20 Awesome Wins In 2020

We compiled a list of heartwarming civil rights wins, brave people taking steps to sue for their rights, successful events, awe-inspiring groups making a difference, and more.

1. Korryn Gaines’ family overturned judicial immunity ruling on appeal, restored hard-won jury verdict. #BlackLivesMatter

1. Federal rulings blocked abortion bans in two states (Georgia and Tennessee) so far!

1. In a triumphant preliminary victory, immigrants now have fair bond hearings, helping people avoid unnecessary detention if they don’t have enough money.

1. The HOME Act passed in Maryland, preventing landlords from discriminating against you based on your source of income.

1. After many letters and even a petition, the first steps were taken to decrease the number of Marylanders in prisons and jails in order to fight COVID infections.

1. Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle, Erricka Bridgeford, and Kevin James stood up for their constitutional rights and sued the Baltimore Police Department to stop unconstitutional spy planes.

1. William Kemcha and A.G.C. were released from ICE detention due to their high risk of illness or death due to COVID-19.

1. A federal court in Maryland ruled that people who can get pregnant can get the medication abortion by mail during the pandemic.

1. Maryland voters had the opportunity to vote safely during the primary election. 97% of the people who voted in the June primary voted by mail.

1. A federal judge issued a class-wide order prohibiting ICE’s cruel bait and switch tactics, ordering that immigrants be released from detention.

1. Students, parents, and community leaders joined the ACLU of Maryland for our first successful, virtual townhall that updated parents on the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future bill and examined how COVID-19 remote learning impacts students and families.

1. The ACLU of Maryland joins forces with over 60 (now 75+) organizations across the state to call on our legislators to support specific and meaningful police reform.

1. A federal judge rejected Frederick Sheriff Jenkins’ attempt to escape liability for racially profiling Latinx people.

1. 1,505,082 Marylanders voted in the primaries!

1. The Supreme Court ruled that LGBTQ people cannot be fired because of their sexual orientation or because they are transgender.

1. In partnership with the Lifer Family Support Network, we wrote a letter to the Governor and the Secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections to push for more testing for COVID-19 in prisons and jails. The state agreed to test ALL staff and people who are incarcerated in state prisons and juvenile centers.

1. Black and Brown officers advocate for reforms to address structural bias and serious racial discrimination and retaliation in the Prince George’s Police Department.

1. Greyhound buses refuse to let U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers search their buses without warrants.

1. A Federal Appeals Court struck down Trump’s policies that would restrict asylum for immigrants fleeing domestic and gang violence.

1. Since the start of COVID-19, the ACLU has filed 145 legal actions and more than 37,430 people have been released from jails, prisons, and ICE detention centers, or never brought into the legal justice system in the first place.