{"id":218727,"date":"2026-01-14T22:23:28","date_gmt":"2026-01-15T03:23:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aclu.org\/?post_type=campaign&p=218727"},"modified":"2026-01-20T12:32:51","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T17:32:51","slug":"aclu-vs-trump","status":"publish","type":"campaign","link":"https:\/\/www.aclu.org\/campaigns-initiatives\/aclu-vs-trump","title":{"rendered":"Defeat, Delay, Dilute: ACLU Versus President Trump"},"menu_order":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-218727","campaign","type-campaign","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":{"page_type":"campaign","color_scheme":"light","hide_on_campaigns_landing_page":false,"hero_image":220495,"mobile_hero_image":220494,"hero_video":220521,"hide_mute_button":"","description_header":"","description_text":"One year ago, President Donald Trump was sworn in for a second term. His administration has created chaos, trampled on our rights, and harmed so many of us. But the ACLU has been fighting back \u2014 and winning. Now, we're telling the story of the first year of our fight against the Trump administration\u2019s second term, our lessons learned, and our path forward.\r\n\r\nWe were prepared for this fight from day one. <\/b>\r\n\r\nBefore President Trump was elected, we examined his campaign promises \u2014 including those outlined in Project 2025<\/a> \u2014 and outlined a plan for how we would fight to protect the rights and liberties of all people<\/a>. We spent months plotting out our litigation and advocacy strategy across the country, building a plan to ensure that cities and states would be a Firewall for Freedom<\/a> \u2014 a shield defending against a federal government attacking civil rights and civil liberties.\r\n\r\nWithin hours of President Trump's inauguration, it was clear that he and his administration would, once again, test the Constitution and the willingness of our nation\u2019s institutions and people to defend it. But we were ready. The ACLU mobilized our lawyers, advocates, organizers, storytellers, and supporters to delay <\/b>unconstitutional policies before they took effect, dilute <\/b>their reach when full blockage wasn\u2019t immediately possible, and defeat <\/b>them through courts, public pressure, and sustained organizing. In 2025, we took over 230 legal actions against the Trump administration, with remarkable success: 64% of our lawsuits have delayed, diluted, or defeated the Trump administration\u2019s agenda. <\/b>\r\n\r\nBut despite everything we\u2019ve accomplished so far, we cannot underestimate the continued speed and ferocity of this assault on civil rights and civil liberties or the impact it will continue to have on us all. And as we enter 2026, the stakes feel as high as ever.\r\n\r\nThat\u2019s why the ACLU is releasing a report about the first year of the Trump administration, highlighting key lessons learned and laying out our roadmap for the years to come. You can download the full report here: Defeat, Delay, Dilute: ACLU Versus President Trump<\/i><\/a>\r\n\r\nWhat the ACLU does over the next three years and how well we do it will play a role in shaping the course of American history. Because democracy doesn\u2019t defend itself \u2013 people do. And together, we will keep showing<\/b> up.\r\n\r\nRead a letter from our Executive Director Anthony D. Romero here.<\/a>","cta_type":"custom_cta","email_cta_header":"","email_cta_text":"","custom_cta_header":"Portraits of Protest","custom_cta_text":"Over the first year of President Trump's second term, our communities were under attack. Yet in the face of cruelty, the people came together like never before.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nWe're celebrating the people who give us all hope and inspire us to do more. And we want to hear from you. Whose activism in the past year has inspired you?","cta_button_text":"Share Your Story","cta_button_link":"https:\/\/action.aclu.org\/webform\/portraits-protest-share-your-story","secondary_cta_text":"Read the Report","secondary_cta_link":"https:\/\/www.aclu.org\/publications\/defeat-delay-dilute-aclu-versus-president-trump","fast_facts_title":"Fast Facts: the ACLU v. Trump","fast_facts":[{"fact_icon":"","fact_header":"239","fact_text":"Legal actions taken by the ACLU against the Trump Administration \u2014 including lawsuits, records requests, amicus briefs, and agency complaints"},{"fact_icon":"","fact_header":"64%","fact_text":"Success of ACLU lawsuits in delaying, diluting, or defeating the Trump agenda"},{"fact_icon":"","fact_header":"51","fact_text":"State laws passed to protect and expand civil liberties and civil rights in the states are part of the ACLU's Firewall for Freedom"}],"components":[{"acf_fc_layout":"heading","heading":{"":null,"text":"Portraits of