Town Square
Ira Glasser on Free Speech
Posted on · Today, we’re talking about free speech with former longtime executive director of the ACLU, Ira Glasser.
Tag: ACLU
Education News
Magnolia ISD agrees to pause enforcement of district-wide long hair policy for boys and nonbinary students
Posted on · The district will now allow boys and nonbinary students to wear their hair longer than the bottom of their ear and to fashion their hair in a ponytail or bun without fear of punishment.
Politics
Civil Rights Groups Sue State Of Texas Over Restrictive Voting Rights Bill
Posted on · The suit filed by MALDEF on behalf of several groups and the Harris County Elections Administrator says Senate Bill 1 threatens to criminalize voter engagement activities, limits voter assistance and allows voter intimidation by partisan poll watchers.
Town Square
What Are The Implications Of The New Abortion Law On Women, Texans, And The Country?
Posted on · The Supreme Court declined to block the law in a 5 to 4 vote. The new Texas law states that abortions are banned after "cardiac activity" is detected in the fetus, estimated at six weeks, without exemptions for incest or rape.
Politics
Texas Abortion Providers Ask U.S. Supreme Court To Block Six-Week Abortion Ban
Posted on · Similar bans, sometimes referred to as “heartbeat laws,” have been blocked from going into effect in about a dozen states across the country.
Immigration
‘Unconstitutional And Fascist’ — Advocates Respond To Gov. Abbott’s Order Restricting Migrant Transport
Posted on · The order allows law enforcement to stop, reroute, or impound any vehicle that they reasonably suspect may be violating the order. The governor’s order did not detail what constitutes reasonable suspicion.
Immigration
Immigrant Advocates Want A Progressive Leader At ICE. Can Sheriff Ed Gonzalez Deliver?
Posted on · Ahead of Gonzalez' Senate confirmation hearing, some advocates say the sheriff's failure to implement transformative changes at the Harris County jail could indicate difficulties ahead at one of the most heavily-criticized agencies in the country.
Immigration
New ACLU Report Reveals Dozens Of Hunger Strikes, Retaliation At Texas ICE Facilities
Posted on · There were at least 46 hunger strikes -- by individuals and groups -- at Texas ICE facilities between 2013 and 2017, according to ACLU data shared with Houston Public Media.
Politics
GOP Voting Bills Aimed At Harris County Reforms Are Suppression, Civil Rights Groups Say
Posted on · The ACLU, the Anti-Defamation League and others slammed the bills, which they say are unjust and make it harder to vote. Harris County leaders, meanwhile, say their reforms are the target.
Immigration
Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks Biden’s 100-Day Deportation Moratorium After Texas Sues Administration
Posted on · The deportation moratorium was part of a package of immigration-reform measures the new administration proposed on Inauguration Day.
Immigration
As Biden Inherits A Harsh Immigrant Detention System, Advocates Look For Him To Change It
Posted on · Texas is home to more immigrant detention centers than any other state, making it ground zero for any changes President Joe Biden will make to the system. Though advocates have said they're optimistic about this new chapter, Biden is inheriting expanded detention infrastructure with a record of poor medical treatment.
Immigration
Supreme Court Punts In Census Case, Says It’s Premature To Decide The Issue
Posted on · The opinion said the case was "riddled with contingencies and speculation that impede judicial review."
Immigration
Court Temporarily Halts Trump’s ‘Remain In Mexico’ Policy
Posted on · A federal appeals court has temporarily halted a major Trump administration policy to make asylum seekers wait in Mexico while their cases wind through U.S. immigration courts.
Immigration
Tally Of Children Split At Border Tops 5,400 In New Count
Posted on · The count is a milestone in accounting for families impacted by the Trump administration's criticized effort against illegal immigration.
Texas
Federal Judge Orders Galveston County To Have Defense Lawyers At Bail-Setting Hearings
Posted on · Galveston County, like Harris and Dallas, was sued for bail practices that lawyers and judges have said discriminate against poor criminal defendants.