ACLU of Arizona

Efforts to ban books in Arizona schools, libraries intensify. What to know Banned Books Week highlights efforts to limit access to books, but the debate often results in people talking past, not to, one another.

Information and knowledge are power. School campuses and public libraries are facing significant challenges in promoting literary curiosity. We refuse to let Arizonans intellectual freedom be limited.
www.azcentral.com/story/news/l...

Picture this: It’s your first day at a new school. You’re still figuring out where to sit and wondering which hallway leads to the cafeteria when your teacher says, “Everyone, bow your heads for… First Amendment 101: The Freedom of Religion

Let’s break it down what the U.S. Constitution says about the Freedom of Religion.
youtu.be/faDKlhjaWPg

Cuando nuestra democracia está siendo amenazada, nosotros, el pueblo, nos levantamos y alzamos la voz para proteger nuestros derechos y nuestras comunidades.

Encuentra una manifestación cerca de ti: www.nokings.org/?SQF_SOURCE=aclu

When our democracy is under threat, we the people will continue to take a stand to protect our rights and communities.

Find a protest near you: www.nokings.org/?SQF_SOURCE=aclu

Thank you to Joey for attending our Power & Purpose training and speaking with us!

“We need to work collaboratively to have a new narrative, because there are issues in this system. We need to move forward together in a way that would be fair to all.”

Thank you, Sharon, for being part of our Power & Purpose training in August!

Glendale City Council Moves to Repeal Unconstitutional, Harmful Panhandling Bans - ACLU of Arizona The City of Glendale's decision to repeal their panhandling bans is a win for free speech and human dignity, made possible by legal challenge.

BREAKING: Glendale will no longer criminalize panhandling — a win for free speech and the rights of people experiencing poverty. But the reversal only came after we sued the city and forced the issue. It should never be a crime to ask for help.

www.acluaz.org/press-releas...

Is flag burning legal? Can you criticize your school board without getting in trouble? In this second episode of our First Amendment series, we break down the freedom of speech: what it protects,… First Amendment 101: What is Free Speech?

Is flag burning legal? Can you criticize your school board without getting in trouble?
In the second episode of our First Amendment series, we break down the freedom of speech: what it protects, what it doesn’t, and why context matters.
Watch here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=wi14...

This is the first video in our series where we break down the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and explain the five core freedoms it protects: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom… First Amendment 101: An Introduction to the Five Freedoms

First Amendment 101 starts now.
This is the first video in our series where we break down the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and explain the five core freedoms it protects.

Watch and subscribe to our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQm1...

‘Trump’s private army’: inside the push to recruit 10,000 immigration officers As Ice expands and standards are lowered, advocates and former US officials warn that misconduct may increase

“They are rushing the hiring of these sensitive positions while gutting the institutions responsible for ensuring oversight,” said Policy Strategist Noah Schramm. “It’s a recipe for disaster.”

bit.ly/45KDraJ

The ICE Facility in Phoenix you probably didn’t know existed Phoenix ICE detention facility at Mesa airport holds immigrants for extended periods without basic amenities

There is a short-term ICE detention center at the Phoenix-Mesa Airport. Arizona Mirror found that some immigrants are being held there for far longer periods of time than the facility was designed for with no access to beds or showers.

Lawmakers must continue to push for oversight.

bit.ly/4mNk1rQ

Our organizing team is seeking an intern! The Organizing Internship at the ACLU of Arizona provides individuals with an opportunity to actively work on community organizing and public education projects on a wide variety of issues.

Learn more and apply here: www.acluaz.org/en/jobs/orga...

Thanks to those who participated in our Power and Purpose Training! Attendees learned how to organize in their communities, have conversations to move people to action, and build connections with those who are ready to rise to the moment. Join our Activist Network to get updates on future trainings!

We are hiring! The Philanthropy Associate is a key member of the Philanthropy Department, working closely with and supporting the team with donor data management, preparing research and reports, donor solicitation and gift acknowledgments.

LEARN MORE AND APPLY HERE: www.acluaz.org/en/jobs/phil...

A communications internship at the ACLU of Arizona offers students and recent grads hands-on experience with multimedia projects focused on immigration, LGBTQ+ rights, free speech, voting, reproductive freedom, and criminal justice reform.
Apply here: www.acluaz.org/en/jobs/comm...

Our policy team is seeking an intern. Policy interns will have the opportunity to gain valuable experience by working and assisting in all aspects of our policy advocacy across a variety of civil rights and civil liberties issues.

