Our mandate

The mission of the ACLU is to ensure that the Bill of Rights is preserved for each new generation. To understand the mission, it is important to distinguish between the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The Constitution authorizes the government to act. The Bill of Rights, suggested by Thomas Jefferson, was adopted to control against unwarranted government control.

The ACLU-Houston works to support the principles of our Founding Fathers. Various revent community efforts have included:

• stopping forced prayer at high school football games

• accompanying immigrants to Patriot Act interrogations

• forcing the city and county to improve the treatment of prisoners

• allowing gay students to attend and participate in school functions

• curtailing the abusive power of judges

• lobbying for local and state civil rights legislation

• fighting police misconduct

• protecting political free speech against local governments

• combatting the harassment of minority voters

• ensuring your right to read and your freedom of expression

• death penalty and prison reform

Join us in helping protect your civil liberties.