Program areas at American Civil Liberties Union of Texas
SMART Justice Reform - The ACLU of Texas is committed to re-envisioning a criminal legal system that is fair and free of racial bias, keeps communities safe, and respects the rights of all who become involved with it. With the fourth highest incarceration rate in the country, we work to reduce the number Texans who are incarcerated and shrink the criminal legal system's footprint by seeking reforms in policing, reducing the number of Texans held in pre-trial detention, and seeking changes to overly harsh sentencing that have overcrowded our state's prisons.
Immigrants' Rights - The ACLU of Texas fights to defend immigrants' rights and border communities, which have been historically and are currently profiled, harassed, detained, and demonized by extremist politicians and the militarized law enforcement agencies they control. We continue to battle unconstitutional attempts by state and local authorities that set immigration laws and enforce anti-immigrant policies.
Voting Rights - The ACLU of Texas is fighting back against voter suppression efforts that disenfranchise Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities and create obstacles to registration, cutbacks on early voting, and strict voter identification requirements. We advocate for policies that make it easier for Texans to vote - such as the expansion of same-day and online voter registration - and provide resources to empower eligible Texans to make their voices heard in our democracy.
LGBTQIA+ Equality - The ACLU of Texas is dedicated to securing and defending constitutional and civil rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA+) Texans - who lack the most basic protections against discrimination under state law. Texas lawmakers have weaponized state agencies against vulnerable groups like transgender youth and Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) in the LGBTQIA+ community. We work to secure protections to expand LGBTQIA+ equality for those facing workplace discrimination, housing discrimination, healthcare discrimination, bullying, and violence because of their identity.
Reproductive Freedom - The ACLU of Texas works to ensure that everyone in Texas can make the best decision for themselves and their family about when and whether to have a child, without undue influence by politicians and special interest groups. In spite of the constitutional guarantee to safe, legal abortion services established by Roe v. Wade in 1973, extremist politicians in the Texas legislature and in Texas cities have worked to render abortion services inaccessible to as many Texans as possible. We continue to fight these enduring attacks on abortion access statewide and at the local level.