Over the past few months, we have been in court fighting back on multiple fronts to defend civil rights and liberties. From protecting voting rights and free speech to defending immigrants and birthright citizenship, here are some key updates from the past few weeks:
Voting Rights
U.S. v. Bellows: Last week, we filed an amicus brief urging a federal appeals court to reject the Trump administration's attempt to access sensitive Maine voter data, which could be used to build a national voter database and disenfranchise voters. We already won this argument at the trial court, and we hope the appeals court stops this attempted overreach once and for all.
Freedom of Speech
McGonigle v. Curran: In July, we sued the government after our client, social media influencer @CatsOnACouch, was barred from an official vice-presidential event in Bangor simply because she criticizes Vice President Vance online. The government cannot punish people for mocking those in power. This month, we made significant progress in the case by getting the government to allow Amanda to attend the vice president's Brewer event.
Birthright Citizenship
Barbara v. Trump: We're back in court defending birthright citizenship from the Trump administration's ongoing attacks. After our Supreme Court victory in June, the president signed another executive order targeting birthright citizenship. The 14th Amendment is still the law of the land, and we'll keep fighting to protect it.
Immigrants' Rights
Guerrero Orellana v. Moniz: A federal appeals court ruled this month in our favor, holding that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) cannot indefinitely jail people arrested in Maine, New Hampshire, or Massachusetts and deny them a bond hearing. Denying people a chance to seek freedom during immigration proceedings is not only cruel, it's against the plain language of federal law.
Academic Freedom
AAUP v. Rubio and Harvard v. HHS: The federal government is attempting an ideological takeover of academic institutions by targeting students, faculty, and organizations. We filed amicus briefs in two cases defending the First Amendment and academic freedom on college campuses. The government cannot use its power to punish or control people and institutions simply because it disagrees with their views.
Religious Liberty & LGBTQ Equality
Crosspoint Church v. Makin and St. Dom v. Makin: A federal appeals court recently ruled in our favor, holding that private schools participating in publicly funded programs are not exempt from the Maine Human Rights Act's ban on discrimination against students based on sexual orientation or gender identity. All schools that participate in state-funded programs must all play by the same rules.
This is just a snapshot of the work we're doing to hold those in power accountable and defend the civil rights and liberties of Maine people. We're also ramping up our election safeguarding work to keep Maine's elections free, safe, and fair. We'll share more about that soon so you can make your voice heard at the ballot box.
Thank you for standing with us in the fight to defend civil rights and liberties in Maine and beyond. We could not do it without your support.
