Press Releases

Acquitted soccer player free to reunite with family in Belgium after over a decade in solitary confinement

"Mr. Trabelsi's reunion with his family comes after being held in detention in the U.S. for years even after being cleared of all charges. That should never have happened," said ACLU-VA Senior Immigrants' Rights Attorney Sophia Gregg.
Issue Areas: Immigrants' Rights

DoDEA must return books to shelves, judge rules

Schools on military bases had banned nearly 600 books related to race and gender in response to Trump’s executive orders.
Issue Areas: First Amendment Rights

President Trump's proposed compact is an attempt to buy UVA's compliance

“Neither speech, nor protest, nor identity are for sale. We urge the University of Virginia to reject the anti-civil rights agenda the Trump administration is trying to force upon its faculty and students,” said ACLU-VA Executive Director Mary Bauer.

ICE is unlawfully detaining people who came to the US as unaccompanied minors who were abused, neglected or abandoned

“Our clients are following the rules they’ve been given to obtain citizenship. Unfortunately, ICE is not,” said ACLU-VA Senior Immigrants’ Rights Attorney Sophia Gregg.

ACLU, ACLU of Virginia, ACLU of North Carolina sue ICE for records regarding potential expansion of immigration detention in Virginia

“ICE's solution to the dangerous, rapidly degenerating conditions in its existing facilities can’t be to replicate those conditions in new facilities that it builds in secret,” said ACLU-VA Senior Immigrants' Rights Attorney Sophia Gregg
Issue Areas: Immigrants' Rights
Court Cases: ACLU Foundation v. ICE

Georgetown scholar Dr. Badar Khan Suri asks appeals court to reject government’s bid to re-detain him

Past rulings found there was no legitimate reason to detain Dr. Suri and that doing so on the basis of an alleged “threat to foreign policy” or for his protected associations is likely unconstitutional.

Gov. Youngkin’s Executive Order 53 is the latest in a pattern of discriminatory voter roll purges

"Gov. Youngkin’s Executive Order 53 is not about keeping Virginia elections fair: it’s about wrongfully purging eligible voters and scapegoating Virginia’s immigrant communities," said ACLU-VA Policy Director Chris Kaiser.

ACLU and ACLU of Virginia launch nearly $2 million ad buy on civil rights at stake in 2025 Virginia election

“In the face of federal attacks on our civil rights and civil liberties, Virginians have the opportunity to elect leaders who will shore up our rights here at home,” said ACLU-VA Executive Director Mary Bauer.

ACLU of Virginia joins suit against the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles for suppressing constitutionally protected speech

“Government officials should not be allowed to censor Virginians simply because they disagree with them," said ACLU-VA Senior Supervising Attorney Matt Callahan.
Issue Areas: First Amendment Rights
Court Cases: Whateley v. Lackey