November 6, 2024

The Associated Press today called the 2024 presidential election for Donald Trump. 

Carol Rose, Executive Director of the ACLU of Massachusetts, released the following statement in response

“A second Trump administration is a clear and present danger to our democratic norms, processes, and institutions. But our nation is stronger than one man or political party – no matter how determined they may be to upend our democracy. We, the people, are powerful together. 

“At the ACLU, we’re clear-eyed about the chaos and destruction a second Trump administration will cause for our nation. And we’re not new to this challenge: The ACLU filed 434 legal actions against the first Trump administration; just one week into it, we were the first organization to challenge his Muslim ban, bringing one of the initial court challenges right here in Massachusetts. Now, we believe Trump when he says he will target the ‘enemy within’ – political opponents, journalists, demonstrators, and everyday Americans. That’s why the ACLU has a blueprint to defend our rights beginning on Inauguration Day, and we’re more prepared than ever to build firewalls that safeguard rights and liberties across the nation. 

“Here in Massachusetts, we don’t have a moment to lose. We must immediately get to work building a firewall for freedom – to keep people in our state safe and free, to strengthen access to at-risk reproductive and gender-affirming health care, and to reduce surveillance that can be used to target and hurt people and communities in the president-elect's crosshairs. Together, we can protect our communities, and we will fight back against unprecedented attempts to restrict our rights, harm immigrants, set back racial justice, curtail freedom of speech and press, and more.”