ACLU of Washington

A federal appeals court today upheld a block on Trump’s executive order that seeks to strip babies born in the United States of their U.S. citizenship. The Constitution is clear — if you are born in the United States, you’re a citizen. Another hard won victory for democracy!

No Kings As the president escalates his authoritarian power grab, the NO KINGS non-violent movement continues to rise stronger. We are united once again to remind the world: America has No Kings and the power belongs to the people.

Find a No Kings protest near you at the link in our bio. When using that link, Indivisible will know you came from us; their privacy policy applies.

Protest announcement for Saturday, October 18. Text says " Our government answers to us, whether they like it or now. Join us on Saturday, October 18 at a protest near you." Background features images of past protests.

When President Trump tries to silence dissent, we just get louder

Black graphic with white and orange text: "Know your rights before you hit the streets. Virtual training, Monday, October 6 at 8:00 pm ET. We'll cover your rights when protesting, protest safety, and de-escalation training."

We’re taking to the streets across the nation on October 18 to protest the Trump administration’s abuse of executive power.

Join us on October 6 at 8pm ET to make sure you’re prepared to protest safely. RSVP at aclu.org/KYRtraining_oct6

A New Labor Rule Could Push Caregivers to the Breaking Point | ACLU Care workers warn that a new Labor Department rule would cut vital wage and hour protections, threatening millions of caregivers who support seniors and people with disabilities.

Caregivers look after seniors and people with disabilities — yet a new Labor Department rule would rob them of vital workplace protections.

We're fighting alongside @domesticworkers.bsky.social to protect caregivers.

More than ever, we must be relentless in showing up for each other in our schools, neighborhoods, homes, and beyond — especially in the face of violence. 

And to 2SLGBTQIA+ Washingtonians: We've got your back and will always fight alongside you.

 Photos by Nii Okaidja (@nii_okaidja)

Summer may be over, but the work of building a Washington where queer and transgender people can live and love freely continues.

Know Your Rights: School Discipline - Isolation and Restraint Practices - ACLU of Washington This guide covers the legal protections students have against restraint and isolation practices in school.

While WA has limited the use of this discipline practice, it's still important to understand the legal protections students have should it occur. Learn more on our Know Your Rights page

Dark blue graphic with the text "Students and Families: Know your school discipline rights. What to know if a student is isolated or restrained at school." There is a chair in the middle of the graphic, with a light blue trapezoid behind it and a swooping white line. Blue ACLU WA logo in the bottom left.

We're here to help students and families know their rights — including information about what to do if a student is isolated or restrained at school.

Slyvia Mendez quote, reflecting on what her parents taught her. The graphic reads, "That we are all individuals; that we are all human beings; that we are all connected together; and that we all have the same rights, the same freedom." Sylvia Mendez is an activist and plaintiff in landmark case against school segregation.

Sylvia Mendez was the plaintiff in a landmark case that prohibited segregation and paved the way for Brown v. Board of Education.

This Latine Heritage Month, we recognize those who advocated before us and those who continue the work today.

#BannedBooksWeek is October 5-11. Download and share our free graphics to help spread the word about the harms of censorship.
https://www.ala.org/bbooks/bannedbooksweek/ideasandresources/freedownloads
#CensorshipIsSo1984

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Protect Our Data Campaign

Yes! This is the campaign page from OneAmerica Votes www.weareoneamerica.com/protect_our_...

Tell Congress: No Troops on Our Streets President Trump has deployed thousands of National Guard and federal troops into our communities. Tell Congress: No troops on our streets.

3️⃣ Send a Message. Tell Congress to protect our communities and keep military troops off our streets.

2️⃣ Keep up to date. Follow @aclu-or.bsky.social and @aclu.org for updates, and information about your rights.

Know Your Rights: Encountering Law Enforcement and Military Troops in Oregon The following information is produced by the ACLU of Oregon for educational purposes only. This is not intended to be and is not a substitute for legal advice.Law enforcement encounters can be

Here are 3 actions you can take today:

1️⃣ Know Your Rights. No matter what uniform they wear, law enforcement and military troops are bound by the Constitution. Read and share the guide:

Military troops and heavily-armed federal agents have no place on our streets.

We know what keeps us safe: Community care, housing, and support services. This is true here in Washington – just as it is in California, D.C., and Oregon. 

To our neighboring state: Stay safe and know your rights!

This back to school season, help the students in your life know their — in and out of the classroom.

Learn more: https://aclu-wa.org/pages/back-school-know-your-rights

Tell Nexstar and Sinclair: Protect our TV against Trump. Don't censor Jimmy Kimmel. Jimmy Kimmel returned to air. But this fight isn't over – broadcasting giants Nexstar and Sinclair declared that they still won't air the show on their ABC affiliates.

Nexstar and Sinclair are sending a message — they want to give in to President Trump's anti-free speech demands.