Protest","anchor":"portraits-of-protest","sub-heading":"","type":"h2","heading-style":"standard"}},{"acf_fc_layout":"image-video-collection","image-video-collection":{"":null,"title":"","description":"","images-videos":[{"title":"","media-type":"youtube","image":null,"video":null,"oembed-url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lY_ep90jITA","cover-image":220644,"credit":"","caption":"","description":"","link-url":"","lightbox":true,"social-share-text":"","social-share-link":""},{"title":"","media-type":"youtube","image":null,"video":null,"oembed-url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=_RaRtWKlq5A","cover-image":220825,"credit":"","caption":"","description":"","link-url":"","lightbox":true,"social-share-text":"","social-share-link":""},{"title":"","media-type":"youtube","image":null,"video":null,"oembed-url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Z_4ipdhDOvA","cover-image":220826,"credit":"","caption":"","description":"","link-url":"","lightbox":true,"social-share-text":"","social-share-link":""},{"title":"","media-type":"youtube","image":null,"video":null,"oembed-url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ON-ZaXITRIU","cover-image":220833,"credit":"","caption":"","description":"","link-url":"","lightbox":true,"social-share-text":"","social-share-link":""},{"title":"","media-type":"youtube","image":null,"video":null,"oembed-url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=8nReiJHWJv0","cover-image":220836,"credit":"","caption":"","description":"","link-url":"","lightbox":true,"social-share-text":"","social-share-link":""}],"display-type":"carousel","images-per-row":3,"grid-type":"masonry","crop-size":"square","display-text":false}},{"acf_fc_layout":"heading","heading":{"":null,"text":"Safeguarding Free Speech","anchor":"safeguarding-free-speech","sub-heading":"","type":"h2","heading-style":"mark"}},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":{"text":"The Trump administration is openly trying to suppress First Amendment rights and silence opposition through deliberate and unconstitutional intimidation tactics. As the nation's premier defender of free speech and dissent, the ACLU is fighting back.\r\n\r\nWhen the Trump administration sought to detain and deport students and scholars to silence speech in support of Palestinian rights, the ACLU and our partners acted swiftly and were able to help secure the release of Mahmoud Khalil, R\u00fcmeysa \u00d6zt\u00fcrk, Mohsen Mahdawi, and Dr. Badar Khan Suri. When the administration bullied ABC into suspending Jimmy Kimmel, we mobilized nearly 500 artists and entertainers and 53,000 Americans to protect free speech \u2014 and Kimmel was back on air within hours. And when federal agents and National Guard troops were deployed to cities to go after immigrant communities and protestors, we took legal action, organized our supporters, and brought veterans like Tom Alonzo to Capitol Hill to make their opposition known. Thanks in part to sustained public outcry, President Trump announced on New Year's Eve that he was pulling National Guard troops from Los Angeles, Chicago, and Portland."}},{"acf_fc_layout":"shared-expandable-card","shared-expandable-card":{"":null,"title":"Portraits of Protest \u2014 Mohsen Mahdawi","description":"When Mohsen Mahdawi went to his naturalization interview, he believed he was close to becoming an American citizen. Instead, he was arrested and detained for more than two weeks in retaliation for his constitutionally protected speech supporting Palestinian rights. But he refused to be intimidated. \"Because we have a strong belief in the Constitution,\" Mohsen said, \"there is no fear that can shake us.\"","content":"Mohsen's case \u2014 and the cases of all the students and scholars detained by the Trump administration for their Constitutionally-protected speech \u2014 strikes at the heart of First Amendment protections: The government cannot punish people for expressing viewpoints it disagrees with. Working with state affiliates and legal partners, we secured the release of Mohsen and his fellow students and scholars, ensuring they are free and protected from immediate deportation while we continue to fight their cases in court.\r\n\r\nMohsen's message to President Trump and his administration is simple: He is not afraid of them. \"I will continue to build community,\" Mohsen told us. \"I'll continue to march in the streets. And I will continue to not be afraid.\"","link":"","link_button_text":"","image":220507,"width":"full"}},{"acf_fc_layout":"shared-expandable-card","shared-expandable-card":{"":null,"title":"Portraits of Protest \u2014 Tom Alonzo","description":"Tom Alonzo is an Air Force veteran and LGBTQ+ advocate in Kansas. After President Trump was sworn in for his second term, Tom watched the politicization of our troops, their deployment into American cities, and the treatment of transgender military service members with increasing concern. So, he joined the ACLU and his fellow veterans in October to bring a message to Congress: \"Our federal troops do not belong in the streets. They do not belong policing civilians.\"","content":"As the Trump administration continued its efforts to sow fear and consolidate their power by deploying federal agents and National Guard troops to cities across the country, the ACLU and our affiliates responded with a coordinated strategy combining litigation with organizing, advocacy, and public pressure. Over 400,000 ACLU supporters nationwide took action with us to challenge the administration's deployments. More than 80,000 people joined us for Know Your Rights trainings to learn about their legal protections and prepare for protests. And we brought Tom and his fellow veterans from across the country to Capitol Hill to meet with more than 40 congressional offices, sharing their stories to urge Congress to stop President Trump's militarization of American cities.