The National Freedom of Information Coalition, along with 30 other organizations, signed a Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press amicus brief in support of greater access to Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court opinions and orders. Several organizations in recent years have sought access to the specialized court’s opinions. In April 2021, the American Civil Liberties […]
Tag: American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
ACLU, Citizens United join forces for better access to government information
Government transparency could be getting even worse, according to Citizens United and the American Civil Liberties Union. “I think the state of transparency is getting worse in a lot of respects and it’s not just Freedom of Information Act requests. We’re seeing systemic efforts by the government to withhold information from the public,” Neema Guliani, the […]
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The ACLU is suing ICE for more information on its license plate reader contract
In January, The Verge revealed a new contract that gave Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) access to a nationwide network of license plate readers maintained by Vigilant Solutions. The contract put a powerful surveillance tool to work specifically for immigration cases, raising troubling implications for immigration and privacy groups. Those groups have been pushing for more data […]
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Government Watchdog Groups Say Congressman’s FOIA Letters Set “A Troubling Precedent”
A group of government watchdogs sent a letter to Congressman Jeb Hensarling Tuesday afternoon urging him to rescind the letters he sent government agencies informing them about Freedom of Information guidelines.
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ACLU sues LAPD over ‘systemic violation’ of public records law
The American Civil Liberties Union has joined with a journalist, a college professor and an activist to sue the Los Angeles Police Department over what they describe as a “systemic violation” of California’s public records law.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday, accused the LAPD of failing to comply with the California Public Records Act by not responding to requests within the time frame mandated by the law or by ignoring inquiries altogether.
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Vermont ACLU sues border agency over secrecy on travel ban
The Vermont chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union filed suit Wednesday seeking documents from U.S. Customs and Border Protection detailing how President Donald Trump’s travel ban was implemented on the northern border.
The suit was joined by five other New England ACLU affiliates. It seeks records from heavily trafficked transportation hubs throughout the region, including airports in Burlington, Boston and Bangor, Maine.
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Court: Missouri Corrections Department ‘Knowingly Violated’ Sunshine Law
The Missouri Department of Corrections knowingly violated the state’s Sunshine Law when it refused to provide records about applicants who sought to witness Missouri executions, an appeals court ruled.
The ACLU had sued to obtain the information to determine if the department was choosing witnesses impartially.
In response, the corrections department produced heavily redacted records, even though many witness applicants had agreed to produce the information.
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ACLU representing blogger in U of Louisville lawsuit over basketball scandal documents
Represented by the Amercian Civil Liberties Union, a blogger has asked a judge to find that the University of Louisville violated the state’s open records law and rule that documents related to its self-imposed postseason basketball ban should be made public.
In a court filing on Friday, attorneys for Dr. Peter Hasselbacher also asked Jefferson Circuit Court Judge Barry Willett to order U of L to pay attorney’s fees and cost of litigation.
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ACLU Sues Government Over Unreleased FISA Court Opinions
The US government is still holding onto its opacity ideals while publicly touting transparency directives. The FISA court — which presides over the NSA's surveillance programs — has normally been completely shrouded in darkness. Things changed in 2013 after Ed Snowden began leaking documents.
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Lawsuit against ICE seeks information on asylum seekers
Civil rights advocates filed a lawsuit in San Francisco on Thursday against the federal government in an attempt to get information about how many detained asylum seekers are denied parole and how such decisions were made.
In the lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court, the American Civil Liberties Union’s Immigrants’ Rights Project, the Center for Gender and Refugee Studies at UC Hastings College of the Law and others want to know why fewer asylum seekers are being offered parole.
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