News & Commentary

A federal court today ruled that nearly 300 Iraqi nationals who have been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement will have an opportunity to be released. U.S. District Court Judge Mark Goldsmith ruled that when Iraqis in the case have been detained for more than six months—as already nearly all of them have—they are entitled to go before an immigration judge and present evidence showing they should be released from detention. In June, Judge Goldsmith halted their deportations because of the danger they could face in Iraq, but almost all have languished in detention since then. Today’s ruling requires release of nearly all the detainees by February 2 unless an immigration judge finds clear and convincing evidence that a particular individual is either a flight risk or a public safety risk.   

By: Monica Andrade, Skadden Fellow, and Bonsitu Kitaba-Gaviglio, Staff Attorney, ACLU of Michigan

The ACLU of Michigan disagrees with the U.S. Court of Appeals decision yesterday dismissing our challenge to the FBI’s designation of Juggalos as a gang. Nonetheless, we are proud of what the case accomplished and we were honored to represent the Juggalo family.

The American Civil Liberties Union and partner organizations have filed a brief asking a federal court to order the release of Iraqi nationals who have been detained for months by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Wayne County’s tax foreclosures continue to disproportionately impact African-American homeowners

Today the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan, the ACLU, the National Women’s Law Center and the Women’s Sports Foundation sent a letter to the National Collegiate Wrestling Association (NCWA) urging it to change its discriminatory policy that prohibits women, like University of Michigan-Dearborn student and national wrestling champion Marina Goocher, from competing against male wrestlers when women wrestlers and women’s teams are unavailable.NCWA_Letter_on_behalf_of_Marina_Goocher.pdf

In 2006 and 2011, the state legislature expanded the Sex Offender Registration Act (SORA), originally passed in 1994, creating harsher measures for registrants.

ACLU of Michigan 2017 Board Election Nominee Biographies The nominees to the Board all share a strong commitment to the mission of the ACLU and the qualities needed to serve as trustees of our organization which include, in some combination, issue expertise, important local representation from a diverse group of communities, and skill sets that will enrich the organization’s financial and long-term health and sustainability. The Board of Directors works to ensure that the ACLU is committed to its nonpartisan mission and maintains its values of readiness, reliability, respect and strategic action.