The spread of COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) is unprecedented, and it will take many of us working together and utilizing our collective expertise to respond appropriately, effectively, and fairly.
The ACLU is working nationwide and in Florida to ensure a response that is scientifically justified and no more intrusive upon civil liberties than absolutely necessary.
Here you will find information about the ACLU’s response to COVID-19.
In the face of this challenge, we must not only protect ourselves and those nearby but also reassess and discard policies that have never served any real public safety or community-strengthening purposes, look out for the most vulnerable, and defend our democracy.
If COVID-19 becomes widespread in Northern Mexico, asylum seekers from Central America and elsewhere are unlikely to be at the front of the line for a health care system with limited resources.
Each of the 37,000 people currently detained by ICE are at severe risk of contracting COVID-19. We must immediately reduce the numbers of people in immigration detention, starting by releasing the most vulnerable to serious illness or death.
Public health experts have encouraged stakeholders in the criminal legal system to minimize the number of people entering the system in the first place, while also releasing individuals in prisons and jails most vulnerable to the virus.
Coronavirus should not be a political issue, but with presidential primaries and the general election coming up, it could soon directly impact our politics.
People in prisons and jails are uniquely vulnerable to coronavirus. Officials must act quickly to pull together a plan to ensure the safety of incarcerated people, medical staff, and correctional officers.