News & Commentary

The following can be attributed to Khadine Bennett, Advocacy and Intergovernmental Affairs Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois: “No Illinois resident should face the choice between their health and making their voice heard in the 2020 election. Voting is the most fundamental way in which we give voice to our views – it must be protected.   Because of this basic precept, we applaud Governor Pritzker for signing Senate Bill 1863 into law today, and express deep appreciation for the members of the General Assembly who voted to approve the measure. The bill supports our election in 2020, by expanding critical access to early voting and vote by mail. These measures and others will help assure that the election process moves smoothly even if we continue to struggle with the COVID-19 pandemic. But the new law also supports elections in the future – by standing up a strong public education campaign that should help every Illinois resident understand how they can assure their vote is counted, and by expanding participation as voting judges for 16- and 17-year old Illinoisans. Engaging young people early will make voting a habit for life – building voter participation across future years.  Finally, we welcome making Election Day 2020 a statewide holiday. We hope that all Illinois residents will use it to celebrate our electoral process, and find ways to help those in need get to the polls. We will be a stronger state because of this new law.” 

The below statement can be attributed to John Knight, LGBTQ & HIV Advocacy Project Director, ACLU of Illinois: 

Last week, Catholic Charities based in Joliet and Springfield submitted an amicus brief in a Supreme Court case, Fulton v. City of Philadelphia. The case involves whether a religious organization can demand government contracts to provide child welfare services while refusing to comply with LGBTQ nondiscrimination requirements.

The below statement can be attributed to Colleen Connell, Executive Director, ACLU of Illinois: 

“This weekend, thousands of people across Illinois once again will gather together to protest anti-Black racism and the police killing of George Floyd and countless other Black people. These inspiring protests have taken place throughout Illinois, including small towns like Anna in Southern Illinois to the City of Chicago and its suburbs. 

The below statement can be attributed to Karen Sheley, Director, Police Practices Project, ACLU of Illinois:

In response to the murder of George Floyd as the result of a Minneapolis police officer kneeling on his neck, Jaylan Butler – the Eastern Illinois University swimmer who was pinned face down on the ground by officers kneeling on his back and his neck, while another pointed a gun at his forehead – today issued the following statement: 

The following can be attributed to Colleen Connell, Executive Director, American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois: “The Mayor’s summary announcement of a potentially indefinite curfew tonight for the entire City – with hundreds of people trapped in the Loop – raises serious constitutional questions that need to be remedied. Any curfew must be limited to the specific places in the City where there is imminent threat of danger or harm, not the entire City. The broad and vague nature of this order – and the suggestion that it is indefinite in time – invites arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement. We encourage the Mayor to rethink this strategy immediately. The ACLU of Illinois is exploring all options including litigation.” 

The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Illinois took Clearview AI to court today to bring an end to the company’s unlawful, privacy-destroying surveillance activities. The lawsuit is the first to force any face recognition surveillance company to answer directly to groups representing survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, undocumented immigrants, and other vulnerable communities uniquely harmed by face recognition surveillance. You can read the complaint in full here.