American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey
A few weeks ago ACLU supporters signed a petition in support of Wilcox County High School students who were organizing the first integrated prom in their school's history. On Saturday night their dream came true.
100 Stories ~ Building 100 Solutions for Securing the Education Pipeline for Georgia's Children
Saturday, April 13th, 9:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Serenity Church, 1619 N. Lee Street, Valdosta, GA 31602
Free and open to the public.
Complimentary lunch will be provided for registered participants.
The ACLU of Georgia National Security/Immigrants’ Rights Project is celebrating its fifth anniversary!
Founded in March 2008, the project works to bring Georgia into compliance with international human rights and U.S. constitutional standards in treatment of refugees and immigrant communities, including those in detention. This project engages ACLU of Georgia staff and volunteers in litigation, legislative advocacy, human rights documentation, coalition-building, public education, attorney training, and community organizing to address a range of issues. Here you can find a few of our accomplishments over the past five years.
Don't amend bill that fixes flaw in Ga. immigration law
by Azadeh Shahshahani
Daily Report, March 27, 2013
Two years ago, Georgia passed one of the most stringent immigration laws in the country, House Bill 87. Both supporters and opponents of the bill now agree that it has a major flaw which needs to be fixed quickly. As written, the law subjects U.S. citizens renewing a professional license to months of delay, costing many of them their jobs and livelihood.
Legislators from both sides of the aisle wisely pledged to work together to do away with this unacceptable consequence. Straightforward, fix-it bills were introduced in the state House and Senate. Unfortunately, a few legislators have made last-minute changes to one of the bills, sending it in a completely different direction. Their amendments threaten to embroil Georgia into another protracted and rancorous debate over provisions similar to the one that prompted a fix in the first place.
Liberty Forsaken: Women in Incarceration
A panel discussion featuring special guest Jessica Colotl
Saturday, March 30, 2013 at 12:00 pm
4200 Perimerter Park South, Suite #205
Atlanta, GA 30341
Presented by: Georgia Detention Watch, On occasion of the International Women's Day
Co-hosted by the ACLU of Georgia
for more information, or to RSVP
go to https://www.facebook.com/events/236229463181634/
Changes in Immigration Bill Draws Opposition
Some quiet changes to a bill that was intended as a simple fix for unintended consequences of a 2011 crackdown on illegal immigration have turned the bill that originally had pretty universal support into a rallying point for activists on all sides of the immigration issue.
The bill sponsored by state Rep. Dustin Hightower, R-Carrollton, was presented as a solution to complaints from several state agencies that Georgia's 2011 law was creating extra work and delays in processing public benefits, including professional licenses.
The ACLU of Georgia Sends Letter to the Board of Regents Asking that They Lift the Ban on Admission for DACA Recipients
The ACLU Foundation of Georgia has sent a letter to the Board of Regents asking that they end the application of Policy 4.1.6. (ban on attendance of selective colleges and universities in the University System of Georgia) to young immigrants granted deferred action under the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). The letter also asks that the Regents issue new guidance recognizing that DACA recipients are “lawfully present” under federal immigration law and thus eligible to seek admission to Georgia’s competitive postsecondary institutions. Portions of the letter were read today by student organizers at the rally against the ban in Athens.
ACLU of Georgia Joins nationwide investigation of police militarization
The ACLU of Georgia joined affiliates throughout the country by submitting open records requests to determine the extent to which local law enforcement agencies are using federally subsidized military technology and tactics that are traditionally used in military operations overseas. The ACLU of Georgia submitted these requests to 11 of the largest law enforcement agencies in the state. We hope to receive responses in the coming weeks and we will continue to monitor this situation. You can find out more about this project at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/06/aclu-police-militarization-swat_n_2813334.html
HB 125 Injects Controversy into an Otherwise Sensible Bill. Changes to Bill are Burdensome, Unjust, and Unnecessary.
HB 125, the bill that was supposed to offer a fix to HB 87, but instead inserted damaging and cumbersome provisions making immigrants' lives in the state much more difficult, has passed the Georgia House. The provisions excluding foreign passports from the list of “secure and verifiable” documents and adding driver’s licenses to the list of “public benefits” threaten to overshadow the other reforms and push Georgia in the opposite direction, injecting new controversy, potential litigation, and reputational harm. For more on this bill, see our fact sheet.
Prostitute banishment idea meets protests
A proposed prostitution ban met with opposition at an Atlanta City Council work session Monday. The meeting was designed to invite input on a proposed ordinance that would ban prostitutes and their customers from certain parts of the city after multiple arrests.
The meeting lasted for several hours. Community leaders, church pastors and advocates against sex trafficking said the ban was harshly targeting victims of the sex trade. They said they'd like to see more budget dollars devoted to outreach and second chance programs.
The ordinance was pushed by people who told the city they were tired of living with streets populated by prostitutes and their customers.
"You can't arrest these people because they just keep coming back," said midtown resident Peggy Denby. "So this is our best option."
ACLU Files Lawsuit Challenging Georgia Abortion Ban
The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Georgia filed a lawsuit today challenging a Georgia law banning pre-viability abortions. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of three Georgia obstetrician-gynecologists whose patients include women in need of this essential medical care. The doctors are suing so that they can continue to keep their patients safe.
The law criminalizes virtually all abortions starting at 20 weeks of pregnancy, and contains only the narrowest exception for medical emergencies.
