ACLU of Texas

Remember: You have rights. Learn what SB 12 covers and doesn’t cover at aclutx.org/dragban.

Fifth Circuit Denies Motion to Rehear Texas Drag Ban Argument - ACLU of Texas The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit denied a petition for rehearing in The Woodlands Pride v. Paxton and vacated the permanent injunction that has blocked this law for over two years.

NEW: Texas' law targeting drag will now go into effect March 18 after a federal court declined to rehear arguments in our case against the unconstitutional law.

The court made clear that all-ages and family-friendly drag shows remain fully legal as our lawsuit continues.

Long live Texas drag. 📢

State-sponsored prayer periods have no place in our public schools. We urge all school districts to follow suit to protect religious freedom before the March 1 deadline.

To learn how you take action in your district, visit:

Love to see it! 🎉

School boards are already voting down S.B. 11 — the state-sponsored prayer bill — ahead of the March 1 deadline.

Public schools are for education, not evangelization. We urge school districts to prioritize students and reject S.B. 11.

TEXANS: TAKE ACTION 🗣️

➡️ WHAT: Urge your local school districts to vote NO on Senate Bill 11.
➡️ WHEN: Now! School boards have until March 1 to vote.
➡️ WHY: S.B. 11 could pressure students to participate in religious practices that don’t reflect their beliefs.

NEW: A federal court preliminarily BLOCKED key parts of S.B. 12 — the Texas law that bans Gender & Sexuality Alliances and censors discussions about race, gender, and sexuality in K-12 public schools — in Houston ISD, Katy ISD, and Plano ISD.

This is a victory for Texas students and educators. 👏

Already voted and looking for opportunities to help your neighbors?

Join us for a free training to become a nonpartisan poll monitor at bit.ly/EPTRAININGS.

Trainings are on Tuesdays and Saturdays through February.

Hey, Texans! Feb. 21-22 is the ONLY WEEKEND we have to cast our ballots early in the statewide primary election.

Don't wait until the last minute. Make a plan to vote early — now through Feb. 27 — or on Election Day, March 3 and learn your rights as a voter at aclutx.org/vote.

Join our Book Club

Calling all book lovers out there... 👀💘📚

Join ❣️In The Margins❣️ — our new BOOK CLUB!

Books are being pushed to the margins in Texas. Let’s center the stories, voices, and ideas that deserve space, not censorship.

Join us virtually on Saturday, March 14, for our first read: “Sula” by Toni Morrison.

Are you a Texas student trying to figure out how to vote this primary season? Start here.

Texas students deserve a voice in the decisions shaping their campuses, communities, and futures.

Whether you’re registered at home or at college: Make a plan, meet the deadlines, and vote.

Texas A&M eliminates women’s and gender studies program University leaders also said six courses were canceled and 48 exceptions were granted under new rules on race and gender.

Texas A&M University announced it will cut its women’s and gender studies degree program.

Limiting what students can learn doesn’t protect anyone — it restricts opportunity and weakens education.

Academic freedom isn’t optional. It’s foundational.

Cy-Fair ISD board reverses course, restores banned textbook chapters The Cy-Fair ISD board reinstated 13 chapters from five textbooks that were censored by the board's previous conservative majority. It marked the first rollback of policies by the new board .

GOOD NEWS: Cy-Fair ISD — Texas' third largest school district — is reinstating formerly banned textbook chapters on education and science. The change comes after locals voted out three pro-censorship school board members last fall.

All students have a right to learn free from government censorship.

TEXAS: We're just ONE WEEK away from early voting. Help protect democracy and become a poll monitor! 🗳️

Poll monitors are nonpartisan volunteers who aim to protect voters from intimidation or misinformation at polling locations.

Trainings are free and virtual. Learn more: bit.ly/EPTRAININGS

📢 NEW DATES ADDED! Join us for our free virtual Know Your Rights series held weekly in February.

Learn more at at aclutx.org/events.

WE'RE HIRING! 💙

Apply to join our team of passionate advocates as we work toward a more just Texas — together.

