Statehouse Dispatch: April 20, 2026 - ACLU of South Carolina The final month of legislative session reveals the twisted priorities of South Carolina lawmakers

The final month of legislative session is revealing the twisted priorities of South Carolina lawmakers. Here’s what they want, and here’s how we can push back: www.aclusc.org/news/stateho...

Statehouse Dispatch: April 13, 2026 - ACLU of South Carolina S.C. lawmakers are going after abortion access, LGBTQ+ freedom, and the rights of students. Help us push back.

This week in the S.C. Statehouse, lawmakers are going after abortion access, LGBTQ+ freedom, and the rights of students. Help us push back. www.aclusc.org/news/stateho...

H. 5483 is up for discussion in the Education and Public Works Committee on Tuesday, April 14th, one hour after adjournment in room 433 of the Blatt Building. The committee is accepting public and written testimony (schouseepw@schouse.gov). Learn more about the bill: www.aclusc.org/legislation/...

2/3 This bill fails to clarify the extent of physical force and ignores systemic issues in communities, root causes of behavioral issues, behavioral differences, and the potential of this bill disproportionately targeting students of color and disabled students.

1/3 House bill H. 5483, the classroom discipline bill, would give educators, administrators, and school staff increased and vague authority to discipline students in classrooms, including the use of “reasonable physical force”.

Second Chance Day. Learn about the challenges of reentry after incarceration and promote policies for successful reentry and second chances. There will be virtual lobbying training, ask a returning citizen booth, voter registration, reentry partner resources, free food, t shirts and more. Wednesday April 15th 8am -3pm.

Join us for Second Chance Day on April 15th to learn about the challenges of reentry after incarceration and how you can support second-chance policies. Click here to RSVP www.scadp.org/event-detail...

Tell Lawmakers: Keep ICE Out of Our Communities Please take action!

The Forced ICE Collaboration Bill, H. 4764, has been approved by the State House in an 85-30 vote. Write to your State Senator today and ask for a No vote on this overreaching and harmful bill. action.aclu.org/send-message...

Rep. Moore says he spoke to 5 sheriffs who claim they've never seen ICE agents in South Carolina wearing masks. They must not be looking very hard!

Nov. 3, 2025, North Charleston:

Rep. Moore, sponsor of H. 4764, is repeating unsubstantiated claims from ICE about a chaotic raid on the Alamo nightclub in Ladson last year. ICE and the local sheriff have refused to answer basic questions about their actions & the people they arrested www.postandcourier.com/news/crime/a...

Our legal director Cecillia Wang, a daughter of immigrants, is at the Supreme Court defending the bedrock American value of birthright citizenship.

President Trump is no match for the 14th Amendment.

Rep. Travis Moore, sponsor of the bill, says police are "not in the business" of letting federal law enforcement agents tell them how to do their job. But ICE routinely bosses local police around.

Lexington County, February 2026: www.postandcourier.com/columbia/new...

Tell Lawmakers: Keep ICE Out of Our Communities Please take action!

During public testimony on H. 4764, every member of the public opposed this bill. More than 1,600 South Carolinians have also written to lawmakers opposing the Forced ICE Collaboration Act. action.aclu.org/send-message...

5 ugly facts about ICE collaboration in South Carolina - ACLU of South Carolina Local police are surrendering local control, jeopardizing their budgets, and harming public trust by partnering with ICE

Local police are setting themselves up for legal liability and fiscal disaster by voluntarily partnering with ICE. Now the state wants to mandate these partnerships. Our recent report "Deputized for Disaster" shows the damage done already. www.aclusc.org/news/5-ugly-...

The SC House of Representatives is debating H. 4764, which would force many local law enforcement agencies to enter collaboration agreement with ICE. This bill would increase racial profiling and decrease public trust in law enforcement.

Livestream: www.scstatehouse.gov/video/chambe...

Tell the House: Reject the Senate’s Worse Version of H. 4756 The Senate made H. 4756 even worse. Call your South Carolina House member and urge them to vote to non-concur with the Senate amendments and stand by the House version of the bill.

Got 5 minutes? We need you to call your House rep today. Ask them to *not concur* with the Senate amendments.

Use this link and we'll connect you: aclusc.org/call

Tell the House: Reject the Senate’s Worse Version of H. 4756 The Senate made H. 4756 even worse. Call your South Carolina House member and urge them to vote to non-concur with the Senate amendments and stand by the House version of the bill.