APPLY HERE: www.acluaz.org/en/jobs/poli...

Does DACA protect recipients from deportation? The feds weigh in There's a change in federal policy as the White House pushes to expand mass deportations.

Dreamers have lived, worked, and led in Arizona for decades. Ignoring their protection under the DACA program is a betrayal of trust and a violation of our values.
www.azfamily.com/2025/08/16/d...

Arizona Dreamer explains 'dark cloud' of uncertainty as DACA detentions increase Under the Trump Administration, DACA recipients are being told to leave the country. That's something Montoya has no plans to do.

Targeting DACA recipients is a betrayal of trust and a violation of our values: fairness, due process, and equal protection. Dreamers have lived, worked, and led in Arizona for decades.
We won't stop fighting for dignity and justice.
www.abc15.com/news/local-n...

'I'm getting death threats': Arizona Sen. Analise Ortiz under fire for ICE location posts Arizona state Sen. Analise Ortiz is facing death threats and calls for her expulsion from the Legislature over her social media posts about ICE sightings.

This attempt to censor and intimidate Sen. Ortiz has no place in our democracy. www.abc15.com/news/politic...

Informing one's community about public law enforcement activity is protected speech. Reporting an ICE sighting is the same as reporting a speed trap on the freeway – and speaking about both is a First Amendment right.

Join us for a town hall in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District on Saturday, August 16. Together, we’ll demand accountability from our elected leaders. RSVP at the link in our bio. act.aclu.org/a/phoenixtow...

We must reject attempts to criminalize speech and dissent, and oppose federal abuses of power.

Arizona senator warns people to stay away from ICE. Is that really a crime? | Opinion Arizona's GOP Senate president wants an investigation of Democratic Sen. Analise Ortiz for posting where ICE agents have been seen in public.

Everyone, including elected officials like @senanaliseortiz.bsky.social, has the First Amendment right to report on public law enforcement activities and inform their communities of potential harms. www.azcentral.com/story/opinio...

ICE wants prison beds. Gov. Katie Hobbs may have just provided 500 Arizona sold an empty prison to a private company for $15 million just as ICE is looking for more places to house immigrants.

An empty Pima County prison is being eyed as a possible ICE detention center — a move that raises serious concerns. Given ICE’s troubling track record of human rights abuses in detention, we’re calling for transparency, oversight and a halt to expanding a harmful system.
bit.ly/40IMOVx

ACLU sues Pima County sheriff for records of immigration contacts The ACLU is suing to get records from Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, saying it received reports from community members that his deputies are calling immigration officials when they conduct

This lawsuit is about transparency and justice for people who fear the cruelty of Trump’s mass deportation agenda. If the sheriff maintains no collaboration with federal immigration authorities, then there should be no issue showing proof across all department records. tucson.com/news/local/g...

Alfredo Gutierrez, who played a critical role in the immigrants' rights movement in Arizona and was a powerful advocate on behalf of so many, passed away yesterday at 79. He leaves a long and fierce legacy for all of us to carry on.

We filed the case alongside @publicjustice.bsky.social and the First Amendment Clinic at Arizona State University Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law.

Lawsuit Filed to End Enforcement of Glendale’s Unconstitutional Panhandling Bans Three Glendale residents filed a lawsuit alleging that the city’s panhandling bans violate their First Amendment rights to engage in constitutionally protected speech. The residents are seeking a

BREAKING: We've sued to end enforcement of Glendale's panhandling bans, alleging that the ordinances violate the First Amendment.

Criminalizing a person asking for help isn't just unconstitutional, it’s wrong.
www.acluaz.org/en/press-rel...

BREAKING: Today, we filed a lawsuit on behalf of three Glendale residents alleging that the city’s panhandling bans violate their First Amendment rights.

Asking for help shouldn’t be a crime, and federal courts have recognized anti-panhandling regulations as unconstitutional.

Arizona GOP leaders in abortion court fight against ACLU, reproductive rights group - Daily Independent PHOENIX - Attorneys for doctors trying to void some existing abortion restrictions are trying to keep a judge from hearing the lone arguments against their efforts. And if they are successful, …

While state lawmakers try to defend harmful abortion restrictions, we remain unwavering in our commitment to defend access to care. Everyone deserves the freedom to make decisions about their own body and future.
www.yourvalley.net/stories/gop-...