vol. 81, no. 2

AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

LUnew

WHAT'S INSIDE.

3 California Legislation:

Reforming Money Bail

4 Legal Updates

7 Meet a Man Who's Been

an ACLU Member for

THE ACLU FIGHTS BACK

AGAINST DANGEROUS PLAN TO

SWIFTLY EXPAND BORDER PATROL

By Leslie Fulbright

ee Trump has repeatedly vowed to expand his deportation force

and take the "handcuffs off' of the officers that patrol the border. Part of

the plan includes hiring an additional 5,000 Customs and Border Protection

officers. This is cause for alarm.

Apart from the fact that these new officers aren't licensed

peace officers and don't receive comparable training, it's

impossible to hire that many people without relaxing the

training requirements. And the standards are already pretty

low based on the abuses we've seen.

Even with current training, CBP officers are not held to

the standards of professional police practices. The agency

has a troubling and extensively documented history of hu-

man rights abuses at the border, as well as a lack of account-

ability that results in high rates of sexual assault, excessive

force, and racial profiling.

Imagine bringing on thousands more people, and hiring

them quickly in an attempt to fulfill a campaign promise

to deport every undocumented person. When you rapidly

expand a law enforcement force-with increasing numbers

of heavily armed, poorly trained agents who believe they

answer to no one-civil rights violations will undoubtedly

escalate.

The ACLU has long been representing victims of CBP

abuse. Our most recent work is on behalf of two teenage

sisters who were sexually assaulted by a CBP officer in July

of last year.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

LEGISLATIVE UPDATES: PROTECTING IMMIGRANT and

MUSLIM COMMUNITIES, REFORMING MONEY BAIL

By Natasha Minsker

he ACLU Center for Advocacy and Policy is our voice on California legislation.

The staff review every bill, help amend and fix hundreds, and advance priority

reforms. In the current context, that means resisting the Trump administration's

policies, advancing proactive reforms, and engaging communities.

Protecting California's Immigrant and

Muslim Communities

On Monday, April 3, the same day that nearly 400

ACLU members and supporters descended on the state

Capitol for the ACLU of California's annual Confer-

ence and Lobby Day, the state Senate approved two

key bills that will honor everyone's common humanity,

dignity, and fundamental rights.

SB 54, the California Values Act, will curtail the use

of state and local resources to fuel mass deportations that

separate families. The bill would also keep schools, hospitals,

and courthouses safe and accessible to all Californians.

CONTINUED ON PAGE Z

LEGISLATIVE UPDATES continuep From pace 1:

PROTECTING IMMIGRANT and MUSLIM COMMUNITIES, REFORMING MONEY BAIL

With the state's unique population, the stakes are

high as the federal government implements its new

immigration enforcement guidelines, which put mil-

lions of Californians at risk of deportation. SB 54

will prevent the entanglement of aggressive federal

deportation agents and local police and sheriffs-an

entanglement the Trump administration is banking

on to carry out its reckless and inhumane mass de-

portation plans. It was exciting for so many ACLU

members to watch the Senate approve the bill. It is

now being considered by the Assembly.

From the airports to the statehouse, Californians

have shown that they fully reject the federal govern-

ment's assault on our civil liberties and core values.

That was apparent on April 3, when the Senate also

approved SB 31, the California Religious Freedom

Act. The bill, a proactive measure to ensure the fed-

eral government never uses California's state and local

governments to create a Muslim registry, is now in

the Assembly.

On the campaign trail, then-candidate Trump

repeatedly proposed a Muslim registry. Although

he has not followed through with this threat yet,

he continues to spread fear by demonizing and

scapegoating the Muslim community. California

must make sure that the Trump Administration never

uses our state and local resources to spread fear and

intolerance, or to single people out based on religion,

ACLUnews

Pale PUSLICAITQIN Ol finlle

Mer CAN Ci Vik BIB ERIE Saini

OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

Membership ($35 and up) includes a

subscription to the ACLU News.

