(2019-02-17). Imagine Pleading Guilty Because You Can't Afford to Call Your Lawyer. truthout.org Imagine paying $20.12 for a 15-minute phone call. That's how much a call from the Jennings Adult Correctional Facility in Missouri costs. | In 2013, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) set price caps on interstate calls from jails, prisons and detention facilities. Now, interstate calls can cost no more than 21 cents per minute (or $3.15 for a 15-minute phone call). Two years later, in 2015, it did the same for intrastate (or in-state) calls, which make up 92 percent of all calls from incarcerated people. Prison phone providers filed lawsuits challenging these restrictions and, in June 2017, a federal…
(2019-02-17). Border Patrol Detained Me for Speaking Spanish in Montana. Then My Town Turned Against Me. commondreams.org "After Mimi and I told the officer that we were born in the U.S., he demanded that we show identification. I didn't feel like I could say no since he was in uniform and armed." (Photo: ACLU) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/screen_shot_2019-02-17_at_1.07.32_pm.jpg…
(2019-02-17). 3-Part Plan to Defeat Trump's "Full-Fledged Attack on Democracy" zcomm.org "This is an illegal, anti-democratic power grab rooted in racism. The only emergency at the border is the one created by Trump and the Republicans enabling his temper tantrum."
(2019-02-17). The Cost of Civil Rights Violations in Vallejo. indybay.org On February 9, the police in my hometown shot Willie McCoy to death in a Taco Bell drive-through. I hadn't planned to write that when I began this post, which grew out of a dialogue with a neighbor frustrated by the crumbling schools, neglected parks, and casual brutality of this beautiful city.
(2019-02-16). Kamala Harris and the Rest of Us Will Regret Portraying Civil Rights as a National Security Issue. commondreams.org Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) argued recently that civil rights is a matter on national security. (Photo: @SenKamalaHarris) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/screen_shot_2018-07-10_at_4.36.50_pm_0.png…
(2019-02-16). NAACP Restructures to Advance Advocacy Strategy. naacp.org New York (February 16, 2019)—The nation's most prominent civil rights organization announced today during its annual national board meeting in New York, a strategic restructuring which better positions the organization to lead the critical policy advocacy and social justice work needed to ensure the rights of all people. The group also signed series of memoranda […]
(2019-02-16). Response underway to Trump's National Emergency to fund wall. fightbacknews.org Washington, D.C. — Progressive organizations around the country are taking a stand against Trump's declaration of a State of Emergency, which would divert federal funds towards building a wall on the border with Mexico. | Many groups have signed on to a call initiated by the Legalization for All Network, that read in part, "To get the funding for his racist wall, Trump is taking it a step further by threatening to declare a state of emergency. With already thousands of U.S. troops mobilized to the border, a State of Emergency would heighten the tension of armed troops and border agents who already unleashed…
(2019-02-16). Chicago PD releases 'persons of interest' in shady Jussie Smollett attack case. rt.com 
Fueling suspicions that the 'racist, homophobic' attack on actor Jussie Smollett was a hoax, Chicago police have released the two Nigerians arrested as "persons of interest" without charges, claiming they have more work to do.
(2019-02-16). Locked Inside a Freezing Federal Jail, They United to Protest Their Conditions — Only to Face Reprisals. theintercept.com 
In some units where incarcerated people protested, the toilets were shut off — leaving them sleeping next to their own feces.
(2019-02-16). Mueller recommends 19+ year sentence for Manafort. rt.com 
Special Counsel Robert Mueller's office has requested that former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort get 19 years in prison after the would-be cooperator was found to be lying to the FBI, special counsel and a grand jury.
(2019-02-15). Black Civil Rights Advocate Takes Control of Neo-Nazi Hate Group the National Socialist Movement. splcenter.org The antisemitic and neo-Nazi group the National Socialist Movement (NSM) is now under the control of a black civil rights advocate from California who once dissolved a notorious Ku Klux Klan chapter in Mississippi.
