June is traditionally the final month of the Supreme Court term, and that means the justices will be ruling on several ACLU cases.
From protecting birthright citizenship to trans youth, a number of our fundamental freedoms could be impacted by what is decided in the coming weeks.
At the same time, our legal teams have been making a difference in courts across the country to ensure people’s rights are protected at every level.
Before those rulings come down, we wanted you to have a rundown of some of the key ACLU cases we are waiting to hear on – both at the Supreme Court and lower courts nationwide.
At The Supreme Court
Birthright Citizenship
The Case: Barbara v. Donald J. Trump.
Status: Awaiting Decision at the Supreme Court.
What’s At Stake: President Trump is attempting to take away the constitutional right of birthright citizenship for children born on U.S. soil. But the ACLU and partners are taking the president to court to protect the rights of citizens that are plainly stated in the Constitution and federal statute and have been reaffirmed by the Supreme Court for more than a century.
Transgender Girls and Women in School Sports
The Case: West Virginia v. B.P.J.
Status: Awaiting Decision at the Supreme Court.
What’s At Stake: Becky is a West Virginia student and high school sophomore. As she was preparing to begin middle school, West Virginia passed a law categorically banning transgender girls from playing on girls’ school sports teams. Becky loves being part of a team and wanted to participate in cross-country and track and field with her friends. We’ve fought alongside Becky all the way up to the Supreme Court, where we’re arguing that trans kids – like every other kid – should have the freedom to thrive on and off the field.
Criminal Justice and the Second Amendment
The Case: U.S. v. Hemani.
Status: Awaiting Decision at the Supreme Court.
What’s At Stake: We went to the Supreme Court to argue that the federal government can’t charge our client, Ali Hemani, with a felony solely because he used marijuana and possessed a firearm securely at home. Prosecuting him based on those two facts alone is unconstitutional – violating his constitutional rights and relying on overbroad language to unfairly target marijuana users.
Temporary Protected Status and Immigrants’ Rights
The Case: Mullin v. Dahlia Doe.
Status: Awaiting Decision at the Supreme Court.
What’s at Stake: Mullin v. Dahlia Doe is a case challenging the Trump administration’s attempt to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for thousands of Syrian immigrants living and working legally in the United States. The case could affect the future of the entire TPS program – including 1.3 million TPS holders from all 17 TPS-designated countries – which has been a target of the Trump administration and its openly racist mass deportation agenda.
Across The Country
Medical Privacy for Trans Kids & Their Families
The Case: Coe v. Blanche.
Status: Awaiting Decision.
What’s At Stake: The Department of Justice is demanding a New York City hospital turn over private medical records about trans youth who’ve received gender affirming care – so we’re suing on behalf of their families. The goal of these subpoenas is clear: They want to pressure providers into dropping patients and obeying President Trump. We won’t let the Trump administration scare health care providers into breaking their trust with these parents and patients.
Abuse in Nation’s Largest ICE Detention Center
The Case: Angye v. ICE.
Status: Filed; Ongoing.
What’s At Stake: Camp East Montana, the country’s largest immigration detention center, is nothing short of a civil rights catastrophe – physical and sexual abuse by guards, spoiled and rancid food, severe medical neglect, excessive and arbitrary use of solitary confinement, and more. We’re suing on behalf of the thousands of people in ICE custody at this facility to ensure that no other human being has to endure this inhumane treatment.
We’ll keep you updated as each of these cases proceeds – and we’ll be in touch with ways you can plug into the work for justice.
More soon,
The ACLU Team
American Civil Liberties Union
125 Broad Street, 18th Floor
New York, NY 10004, USA