Organization

The ACLU of Texas is proud to be the eighth largest ACLU affiliate in the United States, with more than 14,000 card-carrying members across our state. Sustained by a dedicated board of directors, a small staff and dozens of dedicated volunteers, the ACLU of Texas and its predecessor, the Texas Civil Liberties Union, have been at the forefront of the struggle for civil rights in Texas since 1938.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is our nation’s guardian of liberty. We work daily in courts, legislatures and in the community to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States. The American system of government is founded on two counterbalancing principles: that the majority of the people governs, through democratically elected representatives; and that the power even of a democratic majority must be limited, to ensure individual rights.

The ACLU has maintained the position that civil liberties must be respected, even in times of national emergency. The ACLU is supported by annual dues and contributions from more than 500,000 members, plus grants from private foundations and individuals. We do not receive any government funding.