American Civil Liberties Union of San Diego and Imperial Counties (ACLU-SDIC), is an affiliate of the social liberal and immigration expansionist group ACLU that conducts litigation, advocacy and outreach focused on Southern California’s San Diego County and Imperial County. ¹ The two counties both border Mexico, prompting ACLU-SDIC to take particular focus on efforts to expand rights for illegal immigrants while making enforcement of immigration laws and border protections more difficult. ²

Once focused on upholding the United States Constitution through litigation, ACLU-SDIC has moved towards advocacy and outreach to promote defunding the police, voting by former felons, substantially and government-promoted equality of outcome. ³

History

Founded as a chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, ACLU-San Diego (ACLU-SD) became an independent affiliate in 1933, and later expanded its area to include Imperial County, California in 2018 and is now known as ACLU-SDIC. ⁴

Organizationally ACLU-SDIC is an affiliate of the ACLU along with ACLU of Northern California and ACLU Foundation of Southern California. The groups frequently act together under the “ACLU-California” banner particularly when lobbying. ⁵

Critics of the organization have alleged that it has historically maintained ties to Communism. In 1943 a report of the California Senate Fact-Finding Subcommittee on Un-American Activities stated: “The American Civil Liberties Union may be definitely classed as a Communist front or ‘transmission belt’ organization. At least 90% of its efforts are expended on behalf of Communists who come into conflict with the law.” ⁶

Litigation

In 2013 ACLU-SDIC sued to stop immigration officials from forcing illegal immigrants to sign a “voluntary return” form allowing removal from the country without appearing before a judge. A settlement was reached allowing those removed under the practice to return to the United States and forced implementation of changes designed to make removal more difficult in the future. ⁷

In conjunction with the League of Women Voters of California and All of Us or None, and several other organizations filed suit charging the California Secretary of State with violation of state law when released prisoners under supervision were prevented from voting. The suit was abandoned after the election of a new Secretary of State who withdrew the directive. ⁸

Advocacy

Joining with sister affiliates ACLU of Southern California and ACLU Northern California under the ACLU California umbrella, ACLU-SDIC advocated for a state constitutional amendment to allow felons on parole to vote which passed both the State House and State Senate in the 2019 legislative session, placing it on the ballot for the November 2020 election. ^{9 10}

Education and Organizing

The ACLU-SDIC has formed Youth Activists for Change, a program in which students are taught to advocate for liberal immigration, equal racial outcomes, LGBT interests, students’ rights, and civic engagement. Initiatives supported include de-criminalizing adolescent behavior by stopping incarceration for certain offenses, stopping school expulsions for defiance, and support of granting legal status to children of illegal immigrants. ¹¹

The ACLU-SDIC has formed ACLU-NextGen as an outreach to younger members designed to garner support from a new demographic. ¹²

Current Activities

In the first half of 2020 ACLU-SDIC and its charitable affiliate, ACLU Foundation of San Diego and Imperial Counties, have filed multiple complaints with the Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General claiming verbal abuse of illegal immigrants held in custody; saw the California Supreme Court reject a lawsuit attempting to halt the transfer of inmates from state and county jails to ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) detention centers due to risk from COVID-19; and filed for a preliminary injunction to reduce the number of illegal immigrants held at the Imperial Regional Detention Facility. ^{13 14}

In response to riots and protests following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody, ACLU-SDIC initiated a program to gather police abuse claimants while offering legal help for them and issued a left-progressive statement of solidarity with the black community and in opposition to police tactics. ^{15 16}

Facebook posts indicate the group taking positions including defunding the San Diego police, opposing a Supreme Court ruling exempting religious schools from certain employment regulations, favoring equal outcomes in education, removing police from schools, and opposing a border wall. ¹⁷

Tweets indicate opposition to the Supreme Court’s ruling that employers may deny birth control coverage based on religious or moral objection and supporting ending traffic stops of ethnic minorities. ¹⁸

Leadership

Leadership is provided via two separate boards for the lobbying arm ACLU-SDIC and the charitable arm ACLUF-SDIC. The organizations operate with a single management structured with divisions for executive/administration; advocacy; communications; development; and legal. ¹⁹

Executive director Norma Chavez-Peterson was formerly executive director of Justice Overcoming Boundaries, a left-of-center organization seeking substantial reduction in immigration enforcement prior to joining ACLU-SDIC. She is a member of the boards of Partners For Progress, a left-of-center organization seeking to create a bi-national region of Southern California and northern Mexico, and Engage San Diego, a partnership of fifteen organizations including Planned Parenthood and ACLU-SDIC. ^{20 21 22 23}

David Trujillo, advocacy director, worked previously as Planned Parenthood Northern California’s public affairs director. ²⁴

Communications director, Cheryl Alethia Phelps, is also board member for California Humanities. ²⁵

Amy Corton, director of donor relations, had worked at Project Concern International, an organization that seeks to improve health and end hunger in developing countries, and was treasurer and president of the board of Planned Parenthood of San Diego and Riverside Counties. ^{26 27}

Jeff Chin, board president of ACLU-SDIC, is director of career services at Thomas Jefferson School of Law. ²⁸

Financials

Revenue in 2017 totaled $1,601,544 of which $877,773 was sourced from contributions and grants and $723,316 from program service revenue. Expenses were $902,673 of which salaries and employee compensation totaled $250,468. ²⁹

Assets at the close of the year were $1,523,632 less liabilities of $74,379 leaving $1,449,253 in net assets. ³⁰

Outside services expenses totaled $350,546 ³¹

ACLU-SDIC and ACLUF-SDIC share costs in varying formulas that pay management a small portion of their compensation from ACLU-SDIC and the bulk from ACLUF-SDIC.

