News & Commentary

In September 2021, Mayor Lori Lightfoot publicly proposed allowing the City of Chicago to by-pass the Cook County State’s Attorney Office and directly file civil asset forfeiture lawsuits against individuals alleged to be gang members, seeking to seize property and cash of those accused in civil, not criminal court. The state law on which this proposed ordinance is based, the 1992 Illinois Streetgang Terrorism Omnibus Prevention Act, has been used with little effect since it passage across the State of Illinois. 

During the last two weeks of October Illinois legislators will be heading back to Springfield. We need you to make your voice heard in support of this important legislation. 

By: Kate

 As I look back at the attending the ACLU Advocacy Institute, only positives come to mind. The experience was marked by many an introduction to many new thoughts and ideas and insights from well-known acti

 Driving while Black continues to be a problem in Illi

The 2021 agenda of ACLU initiatives in Springfield was aggressive and far-reaching. We engaged legislators on initiatives ranging from advancing comprehensive sexual health education, to holding police accountable, and much more.

Today, Governor JB Pritzker signed House Bill 1063 into law, which ends criminal penalties for those living with HIV in Illinois, effective immediately. Illinois is now the second state in the country to take this crucial action after Texas.

Last summer, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Police Superintendent David Brown both spoke publicly to highlight a 20-person CPD task forced assigned to monitor social media posts by residents of the City. Today, the Chicago Police Department is being sued in state court after refusing to share information about the publicly discussed program.