HOUSTON — In response to Donald Trump’s election as president of the United States, the ACLU of Texas executive director Terri Burke had the following statement:
“In the face of the hateful and xenophobic rhetoric expressed by our President-Elect during the campaign, the historic role of the ACLU to protect and defend our foundational civil liberties has never been more necessary. Neither last night’s result nor the stark divisions on the electoral map will dissuade us from our duty to ensure each and every one of us can live in a Texas that is fair and equal.
"To the DREAMer who emerged from the shadows to demand her right to live without fear, we are with you. To the LGBT couple facing a State bent on dissolving their wedding vows, we are with you. To the young black man who fears the armed officers sworn to protect him, we are with you. To the woman afraid she will no longer control her body and her destiny, we are with you. And to every journalist and activist and protester who takes up a pen or a microphone or a placard to speak their minds and defend their rights, we are with you. We are with you all, to ensure fair and equal treatment for every Texan.”
The following statement is from ACLU executive director Anthony D. Romero:
“For nearly 100 years, the American Civil Liberties Union has been the nation’s premier defender of freedom and justice for all, no matter who is president. Our role is no different today.”
“President-elect Trump, as you assume the nation’s highest office, we urge you to reconsider and change course on certain campaign promises you have made. These include your plan to amass a deportation force to remove 11 million undocumented immigrants; ban the entry of Muslims into our country and aggressively surveil them; punish women for accessing abortion; reauthorize waterboarding and other forms of torture; and change our nation’s libel laws and restrict freedom of expression.”
“These proposals are not simply un-American and wrong-headed, they are unlawful and unconstitutional. They violate the First, Fourth, Fifth, Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments. If you do not reverse course and instead endeavor to make these campaign promises a reality, you will have to contend with the full firepower of the ACLU at every step. Our staff of litigators and activists in every state, thousands of volunteers and millions of card-carrying supporters are ready to fight against any encroachment on our cherished freedoms and rights.”
“One thing is certain: we will be eternally vigilant every single day of your presidency and when you leave the Oval Office, we will do the same with your successor.”
The ACLU released its analysis of candidate Trump’s policy proposals in July, which can be found at: https://medium.com/acluelection2016/donald-trump-a-one-man-constitutiona...