Even in a public health emergency, governments still have the duty to protect our rights. Yet since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, we have witnessed countless attempts by state and local agencies to infringe upon Texans’ civil liberties.
Since the onset of the pandemic, the ACLU of Texas has been monitoring government responses to the health crisis closely, and we have acted quickly to protect civil rights and civil liberties while also upholding evidence-based guidance from public health experts. Specifically, we have aggressively acted on behalf of people whose rights and health are at heightened risk, including protections for voters, people in the criminal legal system, and those seeking access to critical abortion care.
Read more about the actions we are taking during this unprecedented time:
Reducing mass incarceration in Texas jails and prisons
- Victory: On April 10, a state judge granted a Temporary Restraining Order blocking enforcement of Governor Abbott’s unconstitutional executive order that limited who may be released from jails during pandemic emergency.
