Welcome to the September issue of The Brief, the monthly email newsletter of the ACLU of Northern California. The U.S. Supreme Court blocked the Trump administration's attempt to sabotage mail-in voting, but we can't take our eye off the ball. Counties will begin mailing ballots the first week in October, so check your voter registration status and register online.

Remember, vote early.

Sonoma County restricts drone surveillance

As a result of our lawsuit, Sonoma County will stop using drones to spy on homes and backyards without first getting a warrant, except in limited situations such as emergencies or if the property owner consents. Under the settlement, the county also must notify residents if a drone recorded their home, limit the retention and sharing of footage, update its drone policy, and turn over flight logs to ACLU NorCal for two years. Law enforcement agencies that also use sophisticated surveillance drones should put similar safeguards in place.

Sonoma County launched the drone surveillance program to search for unpermitted cannabis grows in rural areas. Soon, code enforcement inspectors were secretly recording homes, yards, and swimming pools. We sued to protect residents' right to privacy in and around their homes.

Make the Case: ACLU NorCal's new podcast

We're excited to announce the upcoming release of our podcast, "Make the Case," which takes listeners behind the scenes of our organization's campaigns, casework, and projects. Get an inside look at the work we're doing to advance civil liberties and civil rights across the region and hear our attorneys and organizers 'make the case' for why this work matters now. The first episode will be available Tuesday, October 6, on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

Face recognition and police, a bad match

After our 2018 test exposed serious flaws in Amazon's facial recognition software, the company promised to stop selling it to police. New evidence shows Amazon broke that promise and a false match landed a Missouri man in jail.
Please note: This link will take you to a third-party website, youtube.com.

Please note: This linked image will take you to a third-party website, youtube.com.

A major victory for free speech

A federal district court ruled that the Trump administration can't deport noncitizens for criticizing Israel and the war in Gaza. The Stanford Daily student newspaper sued the government in 2025 for using provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act to revoke visas and deport noncitizens who engaged in constitutionally protected, pro-Palestine speech.

ACLU NorCal and several organizations fighting for free speech, academic freedom, and press rights, filed a brief to support the students' challenge. The court's decision rightfully acknowledged that the First Amendment protects everyone, regardless of immigration or citizenship status.

California Supreme Court strategy

As the U.S. Supreme Court's conservative majority aggressively rolls back decades of social progress, state supreme courts are interpreting state constitutions in ways that protect, and in some cases expand, civil rights and civil liberties. ACLU NorCal has successfully pursued this strategy through our appellate work at the California Supreme Court. We filed supporting briefs in cases in which the court limited cash bail and restricted vehicle searches.

In response to our historic challenge, in May the court ordered Attorney General Rob Bonta to explain why California's death penalty should not be declared unconstitutional due to racial bias. Read the article linked below to learn how our case could pave the way to end capital punishment in other states.

Final Thoughts:

• There's still time to RSVP to attend ACLU NorCal's final Defend Democracy Tour events this month in San Francisco, Oakland, and Eureka.
• Join us to text voters to vote No on Prop 39, the misleading ballot initiative that will make it harder to vote.
  Please note: This link will take you to a third-party website, mobilize.us.
• What we're reading: The Nerd Reich: Silicon Valley Fascism and the War on Democracy by Gil Durán.
  Please note: This link will take you to a third-party website, sfexaminer.com.
• The Trump administration is targeting online critics. Know Your Rights if the government demands information about your social media accounts.
• Many thanks to everyone who completed our reader survey last month and congratulations to the winners!

Thanks for reading The Brief! We'll see you back here next month.