For membership information call

(415) 621-2493 or visit www.aclunc.org

ADDRESS CHANGES: GIVING @ACLUNC.ORG

CHAIR

EXEC URIVE BIRECTOR

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

MANAGING EDITOR

DESIGNER

PROOFREADER

Magan Pritam Ray

Abdi Soltani

Candice Francis

Gigi Harney

Jessie Seyfer

39 Drumm Street, San Francisco, CA 94111

(415) 621-2493 | EDITOR@ACLUNC.ORG

Bm]

race, or national origin. The passage of both bills is a

step in the right direction to protect our core values

and the inalienable rights everyone is born with.

Reforming California's Money Bail

System

That same day, ACLU members and supporters also

rallied and lobbied on behalf of important legislation

that will make justice a reality for every Californian,

not just people who can afford it. Every year, Cali-

fornias money bail system keeps thousands of people

in jail before they get their day in court-all because

they cannot afford to post bail and buy their free-

dom. This costly, unfair, and ineffective system fuels

poverty and racial disparities in the criminal justice

system. AB 42 (Bonta) and SB 10 (Hertzberg) are

identical measures that will protect the wellbeing and

safety of communities.

Specifically, the bills will reduce the number of

people locked up because they are unable to pay to

get out of jail while their cases move forward. The

bills also prioritize services to help people make their

court appearances. The reforms proposed under the

bills build upon common-sense solutions adopted by

other local and state governments that have signifi-

cantly reduced their use of commercial bail. The bills

draw upon best practices and lessons learned from

places like Kentucky, New Jersey, and Santa Clara

ACLU of California Conference and Lobby Day

keynote speaker Rashad Robinson, Executive

Director of Color of Change.

AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

PROM BY SUNCY ANTONOPROULOS

County in California to adopt reforms specifically

tailored for the state.

Both bills passed their first hurdle and were ap-

proved by the Public Safety Committees. A floor vote

on the bills was expected at press time.

While these bills have not yet made it to the fin-

ish line, we at the ACLU remain fully committed to

continuing the fight. We firmly believe that, today

and always, the single most powerful thing we can

do is to believe that change and progress are not only

possible, but inevitable-and that we the people hold

the power to create that change. Our Conference and

Lobby Day was just the beginning.

Support at Conference and Lobby Day

"We must stop linking wealth to liberty. A person'

ability to post bail is not an indication of their guilt,

innocence, danger to the public, or flight risk. Its

time to restore fairness and add greater public safety

to our system by individually assessing the person's

ability to be safely released from custody pretrial.

We must safely reform our money bail system now."

-Assemblymember Rob Bonta (D-Oakland)

`T believe in the American justice system, and

I believe the law should treat everyone the same.

The present money bail system lets the rich go free

but forces the poor to stay in jail before a court

determines guilt or innocence. Thats not right,

and that's not fair. It's time to take money out

of the bail equation and determine if people

should be incarcerated pretrial based on the

size of their risk, not the size of their wallet."

-State Senator Bob Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys)

"Im proud to be a card-carrying member of

the ACLU since 1989-keep up your efforts."

-California Assembly Speaker Anthony

Rendon (D-Paramont)

"The California Legislature is committed to

protecting the civil rights and liberties of all

those who call the Golden State home regard-

less of race, ethnicity, who you love, or who

you worship.We will never surrender the very

values that make California and our nation

great no matter who sits in the White House.

-Senate President Pro Tempore Kevin de Leen

(D-Los Angeles) @

BAIL REFORM HIGHLIGHTED AT THE ACLU OF

CALIFORNIA'S CONFERENCE and LOBBY DAY:

MELODIE HENDERSON'S STORY

educing incarceration is a top nationwide priority of the ACLU. The Eighth Amendment prohibits

By Natasha Minsker

the federal government from imposing excessive bail, but that promise isn't being met. Eleven years

ago, Melodie Henderson, a part-time student and San Diego resident, was arrested. Her bail was set at

$50,000-before the judge ever laid eyes on her.