(2019-02-15). There Is No 'National Emergency' at the Border, and Trump's Declaration Is Illegal. aclu.org President Donald Trump admits he's making his move because he didn't get his way with Congress, and in the process, he hurts American communities. | After more than a month of threats, a government shutdown, and bipartisan action by Congress, President Trump has finally declared a national emergency to spend billions of taxpayer dollars on his border wall obsession. In response, the ACLU will file a lawsuit early next week challenging this blatantly illegal executive action. | Let's get something straight upfront: There is no em…
(2019-02-15). ACLU to Challenge National Emergency Declaration. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2019-02-15). Trump judges blow big hole in age discrimination law. peoplesworld.org 
CHICAGO — Thanks to a Trump-appointed judge it's now OK to discriminate against workers on the basis of age when they are applying for a job. According to the judge it's only workers on the job who are protected by law against age discrimination. A top union lawyer lays the blame for the ruling at …
(2019-02-15). Ibram X. Kendi on Surviving Cancer & His Anti-Racist Reading List for Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam. democracynow.org 
As we celebrate the remarkable life and legacy of Frederick Douglass on his 201st birthday, we are joined by Ibram X. Kendi, a professor of history and international relations and founding director of the Antiracist Research and Policy Center at American University. Kendi spoke Thursday night at the Library of Congress at an event honoring Frederick Douglass. He is the National Book Award-winning author of "Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America" and a contributing editor at The Atlantic.
(2019-02-15). Asylum Seekers Are Being Imprisoned in an Abandoned Factory in Mexico Under Trump Admin Policy. democracynow.org 
As Trump plans to declare a national emergency, we look at what some have called the real humanitarian crisis at the border. Riot police in northern Mexico blocked hundreds of desperate Central American migrants Wednesday as they tried to escape an abandoned factory complex where they've been imprisoned while waiting for the U.S. to process their asylum claims. More than 1,700 migrants have been held in the maquiladora in the Mexican border town of Piedras Negras since February 5, after they arrived in a caravan of people seeking asylum in the U.S. The vast majority have remained prisoners at the site, after the…
(2019-02-15). 'Tiz Kosher for Elected Jewish U.S. Officials to Malign. counterpunch.org When it comes to Muslim, Arab, or Palestinian elected officials, 'tiz Kosher for elected Jewish U.S. officials (and others) to criticize, malign, denigrate, and conjure every stereotype and racist label in the by-now accepted lexicon of hateful rhetoric spewed by the Zeldins, Taubs, Gellers, Spencers, Pipes, Kings, Gaffneys, Trumps, and others. Yet, for stating the More
(2019-02-15). Egypt: End the cruel denial of family visits to detainees. amnesty.org Egyptian authorities are flagrantly violating international law by denying family visits to scores of detainees, Amnesty International said today. The organization has examined an official document which confirms there is an open-ended ban on family visits in a number of sections at two major prison complexes in Cairo and Alexandria. | Amnesty International has also recorded at least 61 cases of people who were prevented from receiving family visits for protracted periods — in some cases for up to two years – at Tora prison in Cairo and Borg al-Arab in Alexandria. The total number of detainees barred from r…
(2019-02-15). Calling Emergency Declaration a 'Patently Illegal Power Grab,' ACLU Sues Trump. commondreams.org President Donald Trump's prediction that he'll be taken to court over his national emergency declaration proved correct on Friday afternoon, with the ACLU announcing it would file one of several lawsuits against the Trump administration over the "blatantly illegal" move. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-10933934541.jpg…
(2019-02-15). Further Information: Egypt: Pre-Trial Detention For Human Rights Defender: Ezzat Ghoniem and Azzoz Mahgoub. amnesty.org On 9 February, a judge ordered the pre-trial detention of human rights defender and lawyer Ezzat Ghoniem for 45 days pending investigation. Ezzat Ghoniem and Azzoz Mahgoub were detained on March 1, 2018. The court ordered their release on probation on 4 September 2018, provided they report to a police station twice a week. They were never released, and on September 14 they were forcibly disappeared by the authorities. On 20 October 2018, an arrest warrant was issued against them for not respecting the probational terms — which they could not apply as being forcibly disappeared. Ezzat Ghoniem remained forcib…
(2019-02-15). No way, NRA: Los Angeles will require contractors to disclose ties to National Rifle Association. rt.com 
Los Angeles has passed a law requiring contractors to disclose any ties to the National Rifle Association. The law is one of several liberal ordinances passed by the city, and the NRA has already threatened a lawsuit. |
