Press Releases

If you are a member of the media, please contact Rachel Fergus, Communications Associate at rfergus@aclu-mn.org. Join our press release list by sending your name, media outlet, email address and phone number to rfergus@aclu-mn.org with the subject line “Press Release List.”

Ramsey Kettle wins damages, policy changes after being deprived of basic human needs in Otter Tail County Jail

"While the court’s decision and this settlement cannot undo the unlawful torture Mr. Kettle endured, they have shone a light on Otter Tail County’s failure to respect the human rights of those in their custody."

Minnesota Civil Rights Groups, Two Minnesota Voters File Motion to Block DOJ from Seizing Voter Data 

The DOJ lawsuit is an unlawful attempt to force Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon to turn over extensive and protected Minnesota voter information to the federal government.

ACLU-MN Sues on Behalf of Man Injured, Rendered Unconscious by Law Enforcement

The lawsuit is filed on behalf of Kevin Wentz, an autistic man who was rendered unconscious and sustained a head wound as the result of excessive force from the Nicollet County Sheriff’s Department.  

Finalized: Lawsuit Filed on Behalf of Journalists Targeted by Law Enforcement While Covering Protests

The ACLU-MN and pro bono partners filed a lawsuit on behalf of journalists attacked by law enforcement while covering protests after the police murders of George Floyd and Daunte Wright. Now, after more than give years, the lawsuit is finalized.

Lawsuit continues on behalf of man denied food and water in Otter Tail County Jail

On August 15, the U.S. District Court of Minnesota ordered that the majority of claims brought by Mr. Kettle will go forward. This means we can continue to pursue justice for Mr. Kettle.

ACLU of Minnesota Responds to DOJ’s Withdrawal from Consent Decree Agreement with MPD

The consent decree was created in response to decades of racially biased, excessively violent policing in Minneapolis and was catalyzed by the murder of George Floyd. 

ACLU-MN, Co-Counsel File Habeas Petition on Behalf of Aditya Harsono

A federal habeas petition filed May 2 seeks the release of Aditya Harsono, a 34-year-old Minnesota resident and new father who was taken into ICE custody by plainclothes agents on March 27.

ACLU-MN Statement on Executive Orders Targeting Sanctuary Jurisdictions

President Donald Trump signed two new executive orders that would target sanctuary cities and direct law enforcement to pursue legal action against state or local officials accused of “obstructing criminal or immigration law enforcement.”

ACLU-MN Files a Lawsuit to End Book Bans in the St. Francis School District

The ACLU-MN and pro bono co-counsel filed a lawsuit in district court on behalf of N.D. and R.A., both are parents of children in the St. Francis Area School District. N.D. and R.A. are seeking to end the illegal banning of books from the district’s school libraries and classrooms.