At the time, she was working while also

taking care of her grandmother, who was

undergoing chemotherapy, and her 6-year-

old sister. Her grandparents, who were on a

fixed monthly income, faced the decision to

either go into debt to get Melodie released

as her case moved forward or let her sit

inp jalle lose snch job anc ticita ier teaser tn

custody. They decided to go through a bail

bondsman to get Melodie out of custody, but

that required making a down payment and

monthly payments to the bail bondsman,

with interest.

Although Melodie was able to work while

out on bail, her income was not enough

to cover her monthly bail payments and

rising interest. Her case was resolved-

she completed community service and a

period of probation. But her debt to the bail

company continued. For a period, Melodie

and her grandparents were unable to make

their monthly payments to the bail company

and she was eventually sent to collections.

She tried to make bail payments a priority,

but that meant that other bills went unpaid.

At 22 years old, her life seemed to be falling apart.

Melodie faced continuing financial challenges, saw

net cheats muiieds anc

was falling into a deep

depression. Years later,

she was finally able to

pay, ot iver bail debr,

reenroll in college, and

eventually open up her

own business.

Now 32 years old, a

small business owner,

mother and caretaker of

her two younger sisters,

Po

Melodie Henderson speaking at the ACLU of California's

Conference and Lobby Day. Looking on, left to right:

Yannina Casillas (Council on American-Islamic

Relations], Ronald Coleman (California Immigrant

Policy Center}, and Natasha Minsker (ACLU of

California's Center for Advocacy and Policy}.

she is still dealing with credit issues. The thought

SILL FROM A VIDEO BY JOEL WANIEIK

"CALIFORNIA'S CASH BAIL SYSTEM

ALLOWS THOSE WITH MONEY TO

CONFRONT THEIR CRIMINAL CHARGES

Wire OUT lp CUB IODY, ey WIR TUS GIF

Tislelis Wellin. Wale PIG siLiei IS. 1s

YOURE POOR, YOU EE STAY IN JAIL:

TO MAKE MATTERS EVEN WORSE,

BAIL AMOUNTS ARE

APPROXIMATELY 35% HIGHER

FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN

AND 19% HIGHER FOR HISPANIC

MEN, COMPARED TO THE BAIL

AMOUNTS FOR WHITE MEN."

-ASSEMBLYMEMBER

REGGIE JONES oar

remembers having seen many mothers and

young women like herself, unable to make

bail. She knew everything they were about

to lose-if they had not already.

The road for Melodie was long and difficult.

Her story could have been much different

of what could have happened to her had her if she wasn't expected to buy due process. She hopes

grandparents not been able to help her still haunts California lawmakers will see her story and understand

Melodie to this day. During her court hearings, she that Californias current money bail system doesn't

oe Ee = Se z and SS eee as

AGLI NEWS = SUMMER 20 ] 7

promote justice ard

public safety, but rather

injustice and harm to

the people, families, and

communities ensnared

by this system. @

Natasha Minsker is the

Dinccton Oj ie AG e)

of Californias Center

for Advocacy and Policy.

PaO BY EMeIRY JONES

Democracy in action. A rally at the steps of California's Capitol building on April 3.

By Bethany Woolman

SANTA CLARA COUNTY

V. TRUMP

SUIT CHALLENGING TRUMP'S EXECUTIVE

ORDER ON SANCTUARY CITIES

This March, the ACLU of Northern California filed a

motion to intervene in a lawsuit challenging President

Trump's threat to withhold federal funding from so-

called "sanctuary cities." The ACLU represented the

YWCA Silicon Valley, a local nonprofit that depends

on federal funding to deliver critically important ser-

vices. Siding with Santa Clara County, San Francisco,

and groups like the ACLU and the YWCA, U.S. Dis-

trict Court Judge William Orrick issued a nationwide

preliminary injunction blocking the executive order

in April. "The President's attempt to exercise uncon-

stitutional powers posed a profound danger to our

democracy," said William Freeman, a senior staff at-

torney with the ACLU of Northern California. "Our

local governments will not be coerced into becoming

agents of federal immigration enforcement."