\r\n\r\nTom knows that this fight can be discouraging at times. \"I\u2019m just a person that loves his state in spite of the people that run it don\u2019t love all of us,\" he told us. And yet, he believes that every person has a role to play in the fight to defend our civil rights and civil liberties. \"We\u2019re capable of greatness and we\u2019re capable of compassion.\"","link":"","link_button_text":"","image":220513,"width":"full"}},{"acf_fc_layout":"heading","heading":{"":null,"text":"Protecting Immigrants' Rights","anchor":"protecting-immigrants-rights","sub-heading":"","type":"h2","heading-style":"mark"}},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":{"text":"On his very first day back in office, President Trump began to issue executive orders aimed at dismantling immigrants' rights and due process, striking simultaneously at birthright citizenship, asylum, and any semblance of fairness in the deportation process. The ACLU immediately sprang into action. Last year, we filed 106 lawsuits to protect immigrants' rights, with a 69% success rate in delaying, diluting, or defeating Trump's immigration agenda. <\/b>We also rallied our allies in Congress to stand firm against the administration's efforts.\r\n\r\nWe also worked to educate our community about their rights \u2014 and how to protect the rights of others. Over 84,000 people attended ACLU-led Know Your Rights trainings, preparing them for protest activations and what to do if confronted by ICE in their own communities.<\/b>"}},{"acf_fc_layout":"shared-expandable-card","shared-expandable-card":{"":null,"title":"Portraits of Protest \u2014 Maribel Hern\u00e1ndez Rivera ","description":"Maribel Hern\u00e1ndez Rivera, the National Director of Immigrant Community Strategies at the ACLU, knows firsthand what it feels like to think that you could be deported at any time. Maribel came to the United States as a thirteen-year-old and was undocumented. \"I thought that at any point they could take me away and nobody would care,\" she said. \"So it's really important that people know that the Constitution protects all of us, whether we are citizens or not; documented or undocumented.\"","content":"That experience as an undocumented child inspired Maribel to help her community. Today, Maribel leads the Know Your Rights work at the ACLU, empowering others with the knowledge to protect and defend their rights and the rights of others. As she says, \"One of the best ways to defend our rights is by exercising our rights.\"\r\n\r\nOver 84,000 people attended ACLU-led Know Your Rights trainings, and the ACLU and our affiliates have distributed millions of Know Your Rights cards. And for those who are afraid to speak up because they are vulnerable, Maribel has a message: \"I want them to know that we got them.\"","link":"","link_button_text":"","image":220514,"width":"full"}},{"acf_fc_layout":"heading","heading":{"":null,"text":"Defending Equal Protection Under the Law","anchor":"defending-equal-protection","sub-heading":"","type":"h2","heading-style":"mark"}},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":{"text":"The Trump administration has censored academic discussions about race and gender, abandoned civil rights enforcement on behalf of historically marginalized groups, and used funding cuts and sweeping purges of federal grants to impose an ideological agenda. And on his very first day back in office, President Trump launched a ruthless agenda attacking transgender people.\r\n\r\nThe ACLU is fighting to ensure the promise of equal justice is a guaranteed reality, not a selective privilege. When President Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to withhold funds from medical providers and institutions that provide gender-affirming medical treatments to anyone under 19 years old, we challenged and blocked the order in court. When President Trump signed an executive order directing the State and Homeland Security Departments to require identification documents, such as passports and visas, to reflect sex assigned at birth, we filed a lawsuit alongside our partners and clients \u2014 including Zaya Perysian \u2014 to challenge the order. And we will continue fighting to protect the freedom of all people to live authentically."}},{"acf_fc_layout":"shared-expandable-card","shared-expandable-card":{"":null,"title":"Portraits of Protest \u2014 Zaya Perysian","description":"Zaya Perysian never expected to have to fight the federal government just to be recognized as herself. But when President Trump signed an executive order denying transgender people accurate identification documents, she joined the ACLU and sued the Trump administration. As Zaya says: \"The Trump administration does not have absolute power like they pretend to have.\"","content":"Thanks to our lawsuit, we initially secured nationwide relief that allowed many transgender and intersex people to access accurate passports. But in a heartbreaking setback, the Supreme Court later stayed the injunction, permitting enforcement of the policy. We will continue fighting as this case returns to the lower courts.