Learn more about the job descriptions and salaries at aclutx.org/careers.

EARLY VOTING IN TEXAS’ PRIMARY ELECTION BEGINS SOON!

Together we can demand that our elected officials take bold action to protect our rights.
Don’t miss the chance to make positive change in our communities by heading to the polls.

For more info visit: aclutx.org/vote

ACLU of Texas Comments on State's Response to Student Walkouts - ACLU of Texas Government officials cannot punish students simply because they dislike their message.

As Texas students continue to protest ICE, let’s be clear: Government officials cannot punish students simply because they dislike their message.

Join us for our free virtual Know Your Rights series every Wednesday in February — starting TONIGHT!

Regardless of your immigration status, you have rights under the Constitution.

Learn more at at aclutx.org/events.

School boards across Texas are voting on S.B. 11, which would allow school-sponsored prayer periods that may pressure students into religious practices that conflict with their own.

Learn how you can stop it: www.aclutx.org/app/uploads/...

Feb. 2 is the last day to register to vote and to submit an address change for Texas' midterm primaries.

Here's what you need to know about checking your registration, registering to vote and submitting a name or address change. 🧵

A two panel graphic of photos of Bad Bunny accepting an award at the Grammys. Text on the graphic mirrors his quote: "ICE out. We're not savages, we're not animals, we're not aliens. We are humans and we are Americans."

Bad Bunny said it right — we won't let ICE's depravity strip us of our humanity.

Our communities, neighbors, and loved ones are worth fighting for.

We recommend that anyone considering installing a doorbell camera protect their privacy by storing video locally or using end-to-end encryption. Both options are offered by Ring, though the company requires customers to pay extra to avoid using its cloud service. Both options also prevent participation in the police-sharing program.

In short: One of the world’s largest companies is teaming up with a mass surveillance business as authoritarianism is on the rise here.

Texans want safety — not unregulated surveillance. 🗣

In late 2025, Flock and Ring — Ring is owned by Amazon and has facial recognition capabilities — announced a partnership to facilitate the sharing of Ring customers’ video with law enforcement.

Flock — the Automatic License Plate Reader (ALPR or LPR) company — is building a dangerous nationwide mass-surveillance infrastructure.

The system is being used by ICE to help carry out the Trump Administration’s abusive removal program.

ICE is expanding how it collects data.

Your device might be helping. 🧵

Houston City Council meeting turns raucous as protesters shut out from speaking Fueled by outrage over a fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen, dozens of people packed Houston City Hall chambers to protest Houston's cooperation with ICE.

Dozens of people signed up to speak about Houston police’s work with ICE at Tuesday's city council meeting.

Many of these people were unable to speak about the city's dangerous collaboration — even though the city had hours more to hear them out.

This is not what democracy looks like. Full stop.

Join us for a free online training on your rights when interacting with police. Wednesday, January 28 at 6 p.m. CT

Regardless of your immigration status, you have rights under the Constitution. Let’s protect ourselves and those we love by knowing our rights. Learn more at at aclutx.org/events.

DEADLINE APPROACHING! 🗣️

Texas artists working for social change: Become the ACLU of Texas’ next artist-in-residence and harness the power of your craft to boldly advance civil rights and individual freedoms for every Texan, no exceptions.

Apply by January 31 at aclutx.org/art.

NEW: A Texas county medical examiner found that Geraldo Lunas Campos was choked to death by a guard while he was held in ICE custody earlier this month.

Geraldo is the sixth person to die in ICE detention this year.

We Found More Than 40 Cases of Immigration Agents Using Banned Chokeholds and Other Moves That Can Cut Off Breathing Civilians have had apparent seizures. One had his eyes roll back. Another had ribs broken. “I felt like I was going to pass out and die,” said a 16-year-old citizen put in a chokehold. The government ...

"I felt like I was going to pass out and die.”

ICE agents choked a 16-year-old Texan on his way to school. He was later hospitalized with bruises and welts on his neck.

ICE's reckless and rampant use of force on our communities is absolutely despicable.