MINTON V. DIGNITY HEALTH

SUIT TO PROTECT TRANSGENDER

PATIENTS' RIGHT TO MEDICAL CARE

This April, the ACLU of California filed a lawsuit

against a taxpayer-funded hospital network associ-

ated with the Catholic Church for denying care to a

transgender patient. ACLU client Evan Minton is a

transgender man who was scheduled to receive a hys-

terectomy at Mercy San Juan Medical Center, a hospi-

tal in the Dignity Health chain. Two days prior to the

appointment, a nurse called to discuss the surgery and

Minton mentioned that he is transgender. The next

day, the hospital canceled the procedure. "Hospitals

exist to provide care," said Elizabeth Gill, senior staff

attorney at the ACLU of Northern California. "Can-

celling a medical procedure because of a patient's gen-

der identity is unacceptable, and it violates California's

Unruh Civil Rights Act."

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF

CALIFORNIA V. KELLY

LAWSUIT TO PROTECT CALIFORNIANS'

VOTING RIGHTS

In May, the ACLU filed a federal lawsuit against

Californias Department of Motor Vehicles

(DMV) for its failure to offer federally mandated

voter registration opportunities to millions of

Californians. The lawsuit seeks to force the DMV

to comply with federal law that requires states to

LEGAL UPDATES

Evan Minton, whose medical procedure was

canceled after he told a nurse at Dignity Health

he was transgender.

incorporate voter registration into DMV forms.

"Registering to vote should be simple and acces-

sible," said Michael Risher, a senior staff attorney

with the ACLU of Northern California. "The

freedom to vote is the most critical component of

our nation's democracy."

SOCIAL MEDIA MONITORING

SOFTWARE

ADVOCACY AGAINST DISCRIMINATORY and

UNCONSTITUTIONAL SURVEILLANCE

This March, Facebook and Instagram updated their

policies to prohibit the use of company data for sur-

veillance. This broad shift in policy came after the

ACLU of California publicized findings from a mas-

sive Public Records Act request which revealed that law

enforcement across California had acquired powerful

social media monitoring software with the capacity to

target activists. "We are now pushing these companies

to establish robust systems to ensure these policies are

enforced," said Matt Cagle, a technology and civil

liberties policy attorney with the ACLU of Northern

California.

PHOTO BY JOANNE KIM

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

While environmental devastation affects all Califor-

nians, it doesn't affect everyone equally. Communities

of color are often the hardest hit, and the agriculture-

rich Central Valley faces especially harsh challenges.

The ACLU of Northern California is working to ad-

dress these inequities because we believe everyone has

a right to clean water to drink and clean air to breathe.

1,2,3 TCP TOXICITY IN WATER

ADVOCACY BEFORE THE STATE WATER

BOARD

Millions of homes across the state are connected to

water sources contaminated with a cancer-causing

chemical called 1,2,3-Trichloropropane (TCP).

1,2,3-TCP leached out of pesticides and into Cali-

fornia groundwater decades ago and still lingers.

It can have serious health consequences when con-

sumed over a lifetime. This April, the ACLU of

California sent a letter to the State Water Resources

Control Board and testified at the Board's hearing

on adoption of a statewide regulation to protect the

public from this contaminant. "No one should have

to turn on their tap and wonder if the water is safe to

drink," said Kena Cador, Equal Justice Works Fellow,

sponsored by Apple Inc. and O'Melveny and Myers, at

the ACLU of Northern California.

PESTICIDES NEAR SCHOOLS

LETTER TO DEPARTMENT OF PESTICIDE

REGULATIONS

In December, the ACLU of California sent a letter to

the California Department of Pesticide Regulations

(DPR) on behalf of a Central Valley coalition for pesti-

cide reform, Coalition Advocating for Pesticide Safety

(CAPS), requesting improvements to proposed policies

on the use of pesticides near schools. Pesticide exposure

is linked to childhood health harms, and Latino stu-

dents are nearly twice as likely as white students to at-

tend a school near the heaviest pesticide use. In March,

DPR released new and improved draft regulations that

included many ACLU recommendations. "Schools can

no longer opt out of receiving notification of pesticide

use, and the new regulations include a host of other

protections," said Abre' Conner, a staff attorney with

the ACLU of Northern California. "Young minds

should be filled with knowledge, not chemicals." @

Bethany Woolman is a Communications Strategist at

the ACLU of Northern California.