(2019-02-14). U.S. Border Patrol Detained U.S. Citizens for Speaking Spanish in Montana. aclu.org 
Illegal arrests and seizures reflect an out-of-control agency emboldened by Trump's anti-immigrant agenda. | For Ana Suda and Martha "Mimi" Hernandez, May 16, 2018, began like any other in Havre, Montana: work, school, and a trip to the gym once their kids were in bed. They stopped by Town Pump — a local convenience store — to pick up groceries. While in line, the friends were chatting in Spanish, just two people having an ordinary conversation. But the Customs and Border Protection agent standing in line behind them did not see it that way. | He demanded to know where Ana and Mimi were born. After t…
(2019-02-14). New Hampshire Is Trying to Stop College Students From Registering to Vote. aclu.org Voting is my right. I shouldn't have to jump through hoops to exercise it. | Growing up, my parents taught me that voting is not only a right, but a privilege. They voted in every local, midterm, and presidential election, and every time they did so they were sure to show me their "I voted" sticker. | As I grew older, they discussed propositions or candidates with me, asking me what I thought and even providing me with sample ballots. My dad and I would talk about why our opinions were the same or different, and what information we were basing those votes on. When 2016 rolled around, I still wasn't old enough to…
(2019-02-14). Border Patrol Detained Me for Speaking Spanish in Montana. Then My Town Turned Against Me. aclu.org Customs and Border Protection violated our rights as U.S. citizens just for speaking Spanish in a grocery store. | I moved to Havre, Montana — near the U.S.-Canada border — in 2014 with my husband and our two young children. Home to around 10,000 people, I've always found Havre to be a friendly town, one where I felt good about raising my kids. But that all changed last May when my friend and I were illegally targeted and detained by a Customs and Border Protection agent, just for speaking Spanish to each other in a convenience store. | I didn't think it was possible for one incident to change our liv…
(2019-02-14). Trump Administration Is Illegally Forcing Asylum Seekers Out of the United States. aclu.org The administration is once again breaking the law in order to shut the door on immigrants. | Last September, Bianca* was forced to flee Honduras because her partner's father threatened to kill her for being a lesbian. Bianca could not go to the police in Honduras because they do not protect LGBTQ people from harm. So she left home to save her life. | After traveling through Guatemala and Mexico, Bianca reached Tijuana, where she got in line to enter the United States through the border station and ask for asylum.
(2019-02-14). NAACP Youth and College Division hosts State of the Union: For the Counter Culture. naacp.org 
On Tuesday, February 12, 2019, our Youth and College Division teamed up with Baller Alert to put on their own State of the Union: For the Counter Culture. Our Youth and College Director, Tiffany Dena Loftin served as moderator. The panelists were Kendrick Sampson, Philip Agnew, and Blair Imani, all young black people between the […]
(2019-02-14). Headlines for February 14, 2019. democracynow.org Congress to Vote on Spending Bill with $1.4 Billion for Border Wall, Mexico: Migrant Asylum Seekers Imprisoned in Abandoned Factory, House Votes to End U.S. Support for Saudi-Led War in Yemen, EU Adds Saudi Arabia, U.S. Territories to "Dirty Money" Blacklist, Afghan Taliban to Meet U.S. Envoys in Pakistan for Peace Talks, U.S. Bombings in Afghanistan Approached Record Levels in 2018, Iran: Suicide Bomber Kills 27 Revolutionary Guard Members, Trump Administration Convenes Anti-Iran Summit in Warsaw, Giuliani Calls for Regime Change in Iran at Rally Hosted by Terrorist-Linked Group, NYT: Trump Admin Expanded Progra…
(2019-02-14). Egypt: Set Independent Torture Inquiry. hrw.org 
| | Egyptian policemen secure Egypt's national police academy. | © 2015 AP Photo/Amr Nabil | (Beirut) — The Egyptian authorities' failure to end or impartially investigate torture and mistreatment in detention facilities reinforces an urgent need for an independent international inquiry, Human Rights Watch said today. As a party to the United Nations Convention Against Torture, Egypt should also allow the United Nations special rapporteur on torture an…
(2019-02-14). Thailand: New lawsuits brought by Thammakaset Company Limited against Human Rights Defenders. amnesty.org The 89 undersigned organizations write to express our deep concern regarding recent spurious complaints brought by Thammakaset Company Limited against several human rights defenders in Thailand. We respectfully urge the Thai government to take immediate action to oppose and seek the dismissal of cases filed by Thammakaset that run counter to your government's proclaimed policy to support business and human rights as well as Thailand's interests, legal obligations, and international human rights law commitments.