\r\n\r\nAnd Zaya won\u2019t stop fighting either. \"One of the strongest forms of resistance is existing,\" she told us. \"I'm going to exist. I'm going to be a diva. I'm going to be a doll.\" And she will continue to be a voice for her community.","link":"","link_button_text":"","image":220516,"width":"full"}},{"acf_fc_layout":"heading","heading":{"":null,"text":"Building Power","anchor":"building-power","sub-heading":"","type":"h2","heading-style":"mark"}},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":{"text":"To confront this administration's aggressive agenda, we're organizing at every level \u2014 partnering with allies nationwide and working with our state affiliates to defend civil liberties and civil rights. And we are not in this fight alone. We are joined by a growing community of activists and volunteers like Suzanne Potts who believe our collective power can turn the tide.\r\n\r\nIn 2025, the ACLU played a key role in building the national infrastructure for protest by establishing shared standards for safety and nonviolence and equipping protesters with the tools and confidence to safely, peacefully, and joyfully exercise their First Amendment rights. In June, we co\u2011sponsored the nationwide No Kings protests with Indivisible and a broad coalition of labor, environmental, and human rights organizations. More than five million people rallied at over 2,100 events. By October, the No Kings rallies grew even larger, peacefully bringing together over seven million people across 2,700 events. It was one of the largest single-day political protests in U.S. history, a resounding affirmation that no one is above the Constitution."}},{"acf_fc_layout":"shared-expandable-card","shared-expandable-card":{"":null,"title":"Portraits of Protest \u2014 Suzanne Potts","description":"Just 20 people attended Suzanne Potts' first protest in 2025. That movement grew to 300 people. Then 2,500 people. By the time of the October No Kings protest, Suzanne and her Savannah Indivisible co-chair, Suzanne Moccia, had organized a rally with over 5,000 people in Savannah, Georgia. \"One person can make a difference,\" Suzanne said. \"It\u2019s scarier when you're not doing anything. Taking action will alleviate some of that fear. This is our North Star.\"","content":"The Trump administration thrives on fear, silence, and divisiveness. But these moments of collective resistance shift the balance of power back to the people. \"We must assert our First Amendment rights to show that fear will not win,\" Suzanne told us. \"We need to be out there, shouting and screaming, letting people know that we will not be silenced.\"\r\n\r\nWhile dedicated organizers like Suzanne made the historic protests in 2025 possible, they didn\u2019t do it alone. Suzanne credits the work of Savannah Indivisible's steering committee, their volunteers, and the coalitions of local and national organizations that have come together to make these protests possible: \"We were able to take risks and think a little bigger. That was solely because of the partnership with the ACLU.\"","link":"","link_button_text":"","image":220515,"width":"full"}}],"featured_cases_section":{"enable_featured_cases":false,"title":"Featured Cases","description":"","featured_cases":null},"enable_related_content":true,"related_content_campaigns":[220563,220524,220592,214526],"issues":[46479,46529,46781,46567]},"yoast_head":"\nAmerican Civil Liberties Union<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"One year ago, President Donald Trump was sworn in for a second term. His administration has created chaos, trampled on our rights, and harmed so many of us. But the ACLU has been fighting back \u2014 and winning. Now, we're telling the story of the first year of our fight against the Trump administration\u2019s second term, our lessons learned, and our path forward. We were prepared for this fight from day one. Before President Trump was elected, we examined his campaign promises \u2014 including those outlined in Project 2025 \u2014 and outlined a plan for how we would fight to protect the rights and liberties of all people. We spent months plotting out our litigation and advocacy strategy across the country, building a plan to ensure that cities and states would be a Firewall for Freedom \u2014 a shield defending against a federal government attacking civil rights and civil liberties. Within hours of President Trump's inauguration, it was clear that he and his administration would, once again, test the Constitution and the willingness of our nation\u2019s institutions and people to defend it. But we were ready. The ACLU mobilized our lawyers, advocates, organizers, storytellers, and supporters to delay unconstitutional policies before they took effect, dilute their reach when full blockage wasn\u2019t immediately possible, and defeat them through courts, public pressure, and sustained organizing. In 2025, we took over 230 legal actions against the Trump administration, with remarkable success: 64% of our lawsuits have delayed, diluted, or defeated the Trump administration\u2019s agenda. But despite everything we\u2019ve accomplished so far, we cannot underestimate the continued speed and ferocity of this assault on civil rights and civil liberties or the impact it will continue to have on us all. And as we enter 2026, the stakes feel as high as ever. That\u2019s why the ACLU is releasing a report about the first year of the Trump administration, highlighting key lessons learned and laying out our roadmap for the years to come. You can download the full report here: Defeat, Delay, Dilute: ACLU Versus President Trump What the ACLU does over the next three years and how well we do it will play a role in shaping the course of American history. Because democracy doesn\u2019t defend itself \u2013 people do. And together, we will keep showing up. Read a letter from our Executive Director Anthony D. Romero here.