ANTI-IMMIGRANT POLICIES: OUR RESPONSE

[0x00B0 response to the current administration's anti-immigration policies, the ACLU has been hard at work. We're

creating a rapid response network, filing lawsuits challenging unconstitutional orders, and teaching people in

targeted communities about their constitutional rights. Here are some of the specific ways we're fighting back.

IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

Rapid Response to Raids: We're working with part-

ners throughout the state to build a rapid response

legal network that will provide referrals to people ar-

rested in immigration raids, and regional triage centers

to respond to raids in communities. We want this net-

work to protect immigrants throughout the state, in-

cluding hard-to-reach rural communities, small towns,

and unincorporated areas. We will work with partner

organizations, community leaders, and volunteers to

achieve this goal.

The Muslim Ban: When the administration issued

the unconstitutional and discriminatory Muslim ban,

we filed a lawsuit on behalf of three students from the

affected countries and Jewish Family and Community

Services East Bay (JFCS-EB), an organization serving

refugees, challenging its establishment and enforcement.

Then, along with 50 other ACLU affiliates, we filed a

Freedom of Information Act request to expose how

`Trump officials were interpreting and executing the ban.

We're demanding government documents about the on-

the-ground implementation of the executive order.

Sanctuary Cities: On behalf of the YWCA of Silicon

Valley, we argued in favor of a preliminary injunction

that prevents the federal government from implement-

ing the executive order that would deny funds to so-

called "sanctuary cities." A U.S. district judge recently

issued that injunction nationwide.

Know Your Rights Trainings: Since Trump's inau-

guration, weve also hosted approximately 40 Civic

Education in Action webinars and events and Know

Your Rights trainings. These offer legal advice and

representation to immigrant and Muslim communi-

ties who may be targeted by federal policy, law en-

forcement actions, and discrimination. Collectively,

thousands have participated.

Visit WWW.ACLUNC.ORG for

local details, and WWW.ACLU.ORG

for info on our nationwide work.

ON THE NATIONAL STAGE

The Muslim Ban: On May 8, Omar Jadwat, director of

the ACLU's Immigrants' Rights Project, argued before

the full Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. "President

Trump's Muslim ban violates a fundamentally important

constitutional principle-that our government cannot

condemn, denigrate, and disfavor a religion and its

adherents," Jadwat said. "The courts have been correct to

enforce the Constitution by blocking the ban. We now

await the Fourth Circuit's ruling in this case."

Travel warning over immigration law: The ACLU

issued a "travel alert" on May 9, informing anyone

planning to travel to Texas in the near future to

anticipate the possible violation of their constitutional

rights when stopped by law enforcement. The alert

comes amid the passing of a Texas law known as

SB4. The law gives a green light to police officers in

the state to investigate a person's immigration status

during a routine traffic stop, leading to widespread

racial profiling. @

THE ACLU FIGHTS BACK AGAINST DANGEROUS PLAN TO

SWIFTLY EXPAND BORDER PATROL conrTINUED FROM PAGE 1

The teens were traveling to the United States after

fleeing Guatemala in search of a more peaceful life.

After crossing the border in Texas, they walked for

several hours before they realized they were lost. Out

of desperation, they flagged down a car with two CBP

officers and asked for help.

The teens, then 19 and 17, were taken to a field of-

fice and placed in a holding cell. Once there, they were

taken by a federal officer into a closet-like room one at

a time, told to remove all of their clothes, and sexually

assaulted.

"The officer took me into what seemed like a closet.

