ACLU Actions for November

Here's a rundown of ACLU's key legal fights over the past month – critical gains for free speech, voting rights, the right of asylum seekers, and trans youth that you as an ACLU activist helped make happen:


On November 10 – in national security and discriminatory profiling:

• We reached a historic settlement with the U.S. government for our client Sherry Chen after it unlawfully investigated, prosecuted, and fired her from her job as an award-winning hydrologist with the National Weather Service. 
  
  This is a win for Ms. Chen and for all Asian American scientists who have been unjustly profiled or prosecuted because of their race and ethnicity. Government profiling and discrimination is unacceptable and this victory makes it clear: When the government labels us a threat because of our race or ethnicity, we will hold them accountable.

On November 15 – in immigrants' rights and the rights of asylum seekers:

• A federal court struck down Title 42, a policy first implemented under Trump to unlawfully expel people seeking asylum under the false claim of improving public health. 
  
  We fought for the end of this cruel policy for years – and while we welcome this hard-fought win, make no mistake that we will fight again if anyone ever tries to reinstate it or another anti-asylum provision.

On November 17 – in students' right to learn and free speech:

• A federal judge issued an order that immediately blocks Florida's unconstitutional and discriminatory Stop WOKE Act from being enforced in higher education. 
  
  Left unchecked, the Stop WOKE Act would keep students and educators from discussing issues around racism and sexism that Florida lawmakers disagree with. Students and educators have a First Amendment right to teach and learn free from state censorship – and we look forward to the court striking down this law for good. We will never stop fighting for our right to learn.

Last week – in trans justice:

• We returned to a federal courthouse in Little Rock for part two of our arguments in a pivotal trial against Arkansas' ban on gender-affirming care – on behalf of four families of trans youth and two medical providers who are providing their patients with gender-affirming care. 
  
  Arkansas' attempt to ban gender-affirming care subverts the rights of parents and threatens medical providers for following best-practice, evidence-based guidelines – and is part of a national effort by politicians to restrict our rights to safe schools, loving families, and care. But we'll be clear: Gender-affirming care saves lives and trans youth belong everywhere. We'll never stop fighting for trans kids getting to grow up as who they are.

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This week – in voting rights at the Supreme Court:

• Arguments for Moore v. Harper will be heard this Wednesday at the Supreme Court – a North Carolina gerrymandering case that will have nationwide impact. In this case, the Court will decide whether the North Carolina Supreme Court has the power to strike down the legislature's gerrymandered congressional map for violating the state's Constitution. And depending on what the Justices ultimately decide it could change the face of our national elections and the rules that govern them.