California
O’Connor-Ratcliff v. Garnier and Lindke v. Freed
The ACLU, the ACLU of Northern California, and the ACLU of Southern California filed amicus briefs in support of everyday people fighting for government transparency and accountability in two cases set for review by the U.S. Supreme Court this Term: O’Connor-Ratcliff v. Garnier and Lindke v. Freed.
Status: Ongoing
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Featured
U.S. Supreme Court
Apr 2022
![FBI v. Fazaga Plaintiffs](https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2023/01/Fazaga_scotus-1-Blog-600x400.jpg)
FBI v. Fazaga
In a case scheduled to be argued before the U.S. Supreme Court on November 8, 2021, three Muslim Americans are challenging the FBI’s secret spying on them and their communities based on their religion, in violation of the Constitution and federal law. In what will likely be a landmark case, the plaintiffs — Yassir Fazaga, Ali Uddin Malik, and Yasser Abdelrahim — insist that the FBI cannot escape accountability for violating their religious freedom by invoking “state secrets.” The plaintiffs are represented by the Center for Immigration Law and Policy at UCLA School of Law, the ACLU of Southern California, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Council for American Islamic Relations, and the law firm of Hadsell Stormer Renick & Dai.
Status: Closed (Judgment)
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U.S. Supreme Court
Aug 2023
![O’Connor-Ratcliff v. Garnier and Lindke v. Freed](https://wp.api.aclu.org/wp-content/themes/aclu-wp/img/fallback-case-gavel.png)
O’Connor-Ratcliff v. Garnier and Lindke v. Freed
The ACLU, the ACLU of Northern California, and the ACLU of Southern California filed amicus briefs in support of everyday people fighting for government transparency and accountability in two cases set for review by the U.S. Supreme Court this Term: O’Connor-Ratcliff v. Garnier and Lindke v. Freed.
Status: Ongoing
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U.S. Supreme Court
Aug 2021
![Border Asylum Line](https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2019/09/web19-asylumlinebarbedwire-1160x768-600x397.jpg)
Innovation Law Lab v. Wolf
The American Civil Liberties Union, Southern Poverty Law Center, and Center for Gender & Refugee Studies filed a federal lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s new policy forcing asylum seekers to return to Mexico and remain there while their cases are considered.
Status: Ongoing
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California
Mar 2019
![Protester holding "#Black Lives Matter" sign](https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2023/01/web19-blm-rally-1160x864-600x447.jpg)
MediaJustice, et al. v. Federal Bureau of Investigation, et al.
On March 21, 2019, the American Civil Liberties Union and MediaJustice, formerly known as “Center for Media Justice,” filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit seeking records about FBI targeting of Black activists. The lawsuit enforces the ACLU and MediaJustice’s right to information about a 2017 FBI Intelligence Assessment that asserts, without evidence, that a group of so-called “Black Identity Extremists” poses a threat of domestic terrorism. The Intelligence Assessment was widely disseminated to law enforcement agencies nationwide, raising public concern about government surveillance of Black people and Black-led organizations based on anti-Black stereotypes and First Amendment protected activities.
Status: Ongoing
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All Northern California Cases
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33 Northern California Cases
California
Apr 2023
![An aerial view of Pelican Bay Prison in Northern California. A large concrete lot with mutliple campuses and scorched green recreational areas is surrounded by a sea of green trees.](https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2023/04/0804Solitaryjp3-superJumbo-600x436.webp)
Ashker v. Governor of California
Ashker is a multi-year legal and advocacy struggle led by directly-impacted people to reform California’s use of solitary confinement and end its systemic reliance on fabricated confidential information to discipline people in prison.
Status: Ongoing
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![An aerial view of Pelican Bay Prison in Northern California. A large concrete lot with mutliple campuses and scorched green recreational areas is surrounded by a sea of green trees.](https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2023/04/0804Solitaryjp3-superJumbo-600x436.webp)
California
Human Rights
Prisoners' Rights
Ashker v. Governor of California
Ashker is a multi-year legal and advocacy struggle led by directly-impacted people to reform California’s use of solitary confinement and end its systemic reliance on fabricated confidential information to discipline people in prison.
Apr 2023
Status: Ongoing
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U.S. Supreme Court
Feb 2023
![Social media apps on a smart phone.](https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2021/04/WEB21-Social-Media-Apps-Standard-Header-1110x740-1-600x400.jpg)
Twitter, Inc., v. Taamneh
The Supreme Court will decide whether a social media or other platform can be liable for “aiding and abetting” a terrorist attack merely because it failed to adequately block content valorizing terrorism, even where the platform has policies barring terrorist content.
Status: Closed (Judgment)
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![Social media apps on a smart phone.](https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2021/04/WEB21-Social-Media-Apps-Standard-Header-1110x740-1-600x400.jpg)
U.S. Supreme Court
Privacy & Technology
+2 Issues
Twitter, Inc., v. Taamneh
The Supreme Court will decide whether a social media or other platform can be liable for “aiding and abetting” a terrorist attack merely because it failed to adequately block content valorizing terrorism, even where the platform has policies barring terrorist content.
Feb 2023
Status: Closed (Judgment)
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California
Feb 2023
![Oliver Knight](https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2019/09/web19-oliver-knight-1160x768-600x397.jpg)
Knight v. St. Joseph Hospital
The American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California, the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Southern California and Rukin Hyland & Riggin LLP filed a lawsuit on March 21, 2019 on behalf of Oliver Knight, a 29-year-old transgender man who was denied surgery minutes before it was scheduled to take place based on the hospital’s religious beliefs, which do not recognize gender-affirming care.
Status: Closed (Settled)
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![Oliver Knight](https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2019/09/web19-oliver-knight-1160x768-600x397.jpg)
California
LGBTQ Rights
Knight v. St. Joseph Hospital
The American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California, the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Southern California and Rukin Hyland & Riggin LLP filed a lawsuit on March 21, 2019 on behalf of Oliver Knight, a 29-year-old transgender man who was denied surgery minutes before it was scheduled to take place based on the hospital’s religious beliefs, which do not recognize gender-affirming care.
Feb 2023
Status: Closed (Settled)
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U.S. Supreme Court
Nov 2021
![Photo of Evan Minton sitting on a couch in an office.](https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2020/02/WEB20-Evan-Minton-WordPress-1110x740-600x400.jpg)
Dignity Health v. Minton
Evan Minton was turned away from a Dignity Health hospital because he is transgender. He filed a lawsuit against a Dignity Health medical center for withholding medical care because of a patient’s gender identity, amounting to sex discrimination in violation of California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act.
Status: Closed
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![Photo of Evan Minton sitting on a couch in an office.](https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2020/02/WEB20-Evan-Minton-WordPress-1110x740-600x400.jpg)
U.S. Supreme Court
LGBTQ Rights
Religious Liberty
Dignity Health v. Minton
Evan Minton was turned away from a Dignity Health hospital because he is transgender. He filed a lawsuit against a Dignity Health medical center for withholding medical care because of a patient’s gender identity, amounting to sex discrimination in violation of California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act.
Nov 2021
Status: Closed
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California
Apr 2021
![Pictures of people](https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2019/09/nofly_knaeble-tile.jpg)
Kashem, et al. v. Barr, et al. - ACLU Challenge to Government No Fly List
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![Pictures of people](https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2019/09/nofly_knaeble-tile.jpg)
California
National Security
Kashem, et al. v. Barr, et al. - ACLU Challenge to Government No Fly List
Apr 2021
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