News and Commentary

As the leading civil rights organization in the Lone Star State, we at the ACLU of Texas believe it is our duty to keep the public informed about the state of their civil liberties. The work we do at the legislature, in the courts, and in our communities is important, but there is no better defender of civil rights than a public that is informed and engaged.

Filter News

Oct 2, 2014

Securing Our Data Should Come First

This post was first published as part of the New York Times Room for...

By By Alex Abdo, Staff Attorney, ACLU Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project

This post was first published as part of the New York Times Room for...

By By Alex Abdo, Staff Attorney, ACLU Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project

Oct 2, 2014

Up to 20% of Border Patrol Drone Flights Are Inside the United States

The GAO released a report Tuesday on Customs and Border Patrol’s use of Predator drones in which it revealed that up to 20 percent of the CBP’s drone...

By By Jay Stanley, Senior Policy Analyst, ACLU Speech, Privacy & Technology Project

The GAO released a report Tuesday on Customs and Border Patrol’s use of Predator drones in which it revealed that up to 20 percent of the CBP’s drone...

By By Jay Stanley, Senior Policy Analyst, ACLU Speech, Privacy & Technology Project

Sep 29, 2014

The Wal-Mart Model: Not Just for Retail, Now It’s for Private Prisons Too!

The nation's biggest and baddest for-profit prison company suddenly cares about halfway houses – so...

By Carl Takei, ACLU National Prison Project

The nation's biggest and baddest for-profit prison company suddenly cares about halfway houses – so...

By Carl Takei, ACLU National Prison Project

Sep 26, 2014

Smokey Says, Get a Permit, Shutterbug

Well, sort of.

First Amendment advocates have expressed escalating concern in recent days over a U.S. Forest Service rule requiring permits for photographers in national forests. In particular what...

By By Gabe Rottman, Legislative Counsel, ACLU Washington Legislative Office

Well, sort of.

First Amendment advocates have expressed escalating concern in recent days over a U.S. Forest Service rule requiring permits for photographers in national forests. In particular what...

By By Gabe Rottman, Legislative Counsel, ACLU Washington Legislative Office

Sep 26, 2014

For One Young Black Man in Newark, 'The Talk' was about Police

This piece was originally published on ...

By By Michael Hobbs

This piece was originally published on ...

By By Michael Hobbs

Sep 26, 2014

DHS Argues It Has Evidence That Locking Up Immigrant Families Deters Migration. One Problem: It’s So Wrong.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues to claim both the incredible and the disgraceful: that Central American mothers and children fleeing danger pose a "national security" threat to the...

By By Eunice Lee, Detention Attorney, ACLU, Immigrants' Rights Project