The room had no windows or furniture and had food

in it,' one of the sisters told us after the incident. "It

seemed like a pantry which made me wonder why he

brought me here."

The teens reported the abuse shortly after it oc-

curred to another officer who found them crying.

An investigation was launched by the Department of

Homeland Security's Inspector General. The sisters

were interviewed and asked to draw a depiction of the

closet where the assault occurred. But to date, federal

authorities have not pursued criminal charges against

the officer nor is it clear whether the officer has faced

WHEN YOU RAPIDLY EXPAND A

POLICE FORCE OF HEAVILY ARMED,

POORLY TRAINED AGENTS WHO

BELIEVE THEY ANSWER TO NO ONE,

CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATIONS WILL

UNDOUBTEDLY ESCAEAlIE

any disciplinary actions for the assaults.

The sisters, who asked not to be identified for fear

of retaliation, came forward because they were scared

this would happen to others and want to make sure

the officer doesn't continue the abuse. They said they

thought they were coming to a country where human

rights were protected. They never imagined that they

would be assaulted.

"We can't tolerate these abuses of power, and these

officers who think they can commit sexual assault with

impunity, said ACLU of Northern California staff

attorney Angelica Salceda, who filed administrative

claims on behalf of each sister. "CBP has repeatedly

ACLU NEWS -~ SUMMER 2017

refused to own up to its actions and doesn't reveal if

officers are disciplined."

The Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) allows people

to sue the federal government and seek monetary dam-

ages. Filing an administrative FTCA claim is the first

step in this process.

Justice has yet to be served for many of the victims

of abuse at the hands of Customs and Border Protec-

tion. Adding thousands more officers who are not ad-

equately vetted will mean even more people will be at

risk of these types of rights violations.

CBP's resistance to basic 21st century police reforms

has produced rampant abuses. This agency has had

problems before and Trump's anti-immigration poli-

cies will make this worse. Left unchecked, these offi-

cers continue to threaten our safety and freedom. The

must be held to higher standards. :

The sisters, who were referred to the ACLU by an

immigrants rights advocate, are living in Fresno with

their mother.

Leslie Fulbright is a Communications Strategist at

the ACLU of Northern California.

S

. IN MEMORIAM: BOARD ELECTION NOTICE

DARLENE ANN NICGORSKI p he ACLU-NC Board of Directors, in accordance with changes adopted in the bylaws in 2003 (Article VI,

NATIONAL SANCTUARY LEADER Section 3 and Article VI, Section 4), have an election schedule as follows:

Nominations for the Board of Directors will now be submitted by the September Board meeting; candidates

arlene Ann Nicgorski, a former nun who

and ballots will appear in the Fall issue of the ACLU News; elected board members will begin their three-year

i Iteri r :

was convicted of she tering Salvadoran nee ence

and Guatemalan refugees in a landmark trial, As provided by the revised ACLU-NC bylaws, the ACLU-NC membership is entitled to elect its Board of Direc-

died in Pomona, Calif. on Feb. 28 at the age tors directly. The nominating committee is now seeking suggestions from the membership to fill at-large positions

of 73. on the Board.

"She lived her life to the fullest, filled with

ACLU members may participate in the nominating process in two ways:

compassion for others and speaking out against

injustice wherever and whenever it appeared," said 1. They may send suggestions for the nominating committee's consideration prior to the September Board

her spouse Chris Blackburn. meeting (Sept. 14, 2017)-submitting suggestions as early as possible is much appreciated. Address

HRC N@LE OG Nother (c) {hn Leno suggestions to: Nominating Committee, ACLU-NC, 39 Drumm Street, San Francisco, CA 94111.

Nicgorski's courage and passionate commitment to Include your nominee's qualifications and how the nominee may be reached.

social justice with the Earl Warren Civil Liberties 2. They may submit a petition of nomination with the signatures of 15 current ACLU-NC members. Peti-

Award in 1986. tions of nomination, which should also include the nominee's qualifications, must be submitted to the

Throughout her life, she spoke out on refugee Board of Directors by Oct. 4, 2017 (20 days after the September board meeting). Current ACLU mem-

and immigration issues and declared over and over bers are those who have renewed their membership during the last 12 months. Only current members are

again, "no human being is illegal!" Just weeks be- eligible to submit nominations, sign petitions of nomination, and vote. No member may sign more than

fore she died, she was at a demonstration at the one such petition.