1. “Mission, Vision, Values.” ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties, May 9, 2018. https://www.aclusandiego.org/about-us/mission/.
2. “Immigrant Rights.” ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties. Accessed July 30, 2020. https://www.aclusandiego.org/immigrant-rights/.
3. “ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties.” Facebook. Accessed August 6, 2020. https://www.facebook.com/sdaclu/.
4. “Board and Staff Information.” ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties, May 6, 2020. https://www.aclusandiego.org/about-us/board-and-staff-information/.
5. Francisco, Headquartered in San, Headquartered in San Diego, and Headquartered in Los Angeles. ACLU of California, November 23, 2017. https://www.acluca.org/.
6. Senate, California. Legislature. “Journal of the Senate, Legislature of the State of California.” Google Books. California State Print. Office, 1961. https://books.google.com/books?id=rG6Z5q0UJegC.
7. Francisco, Headquartered in San, Headquartered in San Diego, and Headquartered in Los Angeles. ACLU of California, November 23, 2017. https://www.acluca.org/.
8. “Voting Rights Restored to Thousands of Californians.” ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties, February 3, 2016. https://www.aclusandiego.org/voting-rights-restored/.
9. “Voting Rights Restored to Thousands of Californians.” ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties, February 3, 2016. https://www.aclusandiego.org/voting-rights-restored/.
10. “California Proposition 17, Voting Rights Restoration for Persons on Parole Amendment (2020).” Ballotpedia. Accessed August 10, 2020. https://ballotpedia.org/California_Proposition_17,_Voting_Rights_Restoration_for_Persons_on_Parole_Amendment_(2020).
11. “Youth Rights.” ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties. Accessed July 30, 2020. https://www.aclusandiego.org/youth-rights/.
12. “ACLU NextGen.” ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties, May 6, 2020. https://www.aclusandiego.org/about-us/nextgen/.
13. “Court Rejects Lawsuit to Force Governor to Halt ICE Transfers During Pandemic.” ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties, May 14, 2020. https://www.aclusandiego.org/court-rejects-lawsuit-to-force-governor-to-halt-ice-transfers-during-pandemic/.
14. “ACLU Calls for a Reduction in Population at Imperial Regional Detention Facility During COVID-19 Pandemic.” ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties, June 13, 2020. https://www.aclusandiego.org/aclu-calls-for-a-reduction-in-population-at-imperial-regional-detention-facility-during-covid-19-pandemic/.
15. “Have You Experienced Abuses by Law Enforcement? Call Us.” ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties, July 7, 2020. https://www.aclusandiego.org/have-you-experienced-abuses-by-law-enforcement-call-us/.
16. “ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties Statement of Solidarity with the Black Community and All Who Seek Justice for George Floyd.” ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties, June 1, 2020. https://www.aclusandiego.org/aclu-of-san-diego-imperial-counties-statement-of-solidarity-with-the-black-community-and-all-who-seek-justice-for-george-floyd/.
17. “ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties.” Facebook. Accessed July 30, 2020. https://www.facebook.com/sdaclu.
18. Twitter. Twitter. Accessed July 30, 2020. https://twitter.com/sdACLU.
19. “Board and Staff Information.” ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties, May 6, 2020. https://www.aclusandiego.org/about-us/board-and-staff-information/.
20. “Board and Staff Information.” ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties, May 6, 2020. https://www.aclusandiego.org/about-us/board-and-staff-information/.
21. “The Issues.” Justice Overcoming Boundaries. Accessed July 30, 2020. https://www.justicesandiego.org/the-issues.
22. “Partners for Progress San Diego, 3737 Camino Del Rio S, Ste 207, San Diego, CA (2020).” , 3737 Camino del Rio S, Ste 207, San Diego, CA (2020). Accessed July 30, 2020. https://www.govserv.org/US/San-Diego/792886017495857/Partners-for-Progress-San-Diego.
23. “About Engage San Diego.” Engage San Diego. Accessed July 30, 2020. https://www.engagesandiego.org/about.
24. “Board and Staff Information.” ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties, May 6, 2020. https://www.aclusandiego.org/about-us/board-and-staff-information/.
25. “Board of Directors.” California Humanities. Accessed July 30, 2020. https://calhum.org/about-us/board-of-directors/.
26. “Board and Staff Information.” ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties, May 6, 2020. https://www.aclusandiego.org/about-us/board-and-staff-information/.
27. PCI (Project Concern International), July 30, 2020. https://www.pciglobal.org/.
28. “Jeff Chin.” LinkedIn. Accessed July 30, 2020. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-chinn-7b645b6/.
29. “American Civil Liberties Union of San Diego & Imperial Counties Inc.”. Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2017. Part I Lines 12, 8, 9, 18, 15.
30. “American Civil Liberties Union of San Diego & Imperial Counties Inc.”. Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2017. Part I, Lines 20, 22.
31. “American Civil Liberties Union of San Diego & Imperial Counties Inc.”. Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2017. Part IX Line 24b.