Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 715, a bill to strengthen protections against antisemitism in K-12 schools across California, which establishes a new state Office of Civil Rights and creates an Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator to help develop training, review complaints, advise school districts, and recommend policy changes.
Housing and civil rights advocates have criticized the growing criminalization of homelessness, calling it a moral failure and a counterproductive public policy, and urging instead for investments in supportive services and housing.
Nakia Porter and her father, J.B. Powell, have finalized a $17 million settlement with Solano County in an excessive force lawsuit stemming from an incident in August 2020 in which Porter was beaten unconscious by deputies while her children looked on.
An ICE officer was placed on administrative leave after video surfaced showing him shoving a woman to the ground during the arrest of her husband, adding to rising tensions over increased federal enforcement presence in immigration courthouses.
Maurice Hastings, who spent 38 years in prison before being exonerated, has been awarded a $25 million settlement from the city of Inglewood in the largest wrongful conviction settlement in California history.
The Trump administration has been accused of drastically weakening enforcement of the Fair Housing Act, with internal documents and interviews revealing a coordinated effort to halt or curtail discrimination cases, reassign experienced lawyers, and impose new restrictions on the office responsible for enforcing fair housing protections.
UC Davis law professors Vikram David Amar and Alan E. Brownstein published an analysis of the Supreme Court’s decision in Noem v. Vasquez Perdomo, which allowed ICE to use race and other demographic factors in selecting individuals for immigration investigation, and criticized Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s opinion for relying on the controversial Los Angeles v. Lyons decision and for equating race with other demographic factors.
The California Vs. Hate hotline received 1,200 reports of hate in 2024, with 44% of reports mentioning racial or ethnic bias and 23% citing gender identity, sex, or sexual orientation.
The U.S. Supreme Court will consider whether to hear Pitchford v. Cain, a case raising allegations of racial discrimination in jury selection, which echoes the Court’s 2019 ruling in Flowers v. Mississippi and could have far-reaching implications for the enforcement of equal protection in jury selection.
Civil rights and racial justice organizations have filed an amicus brief in federal court to block Texas’ newly enacted congressional map, arguing it racially discriminates against Black and Hispanic voters and should not take effect before the 2026 elections.
Ourania Thimmhardy, a 71-year-old woman, has filed a formal complaint against multiple Sacramento County sheriff’s deputies after being allegedly assaulted by former Deputy Matthew Gurich, resulting in permanent injuries.
The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area has condemned the Supreme Court’s ruling that allows federal immigration officers to conduct stops without reasonable suspicion in California, calling it a devastating setback for civil rights and an endorsement of racial profiling.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approve a settlement with the Coalition on Homelessness that requires the city to follow its bag-and-tag policy and creates oversight measures to protect the belongings of unhoused residents.
The U.S. Supreme Court has allowed the Trump administration to resume immigration raids in Los Angeles based on race, language, job, or location, sparking outrage from politicians, advocates, and plaintiffs.
Alameda County is facing a crisis in its criminal courts due to a shortage of court-appointed attorneys, leaving dozens of people waiting weeks for legal representation and raising civil rights concerns.
A Camarillo musician has filed a $10 million federal civil rights claim against the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after his hand was shattered during a military-style immigration raid on a cannabis farm, alleging that federal agents violated his First and Fourth Amendment rights.
The Alameda County District Attorney has dropped criminal charges against six county deputies and two medical clinicians in connection with the 2021 death of Maurice Monk at Santa Rita Jail, narrowing the prosecutions to three deputies who will still face trial.
The ACLU-D.C. is raising concerns over two controversial moves in Washington, D.C. – a new order from the Metropolitan Police Department to cooperate with ICE and President Trump’s takeover of the city’s police force – which they argue threaten community safety and democratic governance.
Three civil rights organizations have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, challenging recent staffing cuts that eliminated key civil rights oversight positions, and are asking the court to order DHS to immediately rehire staff and restore the offices’ oversight functions.
IRVINE, CA – The 2024 Annual Report conducted by The National Registry of Exoneration (NRE) provides a…