Immigrants' Rights

The fundamental constitutional protections of due process and equal protection embodied in our Constitution and Bill of Rights apply to every person, regardless of immigration status.

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What you need to know

41 million
There are 41 million immigrants in the United States.
83%
In 2013, 83 percent of people deported from the United States were not given a hearing before a judge.
$1.84 billion
The United States spends $1.84 billion detaining immigrants.

What We're Focused On

What's at Stake

When the government has the power to deny legal rights and due process to one vulnerable group, everyone鈥檚 rights are at risk. The ACLU Immigrants鈥 Rights Project is dedicated to expanding and enforcing the civil liberties and civil rights of immigrants and to combating public and private discrimination against them.

Using targeted impact litigation, advocacy, and public outreach, the ACLU protects the rights and liberties of immigrants. For more than 25 years, the ACLU has been at the forefront of almost every major legal struggle on behalf of immigrants鈥 rights, focusing on challenging laws that deny immigrants access to the courts, impose indefinite and mandatory detention, and discriminate on the basis of nationality. In addition, we have challenged constitutional abuses that arise from immigration enforcement at the federal, state, and local levels, including anti-immigrant 鈥渟how me your papers鈥 laws at the state level and unconstitutional enforcement tactics by the federal government and local agencies.

More about the Immigrants' Rights Project

When the government has the power to deny legal rights and due process to one vulnerable group, everyone鈥檚 rights are at risk. The ACLU Immigrants鈥 Rights Project is dedicated to expanding and enforcing the civil liberties and civil rights of immigrants and to combating public and private discrimination against them.

Using targeted impact litigation, advocacy, and public outreach, the ACLU protects the rights and liberties of immigrants. For more than 25 years, the ACLU has been at the forefront of almost every major legal struggle on behalf of immigrants鈥 rights, focusing on challenging laws that deny immigrants access to the courts, impose indefinite and mandatory detention, and discriminate on the basis of nationality. In addition, we have challenged constitutional abuses that arise from immigration enforcement at the federal, state, and local levels, including anti-immigrant 鈥渟how me your papers鈥 laws at the state level and unconstitutional enforcement tactics by the federal government and local agencies.

More about the Immigrants' Rights Project

Support our on-going litigation and advocacy work

Take Action

Make an impact on Immigrants' Rights

Today, years of hard-fought civil liberty protections are under threat. From signing petitions to organizing on the ground, millions of ACLU activists are helping defend our rights. Here is 1 action you can take today: