News and Commentary

As the leading civil rights organization in the Lone Star State, we at the ACLU of Texas believe it is our duty to keep the public informed about the state of their civil liberties. The work we do at the legislature, in the courts, and in our communities is important, but there is no better defender of civil rights than a public that is informed and engaged.

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Jun 20, 2019

TX Legislature in Review: Smart Justice

The recent end of the 2019 legislative session resulted in a mixed bag for many criminal justice advocates. However, our collaborative work with partners within the Texas Smart on Crime Coalition proved...

By Matthew Simpson

Jun 19, 2019

TX Legislature in Review: Voting Rights

Here’s something we don’t get to say every year: We defeated the State of Texas’ attack on voting rights this legislative session.

Over the past decade, Texas lawmakers have...

By Matthew Simpson

Here’s something we don’t get to say every year: We defeated the State of Texas’ attack on voting rights this legislative session.

Over the past decade, Texas lawmakers have...

By Matthew Simpson

Jun 18, 2019

TX Legislature in Review: LGBTQ Equality

LGBTQ issues experienced significant progress at the Texas Capitol this session. Spearheaded by the formation of the...

By Matthew Simpson

LGBTQ issues experienced significant progress at the Texas Capitol this session. Spearheaded by the formation of the...

By Matthew Simpson

Jun 17, 2019

TX Legislature in Review: Immigrants’ Rights

Immigration and immigrants’ rights are hot button topics for civil rights supporters in Texas, but during the 86th Texas Legislature, our elected officials reviewed a lot of policy yet did very little on...

By Matthew Simpson

Jun 17, 2019

Behind the Scenes of the 86th Texas Legislature

The 86th Texas legislative session has officially ended, with Governor Greg Abbott signing the last set of bills on his desk into law by the Sunday, June 16 deadline.

This was not...

By Matthew Simpson

The 86th Texas legislative session has officially ended, with Governor Greg Abbott signing the last set of bills on his desk into law by the Sunday, June 16 deadline.

This was not...

By Matthew Simpson

Jun 14, 2019

3 Reasons Why Texas Police Should Stop Partnering with Immigration Enforcement

Since its creation in 1996, the federal 287(g) program has produced ongoing devastating consequences for communities nationwide, including in Texas. But on June 30,...

By Adriana Piñon

Since its creation in 1996, the federal 287(g) program has produced ongoing devastating consequences for communities nationwide, including in Texas. But on June 30,...

By Adriana Piñon