

LETTER FROM THE
EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR
Dear ACLU supporters,
What a year this has been. We fought against wildfires, police brutality, and a deadly pandemic. We fought for Black Lives to Matter, for the right to peaceful protest, and for every person to be counted in the current census.
Despite all the efforts to suppress, discredit, dispute, and discard votes; a free and fair election was conducted. Donald Trump will leave office. And still, we remain a very divided country. The work ahead is as essential as it is difficult. The damage done to our democracy must be repaired.
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The veneer of polite racism has been stripped away. There can be no denying this duality within our country—that the democratic institutions so many of us believe in also contribute to the oppression of so many Black, Brown, and Indigenous people living in America, living in Oregon. This oppression has been exposed—again—for a new generation to challenge and change. This is work we all must do every day, everywhere, for everyone.
Four years ago, many of you joined with the ACLU to resist. And together we have! We filed more than 400 lawsuits against the Trump administration’s policies. We have been relentless in our defense of basic human rights from assaults by this administration and others.
Four years ago, we also suggested that there was opportunity to make significant progress on civil rights here in Oregon. And, together, we delivered. We worked with some of the people most impacted in our criminal justice system and, together, we brought about significant changes in Oregon policies:
We shined a spotlight the tremendous power of district attorneys, and showed that accountability for these elected officials was necessary and possible;
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With a broad coalition, we successfully reformed sentencing laws to create a more humane youth justice system that focuses on accountability for youth and safety for our communities;
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We reduced criminal penalties for drug possession through the legislature, and last month Oregonians approved M110 to treat addiction as a public health issue.
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Our work to better protect the thousands of people from COVID who are in our prisons and jails wasn’t as successful as it needs to be. And that doesn’t mean we will stop this work; it means we must continue.
The ACLU works on so many issues because all of these rights are fundamental to being human; to living with dignity; to thriving. Our rights are indivisible; and our work to protect and advance our rights is multi-faceted.
Most importantly, we are shifting how we do our social justice work. True social justice will only come by centering the lived experiences of BIPOC and other oppressed people.
This is how a more perfect union will be built by all of us, for all of us.
I hope you will look through this annual report highlighting some of the important work we were able to engage in this past year, thanks to your support.
The ACLU’s work is not done. I hope you will stay with us as we enter 2021 ready to take on new, and many still unresolved, issues.
With deep appreciation,
Jann Carson
Interim Executive Director
BLACK LIVES
MATTER
PROTESTS
The right to protest is a critical part of a healthy democracy. 2020 was the year Oregonians exercised that right more fervently than ever, with near daily protests since the end of May, when George Floyd was killed by police in Minneapolis. Heartbroken and anguished by the continued senseless loss of Black lives at the hands of police and years of systemic anti-Black racism, activists took to the streets to demand a different way of investing in public safety.
The ACLU of Oregon is committed to amplifying the Black Lives Matter movement and the need to divest from police and reinvest in communities. Our volunteer legal observers were on the streets day after day to ensure protest rights were being protected. Our legal observers witnessed and were subject to repeated and indiscriminate uses of force, teargas, and threats by local and federal law enforcement officers.
We filed lawsuits on behalf of protesters, street medics, legal observers, and journalists, and on behalf of environmental justice groups against the Department of Homeland Security for violating environmental law after unleashing an unprecedented amount of chemical weapons in Portland.
IMMIGRANTS’
RIGHTS
We know this fight isn’t over, and we have a long road ahead to address the harm the Trump Administration has inflicted. One thing is clear: led by Trump’s rhetoric and destructive policies, immigration and border patrol officers are not focused on national security. Rather, their policies are rooted in racism and xenophobia.
The path toward a more inclusive Oregon is long but it is necessary and just. We’re in this together and will continue to stand up in the courthouse, in the legislature, and in the streets with you until we have achieved it.
COVID-19
AND PRISONS
All people, including people who are incarcerated, have the right to live in safe, sanitary conditions. By refusing to take action that will help protect the health of people who live and work in prisons, the State of Oregon is also compromising the health of surrounding communities.
Incarceration shouldn’t be a death sentence. Yet as of December 11, 18 people have died in Oregon’s prisons after contracting COVID-19.
Without action, the death toll will continue to rise, both inside and outside of prisons. This is an unacceptable and preventable tragedy. It’s critical that we keep up the pressure and call on Governor Brown and state officials to treat incarcerated individuals humanely.
Tell Governor Brown to take action now.
CONNECTING VIRTUALLY
Even though we can’t be together due to the pandemic, ACLU supporters from across the state have gathered with us online for monthly webinars to dig into our issue areas, hear from local experts, and take action.
JUSTICE FOR ALL CONFERENCE
Thanks to hundreds of ACLU supporters, our Justice for All 2020 Statewide Membership Conference was a success! We heard an inspiring speech from ACLU National Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer, Amber Hikes. Our keynote speaker, Walidah Imarisha, grounded us in Oregon’s Black History by examining institutional white supremacy and centering the resistance of Black communities and other communities of color as active change makers. The keynote highlighted how history, politics, and culture have shaped—and will continue to shape—the landscape not only for Black Oregonians, but all Oregonians. And our panels on police divestment and immigrants’ rights were truly inspiring.
BY THE
NUMBERS
REQUESTS FOR HELP
LEGAL REQUEST VOLUNTEER HOURS
ACTIVE CASES
Cooperating Attorney hours
VOLUNTEER LEGAL OBSERVERS
MOBILE JUSTICE APP DOWNLOADS
# of people with COVID-19 in Oregon prison*
# OF BRIEFS FILED FOR PEOPLE IN PRISON
*As of publication. This statistic is updated frequently at https://www.oregon.gov/doc/covid19/Pages/covid19-tracking.aspx
FINANCE
REVENUE

EXPENSES

WAYS TO GIVE
People across Oregon are coming together to stand up for what they believe is right. Take your stand—help us as we continue to hold our leaders and institutions accountable to the promises of democracy.
GIVE MONTHLY
DONATIONS & MEMBERSHIP
Put your Donor Advised Fund to use protecting civil liberties and civil rights by recommending gifts to the ACLU of Oregon. Your financial advisor or fund manager can help you make that grant to the ACLU of Oregon.
Maximize your gift! Thousands of companies, small and large, have Matching Gift programs that will match one-for-one, or even double, tax-deductible contributions made by their employees. Your employer may be one of them! If your company has a Matching Gift program, all you to have to do is obtain a matching gift form from your personnel office or matching gift coordinator, fill it out completely and send it along with your contribution to: American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Oregon, P.O. Box 40585, Portland, OR 97240.
CALL US!
Call (503) 552-2101 between 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Pacific Time, Monday – Friday.
MAIL A CHECK
Please send to:
ACLU Foundation of Oregon
PO Box 40585
Portland, OR 97240
This is the website of the ACLU of Oregon and the ACLU Foundation of Oregon.
© 2020 ACLU of Oregon