Placeholder image

Forging a Firewall for Freedom

Get Involved

By completing this form, I agree to receive occasional emails per the terms of the ACLU’s privacy statement.

Last updated on August 06, 2025

Forging a Firewall for Freedom

President Trump has signaled he plans to dismantle democracy as we know it. But the ACLU is better prepared than ever to confront efforts to undermine our democracy.

President Trump has signaled he plans to dismantle democracy as we know it. But the ACLU is better prepared than ever to confront efforts to undermine our democracy.

As the nation’s largest civil rights advocacy organization, the ACLU is non-profit and non-partisan. With 54 offices representing every state, the ACLU works to advance and defend civil liberties for all people in the United States.

With more than 100 years of experience across 19 presidential administrations, we are committed to doing all we can to preserve and protect civil rights and civil liberties.

New Jersey has shown that it is possible to achieve meaningful change in the face of national challenges. Since the beginning of the previous Trump administration, the Garden State has enacted new protections to safeguard reproductive freedom, advance immigrants’ rights, and achieve fairer elections.

We know how to lead the nation by example because we’ve done it before, and we will do it again – to forge the country’s strongest firewall for freedom.

Leading the Nation by Example 

As Trump attempts to implement draconian policies, including those outlined in Project 2025, we know there will be a flood of attacks across nearly all civil rights and liberties. But take us at our word: the ACLU will do all we can to ensure Trump is held accountable.

We will challenge family separation, mass deportation, and unjust immigration detention. We will reject any attempts to ban or limit access to abortion. We will fight back against any targeting of protestors or dissenting voices. We will combat voter suppression.

In New Jersey, that means enacting the Immigrant Trust Act to ensure local resources aren’t used in federal immigration enforcement; expanding abortion access for all by removing financial barriers to care; passing the John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act to expand access to the ballot box; ending mass incarceration by releasing people from prison at the largest scales, including through categorical clemency; and prioritizing data-driven, human-centered solutions to bolster public safety while rejecting tough-on-crime approaches to public policy.

Leveraging our Experience to Defend Democracy 

These strategies will help us block dangerous executive action in some cases and mitigate the harm in others.

We know there will still be unforeseen threats to rights and freedoms, but the ACLU and our partners are ready to do all we can to ensure communities thrive and democracy prevails.

President Trump has signaled he plans to dismantle democracy as we know it. But the ACLU is better prepared than ever to confront efforts to undermine our democracy.

As the nation’s largest civil rights advocacy organization, the ACLU is non-profit and non-partisan. With 54 offices representing every state, the ACLU works to advance and defend civil liberties for all people in the United States.

With more than 100 years of experience across 19 presidential administrations, we are committed to doing all we can to preserve and protect civil rights and civil liberties.

New Jersey has shown that it is possible to achieve meaningful change in the face of national challenges. Since the beginning of the previous Trump administration, the Garden State has enacted new protections to safeguard reproductive freedom, advance immigrants’ rights, and achieve fairer elections.

We know how to lead the nation by example because we’ve done it before, and we will do it again – to forge the country’s strongest firewall for freedom.

Leading the Nation by Example 

As Trump attempts to implement draconian policies, including those outlined in Project 2025, we know there will be a flood of attacks across nearly all civil rights and liberties. But take us at our word: the ACLU will do all we can to ensure Trump is held accountable.

We will challenge family separation, mass deportation, and unjust immigration detention. We will reject any attempts to ban or limit access to abortion. We will fight back against any targeting of protestors or dissenting voices. We will combat voter suppression.

In New Jersey, that means enacting the Immigrant Trust Act to ensure local resources aren’t used in federal immigration enforcement; expanding abortion access for all by removing financial barriers to care; passing the John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act to expand access to the ballot box; ending mass incarceration by releasing people from prison at the largest scales, including through categorical clemency; and prioritizing data-driven, human-centered solutions to bolster public safety while rejecting tough-on-crime approaches to public policy.

Leveraging our Experience to Defend Democracy 

These strategies will help us block dangerous executive action in some cases and mitigate the harm in others.

We know there will still be unforeseen threats to rights and freedoms, but the ACLU and our partners are ready to do all we can to ensure communities thrive and democracy prevails.

Related Content

News & Commentary
Jan 17, 2025
A collage graphic depicting images pertaining to civil liberties and action.
  • Democracy & Civic Engagement|
  • +1 Issue

How to Take Action on Inauguration Day and Beyond

Our civil liberties and civil rights are on the line. The ACLU’s guide helps to connect you with ways to advocate for our freedoms.
Press Release
Dec 11, 2024
Placeholder image
  • Democracy & Civic Engagement|
  • +5 Issues

ACLU Tells Governors, State Attorneys General, Legislators, and Mayors: Build a Firewall for Freedom to Protect Our Rights During the Second Trump Administration

The American Civil Liberties Union and dozens of state affiliates around the country are asking state and local officials to build firewalls for freedom that would protect fundamental rights from likely attacks during the second Trump administration.