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Defeat, Delay, Dilute: ACLU Versus President Trump\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"One year ago, President Donald Trump was sworn in for a second term. His administration has created chaos, trampled on our rights, and harmed so many of us. But the ACLU has been fighting back \u2014 and winning. Now, we're telling the story of the first year of our fight against the Trump administration\u2019s second term, our lessons learned, and our path forward. We were prepared for this fight from day one. Before President Trump was elected, we examined his campaign promises \u2014 including those outlined in Project 2025 \u2014 and outlined a plan for how we would fight to protect the rights and liberties of all people. We spent months plotting out our litigation and advocacy strategy across the country, building a plan to ensure that cities and states would be a Firewall for Freedom \u2014 a shield defending against a federal government attacking civil rights and civil liberties. Within hours of President Trump's inauguration, it was clear that he and his administration would, once again, test the Constitution and the willingness of our nation\u2019s institutions and people to defend it. But we were ready. The ACLU mobilized our lawyers, advocates, organizers, storytellers, and supporters to delay unconstitutional policies before they took effect, dilute their reach when full blockage wasn\u2019t immediately possible, and defeat them through courts, public pressure, and sustained organizing. In 2025, we took over 230 legal actions against the Trump administration, with remarkable success: 64% of our lawsuits have delayed, diluted, or defeated the Trump administration\u2019s agenda. But despite everything we\u2019ve accomplished so far, we cannot underestimate the continued speed and ferocity of this assault on civil rights and civil liberties or the impact it will continue to have on us all. And as we enter 2026, the stakes feel as high as ever. That\u2019s why the ACLU is releasing a report about the first year of the Trump administration, highlighting key lessons learned and laying out our roadmap for the years to come. You can download the full report here: Defeat, Delay, Dilute: ACLU Versus President Trump What the ACLU does over the next three years and how well we do it will play a role in shaping the course of American history. Because democracy doesn\u2019t defend itself \u2013 people do. And together, we will keep showing up. Read a letter from our Executive Director Anthony D. Romero here.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.aclu.org\/campaigns-initiatives\/aclu-vs-trump\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"American Civil Liberties Union\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-20T17:32:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/assets.aclu.org\/live\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Social-meta-image_-1200-by-628.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"628\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Defeat, Delay, Dilute: ACLU Versus President Trump\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"The ACLU is telling the story of the first year of our fight against the Trump administration\u2019s second term, our lessons learned, and our path forward.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/assets.aclu.org\/live\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Social-meta-image_-1200-by-628.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@aclu\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aclu.org\/campaigns-initiatives\/aclu-vs-trump\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.aclu.org\/campaigns-initiatives\/aclu-vs-trump\",\"name\":\"Defeat, Delay, Dilute: ACLU Versus President Trump | American Civil Liberties Union\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aclu.org\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2026-01-15T03:23:28+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-20T17:32:51+00:00\",\"description\":\"One year ago, President Donald Trump was sworn in for a second term. 