ACLU Tells Governors, State Attorneys General, Legislators, and Mayors: Build a Firewall for Freedom to Protect Our Rights During the Second Trump Administration

NEW YORK — The American Civil Liberties Union and dozens of state affiliates around the country are asking state and local officials to build firewalls for freedom that would protect fundamental rights from likely attacks during the second Trump administration. The ACLU has been providing state and local officials with guidance on policies they can enact locally as well as ways they can decline voluntary requests from President-elect Trump.

“Governors, attorneys general, mayors and other state and local officials should just say no to Trump’s attempts to take away our rights,” said Deirdre Schifeling, chief political and advocacy officer of the ACLU. “For the past several months, the ACLU has worked with our state ACLU affiliates in every state to develop a playbook for blocking and disrupting Donald Trump’s radical agenda. Our playbooks outline comprehensive tools across reproductive rights, immigration, free speech, and more to uphold our rights in the states where we live. States are now on the frontlines of freedom and our affiliates stand ready to protect and defend.”

Several states have released local blueprints including Minnesota, which hosted a townhall with Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison in November.

“Minnesota is already a beacon for protecting the civil rights and civil liberties of the most marginalized members of our community,” said Deepinder Mayell, executive director of the ACLU of Minnesota. “We’ve asked Governor Tim Walz to call for a special session to insulate immigrants, LGBTQ youth, and people seeking reproductive and gender-affirming healthcare from Donald Trump’s radical agenda.”

The ACLU says there are a number of actions state and local leaders can take to protect local communities from the threats made by Project 2025 and President-elect Donald Trump:

• How to Avoid Voluntarily Collaborating with Civil Rights Violations: The ACLU is calling on state and local governments to enact policies now that make clear they will not voluntarily share private information or otherwise collaborate with federal law enforcement seeking to violate civil rights and civil liberties.
• Prepare Your Communities for Mass Deportations: The ACLU is urging state and local governments to create a protocol for how to respond to these raids — including setting up a hotline, providing pro bono legal assistance, preparing educators and faith leaders to provide support, and surging resources to families left behind. Governors and legislatures should protect immigrant communities through legal assistance funds, pardon processes and, where possible, passing laws limiting collaborating with federal immigration authorities.
• Fund Abortion Care and Travel: The ACLU is encouraging state and municipal funding for abortion care and support services like travel and lodging — including, where possible, by localities in states that restrict the right to abortion.
• Protect Our Kids: The ACLU is urging state legislatures, state attorneys general, state education agencies, city governments, and school boards to anticipate the Trump administration’s attacks on our children, including trans kids and children of undocumented parents. They must safeguard student data, stop collecting information that could be weaponized against our communities, and enact policies to ensure our kids are safe and do not suffer from discrimination and harassment at school.
• Keep the Military Out of Domestic Law Enforcement: The ACLU is urging state leaders to refuse to let the National Guard troops under their command and control to suppress peaceful protest or turbocharge immigration raids and detention. State governments can also decline to assist federal troops and federal law enforcement in the commission of rights violations, in certain circumstances.

“As the second Trump administration takes power, New Jersey can be a beacon of hope. We must start by passing the Immigrant Trust Act to ensure immigrant communities are protected and local resources aren’t used in federal immigration enforcement,” said Amol Sinha, executive director of the ACLU of New Jersey and chair of the ACLU Executive Directors Council. “We’re also urging Governor Phil Murphy and the legislature to expand access to reproductive health care, including abortion. New Jersey can – and must – lead the nation by example in safeguarding our most fundamental freedoms.”

“The ACLU of Washington has identified key areas where Washington’s legislature and executive branch may work collaboratively, alongside community leaders to protect our state and its people,” said Michele Storms, executive director of the ACLU of Washington. “Washington should tighten existing protections for those who seek, provide and help others obtain reproductive and gender-affirming care, and protect existing law that prohibits the use of state resources for federal immigration enforcement.”

Additional states that have released firewall plans are Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New York and Vermont.

A recording of today’s press call is available here.

Visit aclu.org/47 for the full ACLU response to the election and aclu.org/firewall for updates on state actions.

This statement is online here.