[ACLU-CU ALERT] ACLU of Champaign County NEWSLETTER

[Champaign County ACLU Announcements]

Never-Regular But Ever-True 
News from Your Local ACLU      


 
aclu-cu.org                                APRIL 2025
 
Dear ACLU Friends,
 
Thanks to everyone who came out to our Livestream Lunch Party at the Champaign Public Library on April 4. The cheese tray from Cheese and Crackers and the tamales from Rick’s were delicious and keynote speaker Sherrilyn Ifill made us think and fired us up! She pointed out that many of us are the “harvest generation” who have harvested what previous generations worked so hard and suffered so much to plant. But now it’s our turn -- we have to step up and do some planting ourselves. She also stressed the importance of continuing to do the things that bring us joy – friends and family and everything else fulfilling. It was great to watch together on the big screen. If you missed it, the entire event recording is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRP4xu1ObKU.
 
 

 
 
The next day we protested HANDS OFF! <https://www.wcia.com/news/champaign-county/protesters-gather-in-champaign-for-hands-off-rally/> at West Side Park! 
April 12 we tabled at the UCRJ Reproductive Rights Week <https://www.ucrj.org/ucrjweek2025> Healthy Families Fair at Lincoln Square and had some great conversations about future projects <https://www.ucrj.org/currentprojects>.
 
 
           
 
STUDENTS’ RIGHTS TO PROTEST
Carol Spindel spoke to the members of the Executive Committee of the University of Illinois Faculty-Student Senate about our concerns about students’ First Amendment rights to protest and the very restrictive and punitive new Expressive Activity Policy the university instituted last summer. She shared the ACLU letter <https://www.aclu-il.org/sites/default/files/public_letter_to_university_of_illinois_on_free_speech_regulations.pdf>urging the university to revise the policy. 
 
Read Jane McClintock’s article <https://publici.ucimc.org/2025/02/aclu-warns-u-of-i-to-respect-free-speech/> in The Public I about the ACLU letter to the University of Illinois urging them to revise the policy.
 
ACLU of Champaign County President Carol Leff spoke about the letter at a protest <https://dailyillini.com/news-stories/university-news/administration/2025/04/21/protest-uis-expressive-activity/> on the University of Illinois campus about the need to respect students’ free speech rights.  
 
UPCOMING in MAY
We will be tabling at the first outdoor Farmer’s Market in Urbana on May 3rd so come and see us! We will have info on local issues and lots of stickers.
 
INFO
SEARCHING SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS OF IMMIGRANTS AND NEWCOMERS
The Trump Administration recently announced that they would be reviewing the social media accounts of all people applying for visas, long-term permanent residence, student visas or citizenship to examine their political views. ACLU of Illinois’s Ed Yohnka spoke to Block Club Chicago <https://blockclubchicago.org/2025/04/21/as-trump-moves-to-screen-immigrants-social-media-experts-warn-of-chilling-effect-on-free-speech/> about the harms of this program.  
 
TO STAY INFORMED AND TAKE ACTION WITH ACLU OF ILLINOIS, JOIN THE NEW COMMUNITY ACTIVATOR NETWORK HERE:  https://www.aclu-il.org/en/join-community-activator-netwwork
 
CONCERNED WHAT RIGHTS YOU HAVE TO INFORM PEOPLE ABOUT THEIR RIGHTS?
Info here:
https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/talking-to-people-about-their-rights
 
Thanks for supporting ACLU of Champaign County
 
And if you no longer want to receive these emails, email info at aclu-cu.org with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line.  
 
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