Using a local jail to detain people for ICE, some who have no criminal record, and expecting to use it as a funding solution is inhumane, cruel and short-sighted. Sheriff Kopp, get your money elsewhere, because tearing families apart is not in the best interest of Wyoming or your budget.

Keeping an aging population of this size in prison is expensive, inhumane, and unsustainable. It does nothing to make our communities safer.

Read more in our new report, Trapped in Time, at aclu.org/trapped-in-time

Hours before the South Dakota Legislature voted to approve the new prison, Speaker of the House Jon Hansen attempted to use transgender South Dakotans as pawns to grow opposition for the project by “uncovering” that inmates have a right to gender-affirming care while in custody of the DOC.

VICTORY: We recently became aware that Spearfish's ordinances violated First Amendment freedoms by requiring a permit to protest in public spaces. After we reached out to the city council, they have amended the ordinance and although there is still work to be done, this is a victory for free speech!

An investigation by The Dakota Scout revealed that the number of drug arrests reported during the first deployment of Operation Prairie Thunder was egregiously inflated.

When resources are being diverted to fund a so-called "public safety" campaign, South Dakotans are entitled to full transparency.

"The United States was built on the right to speak out against wrongdoing," Sarah Vogel wrote. "Silencing people by attempting to sue them into oblivion is as un-American as it gets" – which is exactly what happened earlier this year in North Dakota.
bismarcktribune.com/opinion/lett...

Just us reminiscing on last week's Pints and Politics event in Rapid City! 🎉

Thank you for joining us for craft brews and conversations surrounding threats to free speech. We were truly inspired by the passion in the room, and we will continue to defend all South Dakotans from government overreach.

The President has demonstrated his willingness to use our military against our country’s own people. Gov. Rhoden is empowering this extraordinary abuse of power instead of keeping our troops at home where they’re needed.

While Sens. Barrasso and Lummis applaud Trump's executive order instructing prosecutors to go after protestors who desecrate the American flag, we need to remind them that the Supreme Court has been clear: Desecrating the flag, including by burning it, is protected by the First Amendment.

We have a responsibility to learn from our nation’s history, reject discriminatory attacks by prioritizing inclusive policy change, and protect the fundamental right to free speech.

We have a free drink for the first 50 who RSVP to our Pints & Politics event in Rapid City! Let’s talk about threats to free speech, get to know each other, and build the collective power we need to protect our rights in South Dakota. 🍻
aclusd.org/pints

“The fear among immigrants and their loved ones across Wyoming is palpable,” the @acluwyoming.bsky.social said. "Heightening this fear by mobilizing the National Guard will continue to drain resources and contribute to even more devastation in our communities.”

There are real people affected by every policy passed by our legislators. I just wish more of them remembered that. This is why I do the work that I do.

“Wyoming is just becoming more and more anti-immigrant and that idea is just being reinforced by these policies," the ACLU told @wyofile.com. "When a significant chunk of the community is afraid to call law enforcement because they feel targeted by them, it’s not good for anybody in the community.”

Nearly 250 years after the Declaration of Independence was signed, repeated overreach from the federal government threatens the fundamental freedoms that our country was founded upon.

Up next on the We the People blog series is Sarah Parkin, our new Digital Communications Associate! Read what Sarah had to say about her experiences and how they shaped her passion for human rights and civil liberties.

Welcome, Sarah!

Sarah's skills in multimedia production combined with her background in journalism and nonprofit communications made her a natural fit for the digital communications associate role at the ACLU of North Dakota, and we couldn't be happier to have her on our team!

"We're kidding ourselves if we think the national convulsion is merely opposition to unlawful immigration. We're seeing a seething sort of hostility to immigration in general."

Our state's "tough on crime" policies have led to more arrests and increased costs while disregarding real people’s lives. It's time to embrace a smart justice vision of our criminal legal system. Prioritize people, not prisons.

Today’s ruling is a devastating loss for transgender people and our families, and an affront to the Constitution.

We'll continue to fight alongside trans youth in Tennessee and across the nation for the health care they deserve.

South Dakota, we love ya. #605Day

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem couldn't define habeas corpus - but you can.

Getting trained as a legal observer is simple – and one of the best ways you can help uphold the constitutional rights of immigrants in South Dakota. Join us for our virtual training on June 4. Details and registration info 👇

North Dakota law protects public school students’ right to wear an eagle feather or eagle plume at graduation. While this law doesn't speak directly to wearing other items of tribal regalia at graduation, allowing them would be well within the spirit of the law’s intent.