Civil Rights
Civil liberties, justice system investigations, and human rights
24 stories
Pregnant migrant girls are being sent to a Texas shelter flagged as medically risky
Government officials and advocates for the children worry the goal is to concentrate them in Texas, where abortion is banned.
US father found guilty of murder in Apalachee school shooting in Georgia
This story highlights the growing legal accountability for parents in school shootings, which could influence gun safety laws and parental responsibility standards across the country.
Colin Gray was accused of criminal recklessness in allowing his 14-year-old son Colt to have access to a rifle.
Trump’s DEI Crackdown Hit a Wall in Court. What’s Next?
This court ruling on DEI initiatives demonstrates the ongoing legal and political struggle over diversity policies in education and their future implications.
A federal judge voided a Trump administration directive that pressured educational institutions to end all programs related to diversity, equity, and inclusion last month. The directive, issued by the Department of Education as a “Dear Colleague” letter to public schools in February 2025, stated that school districts who failed to drop “discriminatory” DEI practices could […]
Georgia high school shooting suspect's father convicted of second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter
This story highlights the growing trend of charging parents in connection with their children's violent crimes, raising important questions about parental responsibility and legal precedent.
Gray is one of a number of parents across the country who have been charged after their children were accused in fatal shootings.
Justice Alito’s Latest Opinion Is a Very, Very Bad Sign for Voting Rights
This Supreme Court decision signals a potentially significant shift in voting rights jurisprudence, which could impact future elections and access to the ballot box.
The Supreme Court on Monday evening overturned a New York state court ruling that found that the Staten Island-based district of Republican US House Rep. Nicole Malliotakis discriminated against Black and Latino voters and needed to be redrawn. The Supreme Court’s intervention preserves a GOP-led seat that would have been likely to shift to Democrats […]
Public defender shortage is leading to hundreds of criminal cases being dismissed
The severe shortage of public defenders is leading to criminal cases being dismissed, which impacts justice, public safety, and the fundamental right to legal representation.
There are never enough lawyers to provide indigent defense, but the situation has gotten worse since the pandemic.
Formerly incarcerated Black men say they’re ‘doing OK’ while trying to cope with depression and PTSD
This story highlights the often-ignored mental health struggles of formerly incarcerated individuals, particularly Black men, underscoring systemic issues in post-release support.
A nurse scientist interviewed 29 formerly incarcerated Black men in Philadelphia to understand how they address their mental health needs.
24,403 Lawsuits and Counting: How Habeas Corpus Became the Front Line of Immigration Defense
The massive increase in habeas corpus lawsuits highlights a critical and underreported legal battleground for immigration defense, revealing the human impact of evolving immigration policies.
When I spoke last December to Dan Gividen, an immigration attorney in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, he tried to sum up how his law practice has been transformed over the past year with some back-of-the-napkin math. Prior to 2025, he said, half of his caseload was comprised of removal defense in immigration court; a fourth […]
Supreme Court blocks California law against schools outing transgender students to parents
The Supreme Court cleared the way Monday for California schools to tell religious parents if their children identify as transgender without getting the student's approval, granting an emergency appeal from a conservative legal group.
Supreme Court wrestles with gun rights, marijuana, and the right to own a gun
The argument took place in light of the court's 2022 Bruen decision, which held that for a gun law to be constitutional, it must be analogous to a similar law at the nation's founding in the late 1700s.
New England Cherishes Its Local Elections. Many Disabled Voters Are Locked Out.
This article exposes how local election systems, even in states proud of civic engagement, can systematically exclude disabled voters, undermining democratic participation.
Kate Larose will not be able to participate in Vermont’s Town Meeting Day. Vermont is home to one of the oldest and most cherished forms of local election in the country: town meetings, a day-long form of deliberative democracy that reads as the antidote to authoritarianism. It’s the kind of American tradition the White House […]
Kansas revoked transgender people’s IDs overnight – researchers anticipate cascading health and social consequences
This policy change in Kansas highlights the significant, often overlooked, administrative hurdles and potential social and health consequences faced by transgender individuals due to discriminatory laws.
With invalid driver’s licenses and birth certificates, transgender people are at risk for more than just steep fines and imprisonment.