AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION OF MAINE FOUNDATION

PUBLIC EDUCATION - THE ACLU OF MAINE'S PUBLIC EDUCATION PROGRAM RAISES AWARENESS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CONSTITUTION, THE CONCEPTS THAT UNDERLIE ITS PROVISIONS, AND HOW ITS PROTECTIONS IMPACT THE DAILY LIVES OF ALL PEOPLE IN MAINE. WE SUPPORTED THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT'S WORK BY PUBLICIZING IMPORTANT LAWSUITS, AMICUS BRIEFS, AND OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS IN THE PRESS AND ON SOCIAL MEDIA, INCLUDING ROBBINS V. STATE OF MAINE, PASULA V. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, SMITH V. TRUMP, AND BARBARA V. TRUMP. WE ALSO RAISED AWARENESS ON ISSUES SUCH AS THE TREATMENT OF UNHOUSED RESIDENTS IN SEVERAL MUNICIPALITIES, STATE COOPERATION WITH IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT (ICE), TREATMENT OF TRANSGENDER STUDENTS IN SCHOOLS, AND MORE. ADDITIONALLY, WE CREATED NEW AND UPDATED EXISTING KNOW YOUR RIGHTS PRINT AND WEB-BASED MATERIALS COVERING MANY IMPORTANT TOPICS, INCLUDING VOTING, INTERACTING WITH ICE, INTERACTING WITH POLICE, PROTESTING, STUDENTS' RIGHTS AT SCHOOLS, TEACHERS' FREE SPEECH RIGHTS, AND MORE. THIS YEAR WE WORKED TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO THESE MATERIALS BY OFFERING MORE OF THEM IN A RANGE OF LANGUAGES THAT ARE SPOKEN IN MAINE. WE CONTINUED TO MAINTAIN OUR DASHBOARD THAT IS REGULARLY UPDATED TO SHOW HOW MANY PEOPLE IN MAINE ARE ACTIVELY BEING DENIED THEIR RIGHT TO COUNSEL, AS WELL AS LONG-TERM TRENDS. IN COMMUNITIES, THE ACLU OF MAINE TABLED AT MANY EVENTS TO ENGAGE DIRECTLY WITH MAINE PEOPLE, INCLUDING AT PRIDE FESTIVALS, PUBLIC TALKS, FILM SCREENINGS, INFORMATION SESSIONS (VIA ZOOM AND IN PERSON) AND MORE. THE ACLU OF MAINE INFORMED THE PUBLIC OF LEGISLATIVE DEVELOPMENTS AFFECTING CIVIL RIGHTS AND LIBERTIES AT THE STATE AND LOCAL LEVELS. NON-PARTISAN EDUCATION COVERED ISSUES RANGING FROM IMMIGRANTS' RIGHTS, INDIGENOUS RIGHTS, LGBTQ EQUALITY, CRIMINAL LEGAL REFORM, AND FREE SPEECH. THE ACLU OF MAINE REGULARLY WORKS WITH LOCAL, STATE, AND NATIONAL MEDIA TO INFORM JOURNALISTS AND THE BROADER PUBLIC OF OUR WORK AND HOW THEY CAN GET ENGAGED.