Podcasts

In October, ACLU-PA released a new report called Cold Reality: Uncovering the Cruelty and Chaos of ICE Practices in Pennsylvania. The report is an analysis of documents obtained from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and what they show about the harm of ICE enforcement actions.

Both the U.S. and Pennsylvania constitutions guarantee the right to an attorney for someone facing criminal charges, regardless of a person’s ability to pay. But for decades, Pennsylvania has been woefully inadequate in ensuring that people living in poverty receive effective representation.

Donald Trump will be the next president of the United States. And based on his first turn as president and his rhetoric in the campaign, we know that he and his cronies are a clear and present danger to our most basic freedoms and to democracy itself.

In 2024, ACLU-PA and our partners have taken a different approach with our legal strategy than in past election cycles. This year, we’ve implemented a proactive strategy to make sure that voters who want to cast a ballot can do so without unnecessary hurdles.

In the run up to this year’s election, we here at the ACLU knew that candidates would be talking about the two issues of immigration and public safety. Knowing that was coming, the ACLU has been engaged all year in a research project called Battleground Blueprint.

More than 20 years ago, Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court ruled that it was unconstitutional to prohibit people who are living with a criminal record from voting. But misinformation about those rights persists here in Pennsylvania.

The Pennsylvania General Assembly recently wrapped up its work on the new state budget. Elizabeth Randol, ACLU-PA’s legislative director, talks about all that has happened in this session around civil liberties.

The impact that counties have on how we vote, where we vote, and even whether our vote is counted is enormous.

Historically, America’s public schools have been spaces where debates and resistance to civil liberties have played out. From racial integration to political protests, protecting the rights of students has been central to the story of constitutional rights.