A second Trump administration is a clear and present danger to our democratic norms, processes, and institutions. As the dust settles, we know we’ll find ourselves in a new era in our fight for civil liberties.
The ACLU has been here before. One week into Trump's first presidency, we were the first organization to challenge the Muslim ban. When the Trump administration sought to include a citizenship question on the 2020 census, the ACLU took that fight to the Supreme Court and won. And it was our litigation that stopped the inhumane practice of separating immigrant families at the border. In fact, the ACLU filed 434 legal actions against the first Trump administration's illegal actions – and we are prepared to fight again with the organization's full firepower.
But as we prepare to confront the threats of a second Trump presidency on a national level, we also understand how unsafe so many of us – especially immigrants, people of color, and LGBTQ+ and Two Spirit South Dakotans – are feeling right now.
The looming threats are real, but we are stronger than one president. It will be up to us to stand up for our neighbors, our friends, our families, and our communities here in South Dakota and to fight for the rights and freedoms guaranteed by our Constitution. And we will – we’re not going anywhere. No matter the challenge, our commitment to making the promise of democracy real for all South Dakotans has not wavered.
Thanks for sticking with us.