We envision a state in which every person can take part in shaping the decisions that impact their lives — a state in which every person can thrive.
Together, we showed up for our values and worked on making that vision a reality.
In 2024, we worked to:
- End cruel policies that harm our border and immigrant communities.
- Defend Texans’ right to protest and advocate for inclusive public schools free from censorship and discrimination.
- Expand protections for all LGBTQIA+ Texans — especially trans youth.
- Destigmatize abortion and expand reproductive rights for every Texan.
- Lower incarceration and arrest rates.
- Ensure a future where historically disenfranchised communities can fully participate in the democratic process.
Texans worked to end cruel policies that harm our border and immigrant communities.
The state government is attempting to seize control of immigration — even though this authority resides with the federal government — and is wasting more than $11 billion to demonize, harass, and detain immigrants. Texans worked to end these cruel policies, restore access to asylum, and nurture thriving border communities.
We rallied against Senate Bill 4 — one of the most extreme anti-immigrant laws in the nation — resulting in a preliminary injunction pausing local and state law enforcement’s ability to arrest, detain, and remove people without federal authorization.
Texans showed up and spoke out against Governor Abbott’s multi-billion dollar anti-immigration program Operation Lone Star — which our data report revealed is rife with systemic failures and civil rights abuses.
We empowered border and immigrant communities with crucial information about state and federal laws and our constitutional rights under them. More than 1,260 people attended trainings about our rights.
Texans advocated and exercised our First Amendment rights.
State and local officials regularly undermine our First Amendment rights and erode our democracy by trying to silence views they don’t like. Texans pressured school districts across the state to end discriminatory dress codes, hair policies, and book bans that erased students’ identities and history.
Too many Texas schools enforce dress codes that shame and penalize students for simply showing up as their authentic selves. After reviewing 1,178 Texas K-12 public school districts’ 2022-23 policies, we published a report showing that more than half of them were discriminatory. Supporters across the state to shared their personal experiences of discrimination, and several community members advocated for more inclusive dress codes in our local school districts.
As mass protests arose on college campuses nationwide, Texas state and university officials tried to suppress the voices of Texans advocating for Palestinians, at times through violence and arrest. We swiftly supported students’ constitutional rights by distributing Know Your Rights materials, leading presentations, filing Public Information Act requests, and calling on universities to uphold their commitment to academic freedom and free speech for all students.
Texans advocated to defand and expand protections for LGBTQIA+ people, especially trans youth.
Across the state, LGBTQIA+ Texans face discrimination, bullying, and violence simply for being who we are.
Texans spoke out against policies at all levels of government that sought to harm LGBTQIA+ people. We pressured school districts across the state to stop proposals that would forcibly out students, lead to gender discrimination, and disproportionately target trans, nonbinary, and intersex youth.
Last year, a federal district court prevented Texas’ drag ban from taking effect after a two-day trial. We are now defending that victory before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit to protect Texans’ artistic freedom and self-expression, as well as to ensure that LGBTQIA+ Texans can joyfully, courageously, and unapologetically celebrate Pride. We remain hopeful that the court will uphold the trial court’s decision and ensure that drag is here to stay (and slay!).
REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM
Extremist politicians in Texas have passed civil and criminal laws banning abortion care and putting our communities at risk. The ACLU of Texas is working to destigmatize abortion and expand reproductive rights for everybody in our state.
Hundreds of Texans across the state have participated in the Texas Abortion Advocacy Network (TAAN) Academy, learning from experts on how to advocate in their local communities for reproductive freedom.
Local organizers in Amarillo, including TAAN alumni, worked tirelessly for months to stop the city’s abortion travel ban — and Amarillo voters resoundingly rejected the ban in the November election.
Texans advocated for justice and equity in our criminal legal system.
Texas locks up more people than any other state and racism is evident at every stage of the criminal legal system. The ACLU of Texas is challenging systemic discrimination by working to reduce racial disparities and lower incarceration and arrest rates.
Travis County was violating residents’ constitutional rights by denying them a lawyer at initial bail hearings. In response, Texans demanded immediate action in a letter to county officials and launched a courtwatching program. We filed a lawsuit on behalf of those jailed without representation.
The Austin City Council subsequently passed a resolution supporting access to lawyers, and Travis County has committed funding to begin to access counsel at first appearance.
After mass arrests during pro-Palestine protests at The University of Texas at Austin, local law enforcement officials forced the detained individuals to remove their religious clothing. Partnering with the Austin chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, we sent a letter to the Travis County Sheriff’s Office urging it to protect the religious rights of those in custody. After meeting with the sheriff, we successfully pressured the county to revise its policy. With this victory, we remain committed to pushing for statewide reform to safeguard the religious rights of all people in detention in Texas.
Texans helped each other have what we need to vote.
Texas is one of the most difficult places in the country to vote — and state politicians continue to make voting even harder. Texans worked toward a future where registering to vote is easy, casting a ballot is simple and convenient, and historically disenfranchised communities can fully participate in the democratic process.
Texans went above and beyond to ensure that all eligible people across our state were able to exercise our right to vote by becoming trained nonpartisan poll monitors.
In a win for the organizations that help keep elections accessible, a federal district court struck down a provision of Senate Bill 1 that restricted crucial get-out-the-vote efforts. The ACLU of Texas and co-counsel filed a lawsuit in 2021 against the sweeping anti-voter law, which criminalizes civic participation and makes it exceedingly difficult for certain Texans to vote — especially voters whose primary language is not English, voters with disabilities, and voters who need to vote by mail. Last year, a district court ruled that the ID matching provisions for mail ballots violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Our challenge to the law is currently on appeal.
Emboldened by the outcomes of the 2024 election, our state’s leaders will continue to change agency rules, legal opinions, and laws to criminalize and erase Texans who differ from themselves: people seeking an abortion; LGBTQIA+ people, especially trans people; immigrants; and Black and Brown people who did not arrive at Ellis Island but moved to work in this land that we now share.
From Amarillo to Brownsville and Beaumont to El Paso, we believe in a Texas that works for all of us. We know there’s a long road ahead, yet we press forward.
We as Texans do this work — together — because we share a belief in a better future for the people of this state. In 2025, we will continue to work together to build a stronger and safer state and show up for each other in critical and courageous ways, no matter what.