A peaceful protest in Los Gatos against the billionaire class resulted in one of the organizers being charged with a felony for writing “Tesla Funds Fascism” in chalk, raising questions about the Santa Clara County DA’s priorities.
Mohsen Mahdawi’s deportation proceedings were terminated by an immigration judge due to the government’s failure to authenticate a memorandum, marking a significant development in the case stemming from his advocacy for Palestinian rights.
The ACLU won a case against the Department of Homeland Security, prompting them to withdraw a subpoena for Google to provide personal information about a man who had criticized the government’s immigration enforcement actions, protecting his First Amendment rights.
12 Stanford University students and alumni have been charged with felony vandalism and conspiracy to trespass for protesting the university’s investments in companies associated with Israel, marking a significant escalation in charging against nonviolent demonstrators.
The New York Times editorial board has raised the United States one level closer to autocracy in the category of stifling speech and dissent, citing recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions in Minnesota as evidence of a broader trend of intimidation and force against those who oppose the Trump administration’s agenda.
An appellate panel in California upheld a judge’s ruling that a social-media journalist’s posts were political commentary and protected by the First Amendment, rejecting a city councilmember’s attempt to silence him through the court system.
Public universities may lawfully regulate certain forms of speech when a reasonable member of the campus community could construe that expression as a disruptive threat, but this standard has been inconsistently applied and widely misunderstood.
A federal judge has temporarily blocked Ohio State University from disenrolling a student over political speech, ruling that the school likely violated the student’s First Amendment and due process rights.
A Yolo County Superior Court judge dismissed criminal charges against Marissa Barrera, ruling that the prosecutors failed to identify speech that could overcome constitutional protections under the First and Fourteenth Amendments and failed to meet the statutory requirements of California Penal Code section 653.2.
Suzanne Nossel’s book Dare to Speak argues that free speech should be defended for all, and that the erosion of support for it is weakening democratic norms and deepening mistrust, while also providing a framework for evaluating speech harms and advocating for counterspeech as a primary response to hate.
The leaked memorandum from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi reveals that the government is exploring a cash reward system to incentivize people to provide information on individuals or groups promoting “radical gender ideology”, potentially leading to surveillance, investigation and punishment of trans people and their allies.
CAIR-CA has filed a writ of habeas corpus and an emergency temporary restraining order to prevent the government from transferring British Muslim journalist Sami Hamdi away from his legal team, after he was detained by ICE on Oct. 26, 2025.
A Washington man has filed a federal lawsuit against the District of Columbia, four Metropolitan Police Department officers, and a National Guard Sergeant after being detained and handcuffed for playing the Star Wars “Imperial March” behind National Guard troops patrolling city streets as a peaceful protest.
The July edition of the Vanguard Incarcerated Press features stories from incarcerated individuals that expose the cruelty of the prison system and highlight the resilience of those who endure it, while also advocating for free speech, human rights, and prison reform.
Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate and permanent resident, was detained by ICE for over 100 days after advocating for Palestinian rights, and the Third Circuit is now hearing arguments on whether his detention was unlawful retaliation for his political speech.
Judge Sonia Cortés dismissed felony vandalism and conspiracy charges against three UC Davis protesters who had spray-painted the university’s Egghead sculptures and other campus property during a 2024 protest, after they paid restitution, completed community service, and participated in educational activities reflecting an understanding of the artwork’s cultural importance.
The ACLU of Northern California and several groups supporting academic freedom and free speech have filed an amicus brief backing a First Amendment challenge against senior federal officials for using the Immigration and Nationality Act to deny visas and deport foreign nationals for speaking out against Israel or in favor of Palestine.
Judge Sonia Cortés dismissed all charges in the vandalism case involving the UC Davis “Egghead” sculptures, ruling that the defendants had taken meaningful steps to make amends and that the university and museum representatives were open to alternative resolutions rather than criminal prosecution.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta and nine other attorneys general have condemned President Trump’s attempts to suppress nonprofits’ freedom of speech and association, and have vowed to fight against any attempts to weaponize the government to suppress legitimate activities and constitutional freedoms.
The ACLU is challenging the federal government over what it calls blatant violations of the First Amendment, after two students were detained by ICE in retaliation for their speech supporting Palestinian rights.