Tell Nexstar and Sinclair: Don't give in to censorship.

Graphic with a black background and a call to action: "Tell Nexstar and Sinclair: Don't give in to censorship." Below the text is a collage of a person holding a megaphone, a photo of Jimmy Kimmel's name plate in front of his hands, a protest sign that says "FREEDOM = FREE SPEECH," and a yellow abstract shape. White ACLU-WA logo in the bottom right.

After widespread public pressure, Jimmy Kimmel is back on air, but Nexstar and Sinclair – two of the biggest local TV station owners in the country – have announced that they won’t air the show on their ABC affiliates.  

That includes KOMO-TV and KATU broadcasts here in Washington.

Purple graphic with quote from ACLU-WA tech & privacy expert Tee Sannon Graphic: "We all deserve to move around our communities free from surveillance and the threat that data collected about us will be shared with government agencies, private companies, or any entity that could use that data to cause harm." The graphic also features a person holding a sign that reads "protect & support each other." ACLU-WA logo on the bottom right.

Purple graphic with quote from ACLU-WA tech & privacy expert Tee Sannon Graphic: "We need strong laws regulating the use of these technologies and accountability from our elected officials to ensure that Washingtonians are protected from the harms of surveillance. The guise of public safety can never justify oppression." The graphic also features a person holding a sign that reads "protect & support each other." ACLU-WA logo on the bottom right.

Tracking people's every move puts the safety and privacy of Washingtonians at risk.

This Lewis County ordinance is rooted in decades-old stigma against people who use drugs, driven by misinformation that harm reduction programs increase drug use and crime.

We'll see them in court.

BREAKING: We're suing Lewis County, WA over a 2024 ordinance that makes it nearly impossible for Gather Church – a ministry in Lewis County that provides harm reduction and support services for residents with substance use disorder – to deliver life-saving care to vulnerable community members.

Quote graphic. Maroon background with a large light pink quote mark at the top. In white text, it says: The recall petition against Lucy Lauser does not have a legal basis and should be dismissed. Ms. Lauser rightly believed that she was engaged in a lawful protest. This is not a valid basis for the recall of an elected official, and proceeding with this recall petition would conflict with her First Amendment rights as well as silence protest during this time of profound attack on the civil rights of transgender people. In pink font, the quote is attributed to Adrien Leavitt, ACLU-WA Staff Attorney.

Moving forward with a recall petition would conflict with her First Amendment rights, which is why we call on the WA State Supreme Court to invalidate it.

Quote graphic. Maroon background with a large light pink quote mark at the top. In white text, it says: Like everyone else, I have a constitutional right to free speech and expression, which is what I did during my protests to call out the abuse and discrimination transgender people are suffering. In pink font, the quote is attributed to Lucy Lauser, Stevenson City Councilmember.

Let's be clear: Public nudity is not illegal in Washington state. Nudity is not obscene, and nudity alone is not indecent exposure. What's more, Lauser's protest did not occur while she was acting in her official capacity as a councilmember.

Text graphic. Maroon background with white text that says: In March, Stevenson Councilmember Lauser attended a rally for Transgender Day of Visibility outside of the Skamania County Courthouse. She didn’t wear a shirt and exposed her breasts, with a message written across her chest — “MY BODY IS NOT A SIN” — to protest discrimination toward transgender people. A Stevenson resident filed a recall charge in response to Lauser’s protest, accusing her of malfeasance and violating her oath of office by exposing her breasts in public. Lauser did not violate the law. Public nudity is not illegal in Washington state, and everyone has the right to engage in non-obscene expressive nudity.

When Stevenson Councilmember Lucy Lauser exposed her breasts with the message — “MY BODY IS NOT A SIN” — written on her chest to protest the discriminatory treatment of trans individuals & communities, she did not violate the law. She engaged in expressive conduct, protected by the First Amendment.

Maroon/pink background with a collaged image depicting free speech centered at the top -- in it are hands holding a poster of a talking mouth and a hand holding a megaphone. Title says, ACLU-WA calls on state Supreme Court to invalidate recall petition against Stevenson Councilmember Lucy Lauser

At a time of profound attacks on the civil rights of transgender people and an uptick in the suppression of free speech, defending the constitutional right to protest and self-expression is critical.

Empowering Latina Leadership & Action ELLA is a Chicana/Latina-led social justice organization focused on advocacy and leadership development to increase representation as key decision-makers across all sectors of community.

We honor and celebrate ELLA's work this Latine Heritage Month. Read more about ELLA’s impact on the lower Yakima Valley at weareella.org.

ELLA works with Latinas to sharpen skills and reach their full potential in leadership, public service, and other walks of life, while also striving to break down the social and cultural norms — issues like machismo and sexism – that lead to gender inequity.

The founders of ELLA - a leadership organization in Washington's Yakima Valley - recognized that many Latinas are leaders in practice but too often ignored or passed over. So, they set out to solve that problem.