(2019-02-14). Is the refugee rights movement at a turning point? greenleft.org.au 
Children are off Nauru, Hakeem is back in Australia and parliament has passed the medical evacuation bill. For what feels like the first time in forever, the refugee rights movement is making gains. | True, these gains are small and limited — but they are gains, nonetheless. | The passing of the Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures) Bill 2018, better known as the medivac bill, was met with celebrations on Manus Island and Nauru as well as within the refugee rights movement. | People have died because of the federal government's refusal to evacuate refugees from offshore detention centr…
(2019-02-13). Betsy DeVos Is Pushing a Terrible Double Standard on College Campuses. aclu.org The education secretary's proposed rules on treatment of sexual harassment and assault claims in school settings discriminate on the basis of sex. | This piece originally ran at The Washington Post. | In her proposed rules governing the treatment of sexual harassment and assault claims on college campuses and K-12 schools, Edu…
(2019-02-13). New Hampshire Law Illegally Targets Young Voters Ahead of 2020 Primary. aclu.org The state wants students to face criminal penalties if they don't pay to change their out-of-state licenses after voting. | The New Hampshire 2020 primary is still almost a year away, but state legislators are already working to disenfranchise voters. HB 1264, a law set to go into effect in July 2019, will change the definition of what it means to be a "resident" of New Hampshire, forcing people with out-of-state driver's licenses or car registrations to switch to the state versions if they register to vote. | While it may sound like an archaic DMV issue, it's actually a burden on the right to vote. In New Hamps…
(2019-02-13). Background checks on gun sales. naacp.org Legislation to bar direct firearms sales between unlicensed people, including at gun shows or online, without a background check has been introduced in the US House and Senate and is moving in the House. Firearms could be sold only by licensed dealers, manufacturers, or importers, who are required to conduct comprehensive background checks. Currently, as many […]
(2019-02-13). Egypt steps up executions as six people put to death within two weeks. amnesty.org Egyptian authorities today hanged three prisoners convicted of killing a police officer during clashes that erupted in the weeks following the deadly Rabaa massacre. The executions brought the total number of executions in Egypt to six within a span of two weeks. | Responding to the news, Amnesty International's North Africa Campaigns Director Najia Bounaim said: | "These executions, which come just days after three other people were put to death in separate cases, mark an alarming escalation in executions so far this year. | "The death pe…
(2019-02-13). Peru: Supreme Court confirms annulment of Fujimori's pardon and supports victims' rights. amnesty.org The Special Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice has confirmed an earlier ruling that the pardon granted to former President Alberto Fujimori on 24 December 2017 has no legal effect. In an initial response to the decision, Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas Director at Amnesty International, said: | "This decision represents the closure that victims of the crimes against humanity and serious human rights violations — crimes for which former President Fujimori was sentenced to 25 years in prison — have been waiting for. It comes after wounds were unnecessarily reopened by the decision to grant F…
(2019-02-13). China: Prisoner of conscience ill-treated in prison: Lee Ming-che. amnesty.org Taiwanese activist Lee Ming-che has been given rotten food and insufficient clothing in his freezing prison cell. As a result of exposing these prison conditions, his wife is not allowed to visit him again until 22 April 2019. Sentenced in 2017 to five years' imprisonment for "subverting state power", Lee Ming-che is a prisoner of conscience and should be immediately and unconditionally released.
(2019-02-13). Victim Lands Behind Bars in Tunisia. hrw.org 
| Correction/Clarification: Contrary to what Human Rights Watch initially reported, the authorities arrested and prosecuted the alleged assailants along with A.F., the complainant. The court sentenced all three on February 11 to six months in prison for "sodomy" under article 230 of the penal code. It also sentenced the alleged assailants to an additional two months for robbery and violence. According to one defense lawyer, A.F. retracted his allegation of rape, both during his interrogation at the police station and during his appearance before the judge. He also deni…
(2019-02-13). Immigrant Rights Groups Trash Border Deal: "Immigrant Families Will Pay the Price" theintercept.com Immigrant rights groups are reacting angrily to the border deal to keep the government open, which President Donald Trump has said that he will sign into law, averting a shutdown. The bill, which has not yet officially been drafted, gives Trump more than $1 billion in funding for new barriers on the southern border, and funds a potential increase in immigrant detention capacity. | The barriers that the bill would fund are a rhetorical downgrade from Trump's signature policy of erecting a border wall, which House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has repeatedly rejected to fund. Funding for immigration detention, wh…
(2019-02-13). Chine: Un prisonnier d'opinion soumis à des mauvais traitements en prison. amnesty.org Les autorités pénitentiaires ont servi de la nourriture avariée au militant taiwanais Lee Ming-che, et ne lui ont pas fourni suffisamment de vêtements, alors qu'il fait très froid dans sa cellule. Son épouse, qui avait révélé ses conditions de détention au grand public, s'est vu interdire de lui rendre visite jusqu'au 22 avril 2019. Lee Ming-che, condamné en 2017 à cinq ans d'emprisonnement pour ´ subversion de l'État ª, est un prisonnier d'opinion. En tant que tel, il doit être libéré immédiatement et sans condition.