Ontario California International Airport challeng- ACLU members will select Board members from the slate of candidates nominated by petition and by the

ing President Irump's immigration ban.

Y nominating committee. The ballot will appear in the Fall issue of the ACLU News. @

To Our Members: While mailings-under strict privacy guidelines-form the basis of our new

member acquisition program, and are key to our growth, we understand some

ailings to our members and the gener blic provide rtunities to de- a

M ae Oe s and the general pu provide opportunities to d members do not wish to receive solicitations from other groups and we gladly

scribe complicated legal and political issues in ways not possible in other media honor requests from our members to be removed from the process. Once you

nd to ribe strategies we plan se for re actions. They enable us ;

and to describe strategies we plan to use for future actio ee eee election, you do not need to do so again unless you wish to change

explain, in detail, the benefits and provisions of the Constitution and the Bill

your preference back.

of Rights, the ways our rights can be protected in today's world, and the costs

of preserving those rights. We use the mail to inform people of the importance _If you do not wish to receive materials from other organizations, please com-

of our legal work and to solicit funds that enable us to continue our litigation, plete this coupon and send it to:

public education, and legislative lobbying.

ACLU Membership Department

Sometimes, as part of our program to find and recruit members, we exchange or 125 Broad Street, 18th Floor

rent our list of members' names to like-minded organizations and publications. New York, NY 10004

We do this so that we will be able to send our membership letters to their lists.

CII prefer not to receive materials from other organizations. Please

The ACLU never makes its list available to partisan political groups or those eliminate my name from membership exchange/rental lists.

whose programs are incompatible with the ACLU's mission. Whether by ex-

change or rental, the exchanges are governed by strict privacy procedures, as | Member #

recommended by the U.S. Privacy Study Commission. Lists are never actually

given into the physical possession of the organization that has rented them or pane

exchanged for them. No organization ever possesses our list and no organiza- A ddresc

tion will ever see the names of the members on our list unless an individual

responds to their mailing. Cig, State, Zip

6 Pel CAN iV IB ERIIES UNION OF NORV FERN CALISORNI

| THANK YOU to all of our members, whether this ts your 1st year or your 7th! |

DR. JOHN KERNER: CARD-CARRYING

ACLU MEMBER FOR SEVEN DECADES

Why did you become an ACLU

member in 1940?

I was going to school at UC Berkeley, and the group

I associated with there was beginning to talk about

free speech and so it got me interested in the ACLU.

It continued through the McCarthy era, but probably

the time that I was most involved was when I was a

medical student in 1941. At the time, all the Japanese

were being put in internment camps, and I had in

my class, four or five Japanese, and they were being

taken out of the medical school class even though we

needed doctors. I thought that was outrageous be-

cause these kids were citizens, and one had been in

school with me in high school and college and med

school. I protested.

Can you tell me about the issues

that led you to change your last

name?

This was related to my time in the army. My name was

Kapstein. And I'm sure that I got the worst job that a

doctor could get in the army because of my assumed

religion. Even though I was qualified for different and

better positions, nobody ever gave me the positions.

