ACLU's Anthony Romero Discusses Police Brutality in Puerto Rico on NPR

Section 131 of the newly enacted Enhance Law Enforcement Integrity Act gives Coloradans a cause of action to seek damages or equitable relief when state or local police officers violate the Colorado Constitution. In 2022, Christopher Mosley sued Officer Brendan Daves for conducting a warrantless search of his car, which Daves argued was lawful under the federal protective sweep doctrine. After Mosley prevailed at trial and the court of appeals affirmed, Daves appealed to the Colorado Supreme Court. The ACLU’s State Supreme Court Initiative and the ACLU of Colorado filed an amicus brief agreeing with Mosley’s argument that Daves has misapprehended the federal doctrine whilst focusing on a separate point: the Court’s interpretation of Section 131 is not bound by federal law.

In 2013, Michigan passed the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission Act (MIDCA) to ensure that indigent criminal defendants—that is, those who cannot afford to pay for counsel themselves—received constitutionally adequate counsel, paid for by the state. This case concerns whether and under what circumstances trial courts can, consistent with MIDCA, order indigent criminal defendants to pay the state back for their attorneys. The ACLU’s State Supreme Court Initiative, the ACLU of Michigan, and the Michigan State Planning Body filed an amicus brief in the Michigan Supreme Court arguing that MIDCA, properly construed, partially abrogated a different statute authorizing trial courts to assess attorney fees against indigent defendants and explaining that allowing such orders would undermine Michiganders’ right to counsel.

Anybody is susceptible to being stopped, searched, or worse; AI makes new forms of abuse possible

NEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties Union premiered Wilder Raids, an original short film telling the story of two families whose lives were upended by a violent immigration raid at a horse-racing event in Wilder, Idaho, one year ago today. The film follows the families as they reckon with the lasting trauma of the raid and details the ongoing lawsuit brought by the ACLU, ACLU of Idaho, Cooley LLP, and Stoel Rives LLP seeking accountability. One year ago today, more than 200 federal, state, and local law enforcement officers descended on an otherwise peaceful family event at a horse-racing track in Wilder, Idaho. Law enforcement arrived in armored trucks and a helicopter with flashbang grenades and guns drawn and detained approximately 400 spectators – including U.S. citizens and children – for four hours in inhumane conditions before subjecting everyone to suspicionless immigration interrogations. Through interviews with the families and an inside look at the ongoing legal fight, Wilder Raids explores the lasting impact of the raid on those who experienced it and the broader Wilder community. Juana Rodriguez, one of the lead plaintiffs and featured storyteller in the film, is a U.S. citizen who was at the event with her 3-year-old son. After being violently rounded up with hundreds of other families, Rodriguez was placed in zip ties and detained for several hours without food or water. Law enforcement instructed her toddler to hold onto her pocket while Rodriguez remained zip tied and unable to comfort her son. “I was like, why? I have my son with me. I have to take care of him. I was scared. If I overreacted, I felt like they were going to hurt me,” Rodriguez said. “For the longest time, my son begged me for food. He begged me for water … I wish I could have done more in the moment, but I couldn’t. I think that’s what really gets to me till this day.” The families featured in the film filed a lawsuit last February that argues that federal, state, and local law enforcement used criminal warrants as a pretext for a sweeping immigration dragnet at an event where they knew attendees would be predominantly Latino. The complaint further alleges that the agencies conspired to deprive those detained of their Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable seizures and their right to equal protection regardless of ethnicity. The lawsuit invokes federal civil rights laws enacted after the Civil War to protect people from racialized government violence and provides a potential avenue for holding federal actors accountable for constitutional violations. “Defendants continue to characterize what happened in Wilder as an ordinary warrant execution, but there was nothing routine about the terror they inflicted on hundreds of people trying to spend a Sunday with their families,” said Jenn Rolnick Borchetta, deputy director on policing at the ACLU. “This film makes it impossible to ignore what our clients and their families experienced that day and puts a human face on the reckless violence and cruelty inflicted on the community. One year later, we will not let the government rewrite what happened in Wilder and we will continue fighting to hold those responsible accountable.” “The violent raid in Wilder has had significant ripple effects across many communities in Idaho, which can still be felt today, a year later,” said Leo Morales, executive director of the ACLU of Idaho. “The film reminds us of how critical it is for every American to rise to the challenge of protecting civil liberties. It also highlights how personal and fragile our rights can be if left unprotected from government action. Families cannot simply shake off and ignore the abuse; it is our collective responsibility to seek justice, take action, and make things whole.” The lawsuit is ongoing as the families await a decision on the defendants’ motions to dismiss. On Sept. 8, 2026, plaintiffs filed an opposition brief urging the federal court to allow the lawsuit to proceed. Additional statements from co-counsel are below. Jade Ford, an attorney at Cooley LLP: “This film sends a clear message: the Wilder community will not stand idly by in the face of constitutional violations. Every person in this country is entitled to freedom from unlawful seizure and freedom from discriminatory targeting. Those are not hollow promises—they are vital constitutional guarantees, and the Wilder community intends to see them enforced.” Wendy Olsen, an attorney at Stoel Rives LLP: “All Idaho families should be able to enjoy community and cultural events without fear that their rights will be violated, that their children will be traumatized or that they will be targeted based on their perceived color or national origin. This film bravely tells that story on behalf of the Wilder community.”