(2019-02-12). 'Policing For Profit' Is Alive and Well in South Carolina. aclu.org An investigative series finds that police have amassed millions through civil asset forfeiture, mostly affecting the poor and people of color. | In Conway, South Carolina, a 72-year-old widow hides inside, her curtains drawn, fearing that local law enforcement will attempt to take away her home for a third time. Ella Bromell has never been convicted of a crime. So how has her house been at risk of seizure for over a decade? | The answer is simple, but the process is obscure, discriminatory, and all-too commonplace: civil asset forfeiture. | Civil asset forfeiture grants law enforcement officers the authority to t…
(2019-02-12). In Venezuela, White Supremacy Is a Key Driver of the Coup. venezuelanalysis.com Greg Palast examines the relationship between racism and right-wing politics in the Latin American nation.
(2019-02-12). SPLC responds to Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey's prison construction plan. splcenter.org Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey announced today that her administration will seek bids for building three regional prisons for men, at an estimated cost of nearly $1 billion — part of a larger effort to address the state's dangerous and overcrowded prison system.
(2019-02-12). (Another) Mockery of Justice in Russia. hrw.org 
Oyub Titiev, a Chechen human rights activist, has been behind bars for more than 13 months on bogus drug charges and his trial is now drawing to a close. Today, the defense filed its last motion, and the judge declined it — just as she has declined all other defense motions. | | | Oyub Titiev at the Shali court in Chechnya, February 12, 2019. | © 2019 Tanya Lokshina/Human Rights Watch | When Oyub's trial began last summer, we had little, if any, expectations for a fair hearing. A man jailed by Chechen authorities in…
(2019-02-11). The Supreme Court Is Playing Favorites With Religion. aclu.org The court's recent decisions threaten religious neutrality — the "clearest command" of the Establishment Clause. | Last week, the Supreme Court permitted the state of Alabama to execute a Muslim man, Domineque Ray, without his religious advisor present. The court's 5-4 decision reversed an emergency lower-court order that had temporarily delayed the execution because of grave concerns that Alabama's pr…
(2019-02-11). Why Trump Won't Get the Black Vote. progressive.org By failing to address issues such as housing, maternal mortality, and mass incarceration, Trump will continue to marginalize black constituents.
(2019-02-11). Headlines for February 11, 2019. democracynow.org Shutdown Talks Stall as Friday Deadline Looms, Virginia: Gov. Northam Refuses to Step Down Amid Racism Crisis, Second Woman Accuses Virginia Lt. Gov. Fairfax of Rape, Venezuela: U.S. and Russia Dig In at U.N. with Rival Resolutions, Venezuela: Standoff over Aid Pits Military Against Guaidó Supporters, Rio: At Least 13 Dead in Shootout, Haiti: At Least 2 Killed in Anti-Government Protests, Gaza: Israeli Forces Kill 2 Teenage Protesters, Acting Pentagon Chief: No Orders to Withdraw U.S. Troops from Afghanistan, AMI, Saudi Official Respond After Bezos Accuses Nat'l Enquirer of Blackmail, Denver Public School Teacher…
(2019-02-11). Meet Kris Stith: The Man Behind the Graphics. naacp.org As we continue to uplift the work of African American entrepreneurs during Black History Month we would like to highlight Kristopher Stith or as he prefers, Krisa multidisciplinary artist with a predilection for design. He began his journey as an artist in Anacostia, an underserved area in Southeast Washington, D.C. using the books and materials his grandmother gave he […]
(2019-02-11). Judge: Alabama's prison system violates Eighth Amendment, "deliberately indifferent" to mental health of people in solitary confinement. splcenter.org In another stunning rebuke of Alabama's prison system, a federal judge ruled today that the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) violated the Eighth Amendment and that it was "deliberately indifferent" in its failure to adequately monitor the mental health of incarcerated people in solitary confinement.
(2019-02-08). It's Not Just Ralph Northam—Anti-Blackness is 'Vintage Americana'. progressive.org It's Black Lives Matter at School Week, but black children in continue to suffer because America isn't ready to confront its anti-blackness.
(2019-02-08). Dems Accuse Trump Admin of "State-Sponsored Child Abuse" as Separated Migrant Children Scandal Grows. democracynow.org 
Trump administration officials are acknowledging that there may be thousands more missing immigrant children who were separated from their parents than originally reported. This was the focus of a hearing on Thursday of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. We speak to Lee Gelernt, deputy director of the ACLU Immigrants' Rights Project. He is the lead lawyer on the ACLU's national challenge to the Trump administration's family separation practice. He testified at the hearing yesterday.