News & Commentary

"They existed. They existed. We can be. Be and be better. For they existed." – Maya Angelou

Unclear regulation and a lack of transparency increase the risk that AI and algorithmic tools that exacerbate racial biases will be used in medical settings.

The administration claimed significant progress in its report and presentation to the United Nations, but true progress has been sluggish.

The ACLU of Montana reemphasizes the importance of celebrating, elevating, and empowering Black Montanans.

As we celebrate Juneteenth, let’s remember exactly what we are celebrating, and why.

Ana Suda and Martha “Mimi” Hernandez, two American citizens detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for speaking Spanish while shopping at a local convenience store in Havre, Montana, have reached a settlement in their lawsuit against the Trump administration. Their lawsuit brought to light systemic racism on the northern border.

***UPDATE: A Missoulian article from June 12 includes some of the young man's experience, addressing the June 6th story that did not include the harrassment and fear that this young man endured when being chased down by armed people and handcuffed by police.***“Police have a duty to protect the right of people to protest. At the Missoula protest for Black Lives on June 5, the police failed in that duty. Seemingly taking the law into their own hands, armed men chased down and detained a Black protester and held him until police arrived.  In Missoula, at a protest for Black lives, a young Black person was not safe from harassment and harm. Where were the police to protect him? Did the police question or detain the armed men for their actions?  What occurred on Friday is just one example of many we are seeing across the country -- due to racism and white supremacy, Black people are not safe in this country. Missoula is not immune to the disease of racism and white supremacy. We must do better.”  Zuri Moreno, Policy Associate, ACLU of MontanaThe Missoulian published an inaccurate account of the incident in their paper on June 6. This is part of the problem. Below is this young man’s account in his own words. For safety reasons, the individual has chosen to remain anonymous. Read on:“On Friday I attended the BLM Missoula protest at the courthouse. A militia group noticed my face was covered, decided that I was suspicious and began to follow me. When I was at the protest, I took a video of them talking about the mask I was wearing and I felt threatened. Two people at the protest checked in with me to make sure that I was ok. I told them that I felt like I needed to get out of there because I felt threatened.I biked off as the militia group began to follow me. They were following me on foot and in trucks. I turned around thinking I lost them and I was cornered in the street, so I moved towards an alleyway adjacent to the court house. I said hi to an armed guy who was waiting there for me and he signaled to his group. Then I was circled by the militia who were all armed with firearms.They knocked me off my bike hard enough for my phone to fall while I was recording them and “detained” me. The militia refused to let me go unless I showed my identity. But, I refused to show them my identity because I felt like this is what happened to Ahmaud Arbery and I was afraid they were going to kill me.Thankfully I am still alive to tell you about this. They told me they were a protective group fighting off bad guys, but I was a protestor so I didn’t understand why they were chasing me. I still refused to show my face so they could take a picture because I was afraid for my life. They could see my hands and knew I was African American, but they wanted to see my face and take a picture of me. When I refused to show my face they didn’t like that so they moved in on me. I waited for a gap in the gang and took off running as fast as I could. I made it onto the court house yard while they chased after me. I was tripped and fell to the ground and they piled on top of me. One of them said, “Put your hands behind your back or we’re breaking your fucking fingers”. Law enforcement showed up, got them off of me and put me in handcuffs.

Indigenous students face highest disparities in out-of-school suspensions and arrests.According to a new ACLU of Montana report, students in Montana lost more than 18,000 days of school during the 2015-2016 school year because of out-of-school suspensions. During the same school year, students were referred to law enforcement agencies from school or a school-related function 1,121 times and were arrested at school or a school-related function 326 times. Students of all ages – including elementary school children – were suspended, referred to law enforcement, and arrested. “Education is a civil right, and all students must be given equitable opportunities to learn,” said Caitlin Borgmann, ACLU of Montana Executive Director. “The data is extremely troubling and shows too many students in Montana being denied this fundamental right.” Indigenous students faced the highest disparities: they lost nearly six times the rate of instruction and were arrested more than six times as often as their white peers. The ten schools with the highest rate of days lost because of suspensions were located either on a reservation or in a town bordering a reservation. Indigenous students in urban areas also experienced disparities in days lost. Indigenous female students had the highest school-related arrest rates among all students -- they were arrested at 12 times the rate of white female students. Public schools on reservations were more likely to have a law enforcement officer (LEO) at school. Montana’s use of exclusionary discipline and police in schools is especially harmful to Indigenous students because of the legacy of colonization, historical trauma, and overincarceration of Indigenous people.“Indigenous students bear the brunt of Montana’s failure to provide an education to all students,” Borgmann said. “Montana has failed to adequately address the harms of its colonialist legacy. Indigenous people in Montana remain disproportionately impoverished and imprisoned. Denying Indigenous students their right to an education only serves to perpetuate this unconscionable legacy.”Students of color and students with disabilities also experienced disparities in days lost, referrals, and arrests. Black students were referred to law enforcement at a higher rate than any other race and lost nearly three times as many days of instruction as white students. Latinx students lost 1.5 times the rate of days as white students. Students with disabilities lost twice the rate of instruction and were arrested twice as often as students without disabilities. Other main findings of the report include: 

We’re suing CBP for violating our rights as U.S. citizens.