South Carolina's anti-trans bathroom ban, H. 4756, was already a harmful bill that would create bathroom police in K-12 schools and colleges. Now it's been amended to allow outdoor porta-potties as a single-user "accommodation" for trans students.

"To know us is to love us." The slogan "Trans People Belong" superimposed on a map of South Carolina with trans pride stripes of blue, pink, and white. ACLU of South Carolina logo and TDOV '26 at the bottom of the image.

“We need all of us to keep telling our stories, to keep sharing our joy, because to know us is to love us. So let people know you, even when it’s hard. We aren’t going away.” – Jace Woodrum, Executive Director, ACLU-SC

Statehouse Dispatch: March 30, 2026 - ACLU of South Carolina Let’s bring some ‘No Kings’ energy to the South Carolina General Assembly

Let’s bring some No Kings energy to the South Carolina General Assembly. Learn more about bills attacking the rights of immigrants, trans youth, and police bystanders in this week's Statehouse Dispatch — and find ways to take action. www.aclusc.org/news/stateho...

Episode 21: The Bathroom Bill (Emergency Episode) - ACLU of South Carolina South Carolina lawmakers are fast-tracking a bill that would discriminate against transgender students by forcing them into restrooms according to their sex assigned at birth or, possibly, into porta-...

SC lawmakers are fast-tracking a bill that would discriminate against trans students in K-12 schools and higher education. In this emergency podcast episode, we share the latest on H. 4756 and how you can take action to protect trans youth before it passes. www.aclusc.org/podcast/epis...

When ICE agents tear apart our communities, we take to the streets. When the Trump administration tries to silence dissent, we just get louder. Find a No Kings protest in South Carolina. aclusc.org/nokings

H. 4763 prioritizes the feelings of police officers over public accountability & bystanders' rights. South Carolinians would face 60 days in jail for standing too close to an officer with intent to cause "emotional distress."

Tell your lawmakers to vote No: www.aclusc.org/nohalo

The ACLU of South Carolina is hiring an additional staff attorney to help develop and lead essential, emergent, and high-profile civil rights litigation.

Applications received by April 24 will be prioritized for review and consideration. Details here: www.aclusc.org/jobs/staff-a...

The Senate is discussing the anti-trans bathroom bill H. 4756 on the floor now. Livestream here: www.scstatehouse.gov/video/chambe...

Anti-Trans School Bathroom Policy (H. 4756) - ACLU of South Carolina This bill would discriminate against transgender students in South Carolina public schools and universities by requiring them to use restrooms and changing facilities that do not match their gender.

2/2 SC House Bill 4756 would place a cloud of suspicion around all students, trans or not, whose appearance does not conform with gender stereotypes. Learn more about this harmful and invasive bill here: www.aclusc.org/legislation/...

No Bathroom Police in SC Please take action!

1/2 🚨 LAST STOP: The anti-trans bathroom bill H. 4756 is headed to the South Carolina Senate floor as early as Wednesday 3/25. Please contact your state senator now and ask for a No vote on the bathroom police.

Send your message now. It only takes 2 minutes. action.aclu.org/send-message...

Update: The House Judiciary Committee voted 14-8 to advance a dangerous bill that forces local police to do ICE's work for them.

Please contact your House representative and ask for a NO vote on H. 4764. We have a form to get you started: action.aclu.org/send-message...

Tell Lawmakers: Keep ICE Out of Our Communities Please take action!

More than 1,400 South Carolinians have written to their lawmakers opposing the forced ICE collaboration bill. You can write in using the form here: action.aclu.org/send-message...

Forced ICE Collaboration Bill unanimously rejected by public in Feb. 17 hearing - ACLU of South Carolina Amid two hours of public comment, no public support for House Bill 4764

As a reminder, at the one public hearing on H. 4764, every member of the public opposed this bill. www.aclusc.org/press-releas...

Graph of ICE and CBP funding shows a dramatic spike in 2025.

Local agencies that rely on one-time ICE incentives to fund salaries are also setting themselves up for fiscal disaster. This funding arose from a one-time bill rather than annual agency appropriations.

5 ugly facts about ICE collaboration in South Carolina - ACLU of South Carolina Local police are surrendering local control, jeopardizing their budgets, and harming public trust by partnering with ICE

The voluntary program for local police collaborating with ICE, 287(g), has a disastrous track record for legal liability, fiscal responsibility, and public trust in law enforcement. You can read more about that in the ACLU report “Deputized for Disaster." www.aclusc.org/news/5-ugly-...