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A portion of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans.   Hurricane Aftermath and the ACLU Hurricanes Katrina and Rita seized — and shocked — our national psyche in an unprecedented way. We saw image after image of poor, black, disenfranchised Americans cast aside. But these victims were, in effect, cast aside when the issues of racism and poverty merged into one, long before a hurricane made landfall on August 29. More > > Report: Broken Promises: Two Years After Katrina > Report: Abandoned & Abused Read the Report >>   More About Rights of the Poor at the ACLU >>

ACLU of Oregon and its Southern Oregon Chapter Ask Ashland to Amend Harsh Laws Targeting People Who Are Homeless (10/13/2008)
The Southern Oregon Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon calls upon the City of Ashland to amend its "Prohibited Camping" ordinance from one that punishes poverty and homelessness into one that prods the city to provide housing for the homeless.

Federal Judge Strikes Down Orlando Homeless Feeding Ban (9/26/2008)
ORLANDO, Fla. – The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida won an overwhelming victory today in First Vagabonds Church of God vs. City of Orlando, the highly publicized "homeless feeding" case in Orlando. The 14-page opinion issued by Federal Judge Gregory A. Presnell hinged on the plaintiffs' right to Free Exercise of Religion and Freedom of Speech.

ACLU Of Louisiana Opposes Rep Labruzzo (9/24/2008)
NEW ORLEANS - The ACLU of Louisiana condemns State Rep. John LaBruzzo for suggesting that poor people, or those who use government services, should be sterilized to save taxpayer expense.

State To Provide Homeless Children With Equal Access To Public Education (8/12/2008)
HONOLULU – U.S. District Court Chief Judge Helen Gillmor today approved a settlement agreement in a case brought by a statewide class of homeless children and their parents against the Hawaii Department of Education ("DOE") and Board of Education ("Board"). The settlement requires the State to provide homeless children with equal access to public education and remove barriers to their educational success.

Homeless Children Denied Equal Access to Education (10/2/2007)
HONOLULU - Calling the State of Hawaii's treatment of homeless children a travesty, civil rights groups and attorneys filed a class action lawsuit today challenging the State's failure to provide homeless children with equal access to public education. The lawsuit - which names three homeless parents and their children - charges State officials with ignoring their legal obligations to provide homeless children with equal access to a free and appropriate public education in violation of the McKinney-Vento Act. The lawsuit also charges State officials with violating constitutional requirements to provide equal access to public education without regard to the status of homelessness.