ballot. Vote NO on Prop 39.

mercurynews.comSan Jose police officer fired after using Flock database to track cousin’s domestic violence accuserSJPD revealed a data breach involving a now-former officer sharing tracking information about a potential domestic violence victim to his relative.

Dozens of officers have been charged or accused of abusing tech like Flock for stalking and spying on exes, partners, exes' new partners, and other unauthorized targets. Mass surveillance is ripe for abuse, and too often it's weaponized against the very people it's purported to protect. #DropFlock

ACLU of Northern California reposted

21 Sept

Censoring medical research goes against the very mission of public health agencies and negatively impacts everyone’s health. See you in court.

18 Sept

The National Institutes of Health, the world’s largest public funder of biomedical research, is allowing political ideology to override scientific expertise in determining which projects receive federal funding. This is censorship and we sued to stop it.

science.orgResearchers file First Amendment challenge to NIH grant screeningLawsuit argues that Trump policy of purging politically sensitive terms from research projects violates free speech

18 Sept

17 Sept

Tonight! 📣

First Amendment Coalition@facoalition.bsky.social

Tomorrow 5PM: FAC's Ginny LaRoe will join Angélica Salceda of @aclu-norcal.bsky.social, Marijke Rowland of The Modesto Focus, and Jim Boren of Fresno State for a panel discussion about the First Amendment and free expression. Free and open to the public! www.kvpr.org/community-ca...

ACLU of Northern California reposted

16 Sept

BREAKING: We're suing Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and the National Institutes of Health Director for their ideologically-driven termination and censorship of biomedical research grants. Targeting views the government disagrees with for not aligning with a political agenda is unconstitutional.

Tonight, the Richmond City Council will consider a contract with the Flock-like company Axon for services including license plate readers and other dangerous mass surveillance equipment. Dropping Flock just to replace it with Axon solves nothing. pub-richmond.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx...

aclu.orgBeware of Other License Plate Surveillance Companies Besides Flock | ACLUFlock deserves the heat it’s getting, but switching to another provider won’t necessarily improve anything

"Formerly known as Taser, Axon has built its business around that police pain-delivery device." Read more about Axon and why it's just Flock by another name — tracking, logging, and sharing your movements without a warrant.

aclunorcal.orgGet Flock Cameras Out of Your Community - ACLU of Northern CaliforniaLearn how to fight the proliferation of Flock Safety cameras and other automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) in your city. Get facts, sample letters, and advocacy tools from the ACLU of Northern Cal...

To learn more and organize against automatic license plate readers and other creepy mass surveillance technology in your community, visit www.aclunorcal.org/get-the-floc...

Make sure you're ready to vote — and remind a friend while you're at it! California voters, head to registertovote.ca.gov to register or confirm your registration details are up to date.

ACLU of Northern California reposted

aclunorcal.orgACLU California and EFF Ask California Supreme Court to Recognize the Harm of License Plate Surveillance - ACLU of Northern CaliforniaThe Court of Appeal’s new requirement would undermine the purpose of SB 34 and the California constitutional right to privacy.

BREAKING: The Supreme Court blocked USPS from enforcing key parts of a new rule that would've restricted mail-in voting for the November election. This is a major win for voting rights.

ACLU of Northern California reposted

Nick Hidalgo

@nickhidalgo.bsky.social

10 Sept

Today with @sdicaclu.bsky.social and @eff.org we asked the California Supreme Court to review a court of appeal's decision that threatens to undermine the privacy goals of California's primary automated license plate reader law (SB 34). www.aclunorcal.org/news/aclu-an...

kqed.orgJudge Extends Halt to New ICE Facility Outside Gilroy, for Now | KQEDA final decision on the future of the site is expected in October.

9 Sept

The Trump administration’s plan to build an ICE detention facility near Gilroy hits another speedbump. California and Santa Clara Co. sued in June to stop the project. “This is the wrong place for this facility. This should have never been proposed here, and it should certainly not proceed here.”

ACLU of Northern California reposted

Nick Hidalgo

@nickhidalgo.bsky.social

dailyjournal.comdailyjournal.com

License plate readers are awful and have been for a long time. I wrote a piece about just how awful, why they have lots of attention now, and some ways California law can reduce their harms. But the best strategy is still to break up with big surveillance tech. www.dailyjournal.com/articles/394...

live-awp-norcal.pantheonsite.ioACLU Settles Lawsuit with Sonoma County, Curbing Invasive Runaway Drone Surveillance Program that Trampled People’s Privacy - ACLU of Northern CaliforniaACLU Settlement Victory for Privacy Protections

Breaking! In a major win, today we settled our lawsuit with Sonoma County over its runaway drone surveillance program that trampled people's rights to privacy. No one should be afraid to open their blinds or go into their backyard because a government drone might be spying on their home.

sfchronicle.comUnder Trump, SFO is now a de facto immigration detention centerMore than two dozen immigrants have been held at San Francisco’s airport this year for longer than three days, in violation of Customs and Border Protection’s guidelines.

Customs and Border Protection is detaining green card holders with past arrests for more than 72hrs at the San Francisco airport, a violation of agency guidelines. No beds or clean clothes. Limited access to medications, family, and attorneys. Many were transferred to ICE detention centers.

The focus on airports comes as courts have barred other tactics, like courthouse arrests. “…they’re willing to try to stay two steps ahead of the courts and to conduct immigration enforcement in places that they haven’t historically done once other avenues are not available to them anymore.”

kqed.orgTrump Cannot Deport Students for Criticizing Israel, Judge Rules | KQEDThe ruling was a victory for the student newspaper at Stanford University, which maintained that the threat of deportation had led some noncitizens to no longer work there or express their views.

