Photo: Protesters are seen during a rally to protest the executive order that President Donald Trump signed clamping down on refugee admissions and temporarily restricting travelers from seven predominantly Muslim countries in New York City on January 29, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Noam Galai/WireImage)
On Thursday, February 9, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) hit one million followers on Twitter. Since the election, the non-profit organization has become a leader in the fight to protect the Constitution. It has honed in on the power of social media to spread the word, with its Facebook following skyrocketing nearly 300% from 700K followers to 2 million. At the same time, it has nearly doubled its membership to 1.2 million, a record for the 97-year-old organization, at the same time.
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Understanding that the fight to protect the Constitution will be won in the court of public opinion as well as in the court of law, the ACLU made their intentions clear three days after the election with a full page ad in The New York Times that warned the President, “We’ll see you in court.”
The organization has made good on their promise and stepped up to the plate with the first test against the new administration on Saturday, January 28, when the government announced it would begin banning people from seven predominantly Muslim countries in Africa and the Middle East. The ACLU immediately took to the courts, filing for and winning an emergency stay at the Eastern District of New York Courthouse in Brooklyn, New York.
On Thursday, February 9th, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the ban in a unanimous decision, showing the ACLU was on the right side of the Constitution.
The ACLU’s ability to work on the frontlines of the legal system and social media has resulted in a vast boost of visibility and support from the public. Since November 8, the ACLU has received nearly $80 million in donations, including record $24 million given the weekend of January 28.
By using platforms such as Facebook Live during the protests in Brooklyn outside the courthouse that weekend, the ACLU revealed its mastery of new media at a time where distrust in the mainstream is at an all-time high. The ACLU has risen in profile through its expert use of social media, establishing itself as an advocate for the Constitution and for human rights.
Rather than editorialize or hypothesize, the ACLU simply presents data, fact, and precedent, disseminating basic legal information and offering images of hope, establishing themselves as a credible source in a world where disinformation and outright lies are rebranded as “alternative facts.”
The ACLU plays offense as well as defense, ready to not only defend the Constitution but to sniff out any violation of it. On Inauguration Day, the organization filed requests through the Freedom of Information Act looking for documents that could expose a conflict of interest between the Trump acting as both President and businessman simultaneously.
The Daily Beast reports that the ACLU, which currently employs 300 lawyers, may increase its roster to 350 or 400, to provide a larger team to operate inside the court of law. National Legal Director David Cole also confirmed, “…our advocacy and communications staff will certainly increase.”
“What’s really heartening is people are paying attention. They’re aware of the crisis on the horizon,” ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romero told ABC News. “There’s a real sense of urgency.”
Miss Rosen is a journalist covering art, photography, culture, and books. Her byline has appeared in L’Uomo Vogue, Whitewall, Jocks and Nerds, and L’Oeil de la Photographie. Follow her on Twitter @Miss_Rosen.
