The Bold Ultimatum the ACLU Gave Donald Trump
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Donald Trump is now the president-elect and that means that his campaign platforms could become U.S. policy. Now a civil rights advocacy group is trying to publicly fight Trump's policies before he even takes office.
The ACLU bought a full page in The New York Times to send an ultimatum to Trump: either change your policies or we'll sue you.
The organization wants to see changes in some of Trump's key policy positions.
- No mass deportation.
- No ban on Muslim immigration or "aggressive surveillance" that targets them.
- No restrictions on women's rights to abortion services.
- No water boarding or torture.
- No change on libel laws or restrictions on free speech.
The ACLU called these campaign promises unconstitutional.
The open letter said the policies are "unlawful and unconstitutional and would violate the First, Fourth, Fifth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendments of the Constitution as well as other statutes and international treaties."
The letter finishes with a threat. The ACLU wrote that they will sue Trump if he tries to make these campaign platforms a part of his administration's policies.
"If you do not reverse course and endeavor to make these campaign promises a a reality, you will have to contend with the full firepower of the ACLU at your every step," the letter states.
Twitter responses to the letter were mixed. Some Twitter users loved the letter.
However, Trump supporters on Twitter lashed out at the ACLU.
Trump takes office on January 20, 2017.