1 Sept

In a victory for free speech, a federal court ruled that the Trump Administration can’t deport noncitizens for criticizing Israel and the war in Gaza. "Freedom of speech is illusory if we are only ‘free’ to express complementary views about the government and its leaders,” the judge wrote.

aclunorcal.orgKnow Your Rights Guides for Free Speech - ACLU of Northern CaliforniaLearn about your rights to speak, protest, publish, document, and dissent freely.

1 Sept

As we said in our brief supporting the brave Stanford student journalists who sued, the First Amendment protects everyone, regardless of immigration or citizenship status. Learn about your rights to speak, protest, publish, document, and dissent freely with our Know Your Rights resources.

kqed.orgNorthern California ICE Arrests Surged This Summer | KQEDThe number of immigration arrests spiked even without high-profile raids.

31 Aug

In July, ICE arrested 890 people—mostly at check-in appointments—across the region stretching from Bakersfield north to the Oregon border. That’s an all-time high in Northern California during Trump’s second term. Statewide, ICE detained about 4,300 people last month, third highest in the country.

aclunorcal.orgKnow Your Rights Guides for Immigrants - ACLU of Northern CaliforniaRegardless of your immigration status, you have guaranteed rights under the Constitution. Learn more here about your rights as an immigrant, and how to express them.

31 Aug

If you’re called in to report to an ICE office, it’s important to be prepared before you go. Our Know Your Rights resources can help.

ACLU of Northern California reposted

Nick Hidalgo

@nickhidalgo.bsky.social

31 Aug

More national scrutiny of ALPRs is good, but this piece accepts the surveillance industry framing that dragnet unblinking AI-powered cameras make us safer. They don't.

The New York Times@nytimes.com

Flock’s nationwide A.I. camera network tracks millions of vehicles. Privacy advocates argue that this subjects the public to unregulated mass surveillance. Listen to "The Daily."

nyti.msHow Flock Cameras Took Over AmericaFlock’s nationwide A.I. camera network tracks millions of vehicles. Privacy advocates argue that this subjects the public to unregulated mass surveillance.

washingtonpost.comA novel challenge to California’s death penalty could resonate in other statesIf California’s capital punishment law is found to violate the state constitution, it may provide a template for death penalty opponents in other states.

24 Aug

Black defendants in CA are up to 8.7x more likely to be sentenced to death than defendants of other races. If someone suspects racial bias in their case, they can file a claim. But of the nearly 600 people on CA’s death row, only about 100 have an attorney. www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...

After months of community organizing, canceled contracts, and reports of police abusing these cameras — including to stalk people — Flock is scrambling to save its business model. Its proposed changes fall short.

License plate readers were already a privacy nightmare. Then came SignalTrace, which adds new sensors to existing ALPR cameras. From mobile phones to fitness trackers, from Bluetooth headphones to smartwatches, it picks up signals from any personal device you carry that emits one.

myschoolmyrights.comMy School My Rights - Know your rights as a California studentAs a public school student in California, you have rights at your school. Explore them so you can advocate for yourself and your communities.

Headed back to the classroom? Learn about your rights as a student and how to enforce them. This hub from the ACLUs of California includes guides in the areas of: ✏️Harassment & bullying ✂️Immigration 🔔Discipline & searches 👔Dress codes 🌈LGBTQ+ rights ✋Sex ed 🚓Police in school ... & much more

calmatters.orgCalifornians can now get their hearings recorded even if a court reporter isn’t thereThe California Supreme Court dealt a blow to court reporter unions, ordering that recordings of hearings are vital when certified reporters aren’t available

On Monday, the CA Supreme Court ruled courts must allow electronic recording of hearings when no court reporter is available. ACLU NorCal’s amicus brief argued that wealth-based barriers to court records violate equal protection. calmatters.org/politics/202...

10 Aug

President Trump is using our nation's capital as a testing ground for domestic occupation by the military. Troops do not belong on the streets of American cities. Join this conversation to find out how you can support the people of DC and our democracy.

ACLU of the District of Columbia@aclu-dc.bsky.social

One year after President Trump deployed the National Guard to our nation's capital, D.C. residents still face troops in their neighborhoods. Join us for a conversation on the impact of this domestic occupation and how you can help protect D.C. democracy. Register today: https://bit.ly/45F4vHn

wapo.stTPS for Haitians officially ends, putting thousands out of work and in limboA federal judge allowed the Trump administration to terminate temporary protected status for 350,000 Haitians, meaning they are likely to lose their jobs and be at risk of deportation.

6 Aug

Hundreds of thousands of Haitians who have had Temporary Protected Status are at imminent risk of detention and deportation to a country that the State Department has labeled "Do not travel" due to crime, terrorism, and kidnapping.

action.aclu.orgPathway to Citizenship NowICE has shot and killed people in our streets. Dozens have died in ICE custody. These aren’t isolated events. We need solutions today and the Dream and Promise Act is a critical piece of that. Take ac...

6 Aug

Communities, families, and crucial industries like health care are being torn apart because of the Trump administration's openly racist mass deportation agenda. Haitian immigrants and other TPS holders, many of whom have lived in the U.S. for decades, deserve a pathway to citizenship.

5 Aug

We're hiring for multiple positions across our San Francisco, Fresno, and Sacramento offices. Learn more and apply at www.aclunorcal.org/jobs.

3 Aug

Communities across the country are canceling their Flock contracts under public pressure. We built a toolkit to help yours be next! Because here’s the thing: these aren’t normal traffic cameras. They log every passing car into a national database law enforcement—including ICE—can search.