Border Rights

The ACLU is working to ensure detention conditions satisfy basic constitutional requirements, and that the agency treats all detainees with dignity and respect.

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Every year, Border Patrol detains tens of thousands of men, women, and children in its notorious “hieleras” (Spanish for “iceboxes”), where detainees are packed into freezing, dirty, and overcrowded cells, denied basic necessities, and held incommunicado for days at a time. The ACLU is working to ensure detention conditions satisfy basic constitutional requirements, and that the agency treats all detainees with dignity and respect.

The Latest

News & Commentary
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2025 Legislative Session

The ACLU of Arizona supports legislation that protects civil liberties and fights against bills that infringe on our freedoms. Here’s what you need to know about Arizona’s 2025 Legislative Session.
News & Commentary
U.S marines assist in securing the Southern Border in San Ysidro, California.

Comunidades fronterizas enfrentan nuevos riesgos bajo áreas de defensa nacional de Trump

Vastas franjas de terreno público ahora son tratadas como bases militares, restringiendo acceso, difuminando la línea entre fuerzas del orden público y las fuerzas armadas.
News & Commentary
U.S marines assist in securing the Southern Border in San Ysidro, California.

Border Communities Face New Risks Under Trump’s National Defense Areas

Vast swaths of public land are now treated as military bases, cutting off access, blurring the line between law enforcement and the military.
Resource
Blue background with border patrol badge, picture of family and shadow of statue of liberty

Immigrants' Rights Resource Hub