D.C. Has a Police Abuse Problem
Police abuse in the District causes significant harm, costs millions of dollars, and undermines the whole justice system. It’s clearly time for District leaders to invest in police accountability solutions.
Join the Fight
BLOG
How to Vote in the June 4 D.C. Primary Election
Here is everything you need to know to vote in the primary. D.C. voter registration, polling locations, early voting, mail-in and drop-off ballots.
“Yes, We Will See Statehood for D.C.”: Anise Jenkins and D.C.’s Fight for Civil Rights
As we continue the fight for statehood, we give thanks to the organizing efforts of Black D.C. residents like Anise Jenkins, a leading voice and advocate.
Latest Press Releases
Judge Denies Claims Against Federal Officials for Police Attack on Civil Rights Demonstrators Near White House
“This decision underscores a troubling trend of courts shielding high-ranking officials, like former Attorney General William Barr, from accountability for violating the public’s most basic rights."
Supreme Court Grants Trump Broad Immunity for Official Acts, Placing Presidents Above the Law
The Supreme Court today ruled that former President Trump is at least presumptively immune from criminal liability for his official acts, and is absolutely immune for some “core” of them — including his...
Immigrants’ Rights Groups Sue Biden Administration Over New Anti-Asylum Rule
Immigrants’ rights groups today sued the Biden administration over the president’s proclamation and a new rule that severely restricts asylum and puts thousands of lives at risk.
CourtWatch DC
Courtwatch DC is a growing DC-based program that provides the space and training for the community to observe local court proceedings in the District of Columbia and document our city’s policies in action and to hold judicial actors accountable for injustice in the court system.
In the Courts
One of the main ways ACLU-D.C. works to protect civil liberties and civil rights is through litigation.
We litigate in the federal courts and in the local courts, and at every level: from D.C. Superior Court to the Supreme Court of the United States. Sometimes we’re able to solve a problem by just writing a letter.
Bread for the City v. District of Columbia – Challenging Discrimination in Mental Health Emergency Response Services
When people in D.C. call 911 for a mental health emergency, it’s generally a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer who responds. The District’s reliance on police as its default first responders for mental health emergencies is not only unfair and unsafe but also unlawful.
Bread for the City v. District of Columbia – Challenging Discrimination in Mental Health Emergency Response Services 