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We spent months plotting out our litigation and advocacy strategy across the country, building a plan to ensure that cities and states would be a Firewall for Freedom \u2014 a shield defending against a federal government attacking civil rights and civil liberties. Within hours of President Trump's inauguration, it was clear that he and his administration would, once again, test the Constitution and the willingness of our nation\u2019s institutions and people to defend it. But we were ready. The ACLU mobilized our lawyers, advocates, organizers, storytellers, and supporters to delay unconstitutional policies before they took effect, dilute their reach when full blockage wasn\u2019t immediately possible, and defeat them through courts, public pressure, and sustained organizing. In 2025, we took over 230 legal actions against the Trump administration, with remarkable success: 64% of our lawsuits have delayed, diluted, or defeated the Trump administration\u2019s agenda. But despite everything we\u2019ve accomplished so far, we cannot underestimate the continued speed and ferocity of this assault on civil rights and civil liberties or the impact it will continue to have on us all. And as we enter 2026, the stakes feel as high as ever. That\u2019s why the ACLU is releasing a report about the first year of the Trump administration, highlighting key lessons learned and laying out our roadmap for the years to come. You can download the full report here: Defeat, Delay, Dilute: ACLU Versus President Trump What the ACLU does over the next three years and how well we do it will play a role in shaping the course of American history. Because democracy doesn\u2019t defend itself \u2013 people do. And together, we will keep showing up. Read a letter from our Executive Director Anthony D. Romero here.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Defeat, Delay, Dilute: ACLU Versus President Trump","og_description":"One year ago, President Donald Trump was sworn in for a second term. His administration has created chaos, trampled on our rights, and harmed so many of us. But the ACLU has been fighting back \u2014 and winning. Now, we're telling the story of the first year of our fight against the Trump administration\u2019s second term, our lessons learned, and our path forward. We were prepared for this fight from day one. Before President Trump was elected, we examined his campaign promises \u2014 including those outlined in Project 2025 \u2014 and outlined a plan for how we would fight to protect the rights and liberties of all people. We spent months plotting out our litigation and advocacy strategy across the country, building a plan to ensure that cities and states would be a Firewall for Freedom \u2014 a shield defending against a federal government attacking civil rights and civil liberties. Within hours of President Trump's inauguration, it was clear that he and his administration would, once again, test the Constitution and the willingness of our nation\u2019s institutions and people to defend it. But we were ready. The ACLU mobilized our lawyers, advocates, organizers, storytellers, and supporters to delay unconstitutional policies before they took effect, dilute their reach when full blockage wasn\u2019t immediately possible, and defeat them through courts, public pressure, and sustained organizing. In 2025, we took over 230 legal actions against the Trump administration, with remarkable success: 64% of our lawsuits have delayed, diluted, or defeated the Trump administration\u2019s agenda. But despite everything we\u2019ve accomplished so far, we cannot underestimate the continued speed and ferocity of this assault on civil rights and civil liberties or the impact it will continue to have on us all. And as we enter 2026, the stakes feel as high as ever. That\u2019s why the ACLU is releasing a report about the first year of the Trump administration, highlighting key lessons learned and laying out our roadmap for the years to come. You can download the full report here: Defeat, Delay, Dilute: ACLU Versus President Trump What the ACLU does over the next three years and how well we do it will play a role in shaping the course of American history. Because democracy doesn\u2019t defend itself \u2013 people do. And together, we will keep showing up. Read a letter from our Executive Director Anthony D. Romero here.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.aclu.org\/campaigns-initiatives\/aclu-vs-trump","og_site_name":"American Civil Liberties Union","article_modified_time":"2026-01-20T17:32:51+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":628,"url":"https:\/\/assets.aclu.org\/live\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Social-meta-image_-1200-by-628.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_title":"Defeat, Delay, Dilute: ACLU Versus President Trump","twitter_description":"The ACLU is telling the story of the first year of our fight against the Trump administration\u2019s second term, our lessons learned, and our path forward.","twitter_image":"https:\/\/assets.aclu.org\/live\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Social-meta-image_-1200-by-628.jpg","twitter_site":"@aclu","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.aclu.org\/campaigns-initiatives\/aclu-vs-trump","url":"https:\/\/www.aclu.org\/campaigns-initiatives\/aclu-vs-trump","name":"Defeat, Delay, Dilute: ACLU Versus President Trump | American Civil Liberties Union","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.aclu.org\/#website"},"datePublished":"2026-01-15T03:23:28+00:00","dateModified":"2026-01-20T17:32:51+00:00","description":"One year ago, President Donald Trump was sworn in for a second term. 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