ACLU Promises to ‘Challenge’ Trump During 2nd Term: ‘We’re Not New to This’

The American Civil Liberties Union said it’s ready for Round 2 with Donald Trump. In a full-page ad than ran in The New York Times on Friday, the ACLU said it has a “comprehensive roadmap to defend our rights” during president-elect Trump’s second administration.

“We’re not new to this,” the organization said.

The ACLU didn’t specify which rights it’ll be watching closely. It did, however, issue a stern warning to Trump that it’s ready to fight him tooth and nail on a number of fronts.

“Rest assured that when you target immigrants, dissidents, and your political opponents — we will challenge you in the courts, at state legislatures and in the streets.”

There are 1 million members of the ACLU, the organization noted. The ACLU additionally dinged Trump in its Times ad for beating him in a number of court cases during his first term. Altogether, the ACLU said it hit Trump with “434 legal actions, including 250 lawsuits” against his “anti-civil liberties” administration.

The ACLU’s ad comes after Anthony Romero, the organization’s executive director, said he planned to “combat” Trump’s new administartion on Thursday.

“We know that a second Trump administration will be even more aggressive and effective than it was before,” Romero said in a letter on the organization’s website. “The Trump administration’s anti-liberty and fundamentally anti-American policies will be met with the full firepower of the ACLU.”

Trump’s election has other left-leaning politicians and groups grappling with how they’ll handle his next administration. On Thursday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he wants to “safeguard California values and fundamental rights in the face of an incoming Trump administration.”

You can read the ACLU’s full ad below:

So, rest assured that when you target immigrants, dissidents, and your political opponents — we will challenge you in the courts, at state legislatures, and in the streets.

Surely, you remember the landmark lawsuits we won against you on family separation, the U.S. Census, and immigrants’ rights — some of which were decided by judges you appointed.

During your last presidency, we brought 434 legal actions, including 250 lawsuits, against your administration’s anti-civil liberties agenda.

We also mobilized the power of our more than 1 million card-carrying members in the streets, at airpots, and in state capitals.

We’ve developed a comprehensive roadmap to defend our rights beginning on day one. We’re not new to this.

At the ACLU, we play the long game. We’ve been around for 105 years and seen 19 presidents come and go.

That’s why any attempt to roll back the nation’s civil liberties on our watch will be hard fought and met with the full power of our resistance.

Steadfast and determined to make ours a more perfect union, we remain, the ACLU.

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