Published:
Wednesday, November 9, 2016
“For more than 80 years, the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington has been freedom’s watchdog in this state, challenging government abuse of rights and fighting for fairness in our laws and their enforcement. We will continue to stand strong as we pursue freedom, justice, and equality for all.
We will continue to fight for and defend the rights of everyone, including those who have traditionally been denied their rights – immigrants; people of color; lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender people; women; prisoners; people with disabilities; and the poor. We believe that when the rights of anyone are denied, everybody’s rights are imperiled.
We call upon President-elect Trump to change course on certain campaign promises he has made. These include his plan to amass a deportation force to remove 11 million undocumented immigrants; to ban the entry of Muslims into our country and aggressively surveil them; to punish women for accessing abortion; to reauthorize waterboarding and other forms of torture; and to change our nation’s libel laws and restrict freedom of expression. Otherwise, we will see him in court.
The ACLU stands as a bulwark against fear, discrimination, and efforts to diminish the dignity of others. This nation may have challenging times ahead of us. But the ACLU is ready to defend against any encroachments on our hard-won freedoms and rights and to continue to advance freedom and justice for all.”
