News & Commentary

NEW YORK — American Civil Liberties Union Executive Director Anthony D. Romero issued the following statement in response to President Trump’s nomination of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court:“Americans need an independent Supreme Court justice who will defend our hard-won civil rights and civil liberties and stand up to overreaching executive actions. The Supreme Court has a special obligation under our Constitution to protect the rights of all people to equal treatment, of women to control their reproductive choices, and of everyone to privacy and free expression. “Judge Gorsuch’s record, including his decision in the Hobby Lobby case, raises questions about whether he would allow businesses and individuals to opt out of nondiscrimination laws based on religious objections. And his commitment to an ‘originalist’ theory of constitutional interpretation that disregards our nation’s evolving understandings of constitutional rights is also of concern. We look forward to a fair and full public discussion of his record. After unnecessarily holding open a vacancy on the Supreme Court for nearly a year under President Obama, any effort now by Senate Republicans to rush this process should be resisted.”As a matter of organizational policy, the ACLU does not oppose or support presidential nominees.

NEW YORK — American Civil Liberties Union Executive Director Anthony D. Romero issued the following statement on President Trump’s executive order that would target Muslims for “extreme vetting:”

We are deeply saddened by the death of our longtime friend Victor Kumin who passed away at the age of 95. For half a century since moviing to Warner, New Hampshire in 1963, Victor and his wife Maxine were avid civil rights supporters and good friends to the ACLU. We remember Victor for his dedication and leadership as a member of the New Hampshire Civil Liberties Union for many years. Our warmest condolences to his three children and his grandchildren.

The American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire (ACLU-NH) and the law firm Bernstein, Shur, Sawyer & Nelson, P.A. filed a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of a mail policy imposed by the NHDOC that prohibits prisoners from receiving original drawings and greeting cards.

It is with deep regret that we mark the passing of ACLU of NH co-founder Ann Richardson Stokes on November 20 at the age of 85.  She was known for her kind and enthusiastic support of her community and for her passionate interest in politics, women’s issues, civil rights and environmental and world affairs.

More than 160 people attended the first-ever TRANSforming New Hampshire Heathcare Summit on Saturday November 19 to engage in private and public conversations about how to access services and navigate the complex world of healthcare. The day-long event was held at University of New Hampshire Law School in Concord. It was sponsored by the ACLU of New Hampshire and presented by Freedom New Hampshire, which partnered with other state organizations and Freedom For All Americans national campaign,

NEW YORK — In response to Donald Trump’s election as president of the United States, Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union, had the following statement:“For nearly 100 years, the American Civil Liberties Union has been the nation’s premier defender of freedom and justice for all, no matter who is president. Our role is no different today.“President-elect Trump, as you assume the nation’s highest office, we urge you to reconsider and change course on certain campaign promises you have made. These include your plan to amass a deportation force to remove 11 million undocumented immigrants; ban the entry of Muslims into our country and aggressively surveil them; punish women for accessing abortion; reauthorize waterboarding and other forms of torture; and change our nation’s libel laws and restrict freedom of expression.“These proposals are not simply un-American and wrong-headed, they are unlawful and unconstitutional. They violate the First, Fourth, Fifth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendments. If you do not reverse course and instead endeavor to make these campaign promises a reality, you will have to contend with the full firepower of the ACLU at every step. Our staff of litigators and activists in every state, thousands of volunteers, and millions of card-carrying supporters are ready to fight against any encroachment on our cherished freedoms and rights.“One thing is certain: we will be eternally vigilant every single day of your presidency and when you leave the Oval Office, we will do the same with your successor.The ACLU released its analysis of candidate Trump’s policy proposals in July, which may be found here.