News & Commentary

“It was actually the first election I would’ve ever voted in, so you can imagine that fact amplified my disappointment,” she says. “I had hoped that the ballot would arrive on time.” But she, like thousands of other Michigan voters, needlessly had their ballots rejected. That's why we sued.

For Camara Sankofa and Shanelle Thomas – like millions of people of color – the looming threat of police racism is an everyday reality. The ACLU of Michigan is working to change that.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan (ACLU) has sent a letter, addressed to the Washtenaw County Prosecutor, urging them not to press charges against Sha'Teina Grady El, who was brutally beaten by a police officer, as seen on camera footage. 

The odds were stacked against James Adrian from the time he was a child.

As America recoils in horror at video images of the killing of George Floyd earlier this month, a Black Minnesota man, it is important to remember that this is a very old story.

Across Michigan, people have been released from county jails in record numbers to help protect them from contracting the deadly coronavirus. Read from the viewpoint of the Chippewa County Chief Public Defender.

When we launched the ACLU People Power Tour late last year, the idea was to join forces with supporters and coalition partners to hold townhalls in communities across the state.  We would talk about our work but, just as importantly, we’d also listen as residents spoke out about the civil rights issues confronting them.  Then we’d think through ways to make things better. Together.

As the coronavirus sweeps through many of Michigan’s prisons, Muskegon Correctional Facility has reportedly been spared – so far. But the people who are housed there say they fear the worst when they're not given the basics to protect themselves.

If lives are to be saved, Michigan courts must immediately protect against the spread of COVID-19 by dramatically reducing jail incarceration levels.