News & Commentary

When local police get mixed up in deportation, civil rights violations are the inevitable result—which is why we’re suing the Essex County Sheriff’s Department for its records on immigration enforcement.

A promising opportunity to build accountability and trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.

Vermonters have ample opportunities this year to win overdue police reforms.

Every community should have meaningful oversight of their police department. We wrote a letter with the Rutland Area NAACP urging the Bennington Select Board to empower their civilian oversight board to review specific police misconduct complaints.

Where does Vermont stand on police reform, two years after the murder of George Floyd forced a nationwide reckoning on police brutality and structural racism? 

Although the 2022 legislative session is still several months away, there are ways that you can advance racial justice, privacy rights, criminal legal reform, and other civil rights and civil liberties issues right now.

The ACLU of Vermont & The Rutland Area NAACP sent a letter to the Bennington Select Board to provide comment on the town's proposed police oversight task force for Bennington Police Department. As proposed, this task force will not lead to meaningful police oversight or much needed change in Bennington's police department. Read or download the letter below to learn more.

Police Abuse Their Power, Again – We’re Taking Them to Court

The ACLU of VT has received a significant number of complaints about law enforcement actions at the Rainbow Family of Living Light gathering in Mount Tabor. We're keeping a watchful eye on developments as the gathering continues. We hope gathering attendees will be allowed to exercise their rights to free expression and assembly without unnecessary disruption or an unreasonable police response.