Drone surveillance is creepy, and it’s against the law

For the past six years, Sonoma County's code enforcement section has run an ever-expanding drone surveillance program. They’ve launched more than 700 low-altitude flights that monitor and record residents, their homes and the areas surrounding them.

By Matt Cagle

A photo included in the ACLU lawsuit shows aerial images obtained by drones flown by Sonoma County code enforcement officers.

Four Decades of Data Reveal California's Death Penalty is Riddled with Racial Bias

California applies the death penalty disproportionately to people of color, especially when the victim is white. A recent, rigorous statewide study found that Black people are up to 8.7 times as likely to be sentenced to death as similarly situated non-Black defendants, Latino people are up to 6.2 times as likely to be sentenced to death, and defendants of all races are up to 8.8 times as likely to be condemned to death when at least one of the victims in the case is white.

person behind bars

ACLU Sues Sonoma County over Code Enforcement’s Runaway Drone Spying Program

The ACLU Foundation of Northern California has filed a lawsuit to block Sonoma County code inspectors from using drones to conduct surveillance of people's homes without a warrant.

By Tammerlin Drummond

drone flying overhead

Legislators Head Home for Summer Recess — Time to Make Your Voice Heard! 

By Ashley Morris

two activists with signs by california state capitol

What does the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling mean for Venezuelan and Haitian TPS holders?

The U.S. Supreme Court granted the Trump administration's request to stay a federal district court's order that had preserved Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for more than 350,000 Venezuelan immigrants. What happens next?

A rally in support of TPS holders in San Francisco

We're Reminding Local Sheriffs: In California, You Can't Help ICE

By Lisa White

Signs at a protest against the deportation of immigrants

What Private Citizens Can Do When Faced With a Constitutional Crisis

By Abdi Soltani

Protestor holds sign reading "Hands off our Rights"

All Hands On Deck, ACLU Mobilizes to Defend Civil Rights from Trump Attacks

When Donald Trump was sworn in as president, he lost no time launching Project 2025­—a right-wing policy agenda rooted in white supremacy that he had claimed to know nothing about. The ACLU stands ready—as we have for more than a century—to defend our vision of an inclusive democracy based on fundamental principles of equality.

By Tammerlin Drummond

Press conference and rally before a March 24 San Francisco courthouse hearing against the Trump Administration’s efforts to deport people legally protected by Temporary Protected Status (TPS).

As Trump Tramples Freedoms, ACLU Teaches how to Stand up for Your Rights

The ACLU has released a new video educating Californians about their rights during encounters with the police. Previous videos highlight the rights of protesters and immigrants.

By Tammerlin Drummond

raised fists next to the words know your rights