So I changed my name so that when my kids grew up,

Interview by Jessie Seyfer

1) John Kerner has been an ACLU member for 77 years. But

that's just one of the astounding achievements the 98-year-old

Bay Area resident has under his belt, and a passion for service and justice

underpins them all. Kerner served as a combat medic in World War II,

and later became the chief of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive

Sciences at the University of California-San Francisco's Mount Zion hos-

pital, delivering an estimated 2,000 babies over his career. In 2007, the

government of France awarded him the Legion of Honor in recognition

of his WWII service. He recently attended a post-election ACLU house

party. The ACLU of Northern California recently talked with Kerner:

they wouldn't be prejudged by their name. I grew up

in San Francisco, and I didn't remember experiencing

any anti-Semitism, but at one point my family moved

to Boston ... and that was the first time in my life I

was ever disparaged for being a Jew. That was probably

one of the things to get me interested in the ACLU to

begin with.

| WAS A MEDICAL STUDENT

IN 1941. AT THE TIME, ALL

THE JAPANESE WERE BEING

PUT IN INTERNMENT CAMPS,

AND | HAD IN MY CLASS,

FOUR OR FIVE JAPANESE,

AND THEY WERE BEING

TAKEN OUT CF THE

MEDICAL SCHOOL CLASS

EVEN THOUGH WE NEEDED

DOCTORS | TROUGH] TAT

WAS OUTRAGEOUS.

pei ONS Ce Nien

ACLU NEWS - SUMMER 2017

As an obstetrics and gynecology

specialist, what do you think about

the attacks on women's health that

are happening right now?

One of the things that the Republicans want to do is

make abortion illegal. When I started in California it

was illegal, and the ACLU has been helpful in that

fight. It's just absurd that the government is ruling on

personal life decisions about what to do with women's

own bodies.

Why has your support for the ACLU

never wavered through the years? |

Well I have been a member for a long time. Sometimes

my financial support for it has varied according to the

times. But I just think it's so important. I have always

recommended it. It's maybe even more important now

than it's been before. @

Jessie Seyfer is a guest writer with the ACLU of

Northern California.

LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

here are a lot of words that could well sum up my state of mind

these days. Anger. Outrage. Incredulity. But there's one that I don't

express often enough: gratitude.

Gratitude for the long-term supporters of the

ACLU, many of whom who have been with us for

years and even decades.

Gratitude for the new supporters and volunteers

who have joined us the last several months to provide

the additional support and resources we need for the

fights ahead.

Gratitude for the clients and others directly in the

crosshairs of the Trump administration's policies who

have the courage to speak up for justice.

Gratitude for our many community partners who do

their part providing direct legal services and organizing

the most-impacted communities.

I am also grateful for the years of struggle that

preceded us, providing the foundation of our rights

today. I am grateful for the Constitution and its pro-

visions for the separation of powers. I am grateful for

the First Amendment and its full-throated protec-

tion of the freedom of religion and the separation of

church and state.

And these days I am most grateful for the Fourteenth

Amendment, secured as part of the struggle to abolish

slavery, which provides for equal protection and due

process, and which makes clear that these rights are

provided to all people, and not just to citizens.

For almost a century, working alongside many other

organizations and courageous individuals, the ACLU

itself has been part of the struggles to make these

principles meaningful in our lives. Your support of the

ACLU today enables our efforts at the national level

as well as here in California. Your generosity allows us

to resist the policies that trample on our rights, and

to advance positive reforms for civil liberties wherever

possible, especially here in California.

PROV BY JASON DOIY

MNCLU oy Norinern Calitiornic

Executive Director Abdi Soltani.

We have a lot of work to do. And for your support

and participation in this struggle for our democracy,

I hope you hear just that-gratitude.

je

Abdi Soltani

Executive Director of the ACLU of Northern California

ACLU-NC Organizer Raquel Ortega.

PHOTO BY EMERY JONES"

WHAT YOU CAN DO

e have work to do here in California. Join the ACLU of

Northern California in supporting that work by signing

up to volunteer. There are a range of opportunities available,

from phone banking or canvassing your local farmers' market to

volunteering your professional skills or joining a local chapter.

Find out more and sign up at www.aclunc.org/volunteer.

GET THE LATEST ACLU UPDATES ON SOCIAL MEDIA

pound FB.COM/ACLU.NORCAL Mf @ACLU_NORCAL

K Je @ACLU_NORCAL

DX] Subscribe to our email list ACLUNC.ORG/EMAIL

AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES U

ea

@ eS S s"

HON OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA