News & Commentary

Face surveillance technology poses unprecedented threats to civil rights, civil liberties, and open, democratic society. We wrote in to express strong support for the proposed prohibition on face surveillance sponsored by Councilor Ali.

There is already plenty of objection to making uniformed, armed police permanent fixtures in schools. Now, officials want to put cameras on the bodies of these officers – placing students under constant police surveillance and knitting schools, police, and prisons closer together.

"The Constitution requires more than simply 'a warm body in a suit' standing next to the accused—the accused has the right to a lawyer who can and does provide assistance."

The Trump administration yesterday announced its plan to admit 18,000 refugees this fiscal year, taking another step in its agenda to dismantle the program that has long provided protection for people and families seeking safety from persecution. This sickening announcement is consistent with Trump’s attacks on refugees, Muslims, and immigrants across the board — particularly those who are Brown or Black.

The Justice Department announced last week that, after nearly two decades, it would resume executing prisoners on federal death row. The announcement ends a de-facto moratorium on the federal death penalty that has been in place since 2003. Five men are scheduled to be executed by lethal injection in December and January, with additional executions to follow, according to Attorney General William Barr.

An uptick in bus raids comes a little over a year after ACLU of Maine sued CBP seeking public records about its bus surveillance. This lawsuit resulted in a court order requiring CBP to produce internal training records about its authority to conduct the raids—information CBP tried to keep secret.

Over the last several months, volunteers for the ACLU’s Rights for All campaign have been fanning out across the first four primary states asking all of the 2020 presidential candidates a straightforward question: Will you commit to cutting the nations’ prison and jail population in half?

Over the last eight years, legislatures across the country have passed 400 laws to restrict safe and affordable access to abortion care. But in the face of these nationwide attacks on reproductive freedom, Maine is celebrating two historic victories to expand access.

In communities across the country, June marks Pride Month, a time to celebrate LGBTQ+ identity and recognize past and ongoing struggles. Festive pride parades are a staple of the month, often filled with floats, music, and dancing. But the origins of Pride were in protest that traces back 50 years.