{"entity":{"id":1004,"slug":"american-civil-liberties-union-aclu","name":"American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)","type":"institution","role":"Civil liberties organization; major OSF grantee","description":"National civil liberties organization. Received $50M grant from Open Society Foundations in 2014 — one of the largest single grants in OSF history — specifically for immigrant rights litigation. Annual budget ~$300M. Has litigated against Palantir-powered ICE operations. The ACLU-OSF-ICE triangle is a direct point where the Soros and Thiel network analyses intersect.","imageUrl":null,"createdAt":"2026-04-11T04:00:10.183Z","updatedAt":"2026-05-19T09:21:42.577Z"},"electedOffice":null,"significance":{"score":9,"components":{"totalFindings":0,"connectionDegree":8,"recentFindings90d":0,"activeResearchJobs":0,"goblinAttributions":1,"recentSyntheses90d":0,"moneyFlowChainsTotal":0,"closedLoopMemberships":0,"moneyFlowHopsRecent90d":0},"computedAt":"2026-10-17T01:36:44.127Z"},"facts":[{"id":15024,"text":"ACLU filed multiple lawsuits against ICE seeking records on deportation infrastructure expansion plans","confidence":"primary","dateOccurred":"2024-01-01","source":{"title":"ACLU press releases and court documents","url":"https://rollcall.com/2013/07/28/zuckerbergs-fwd-us-triples-insider-lobbying-but-remains-small/","publication":"Directed Inquiry — Web Search"}},{"id":15025,"text":"The ACLU joined the #NoTechforICE campaign calling on companies like Palantir, Amazon and Microsoft to stop selling tools to ICE and CBP","confidence":"primary","dateOccurred":"2023-02-27","source":{"title":"ACLU press release","url":"https://developers.slashdot.org/story/13/04/11/1730224/zuckerberg-lobbies-for-more-liberal-immigration-policies","publication":"Directed Inquiry — Web Search"}},{"id":15017,"text":"The Open Society Foundations awarded the ACLU $50 million on November 7, 2014, the largest grant in ACLU history, to reduce mass incarceration","confidence":"primary","dateOccurred":"2014-11-07","source":{"title":"Multiple verified news reports and Open Society Foundations documentation","url":"https://www.fwd.us/","publication":"Directed Inquiry — Web Search"}}],"connections":[{"id":5199,"relationshipType":"legal","description":"ACLU criticizes and litigates against Palantir's ICE contracts","confidence":"confirmed","firstDocumented":null,"lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":17,"name":"Palantir Technologies","slug":"palantir-technologies","type":"company"}},{"id":5197,"relationshipType":"funded","description":"Open Society Foundations provided $50 million grant for mass incarceration campaign","confidence":"confirmed","firstDocumented":null,"lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":995,"name":"George Soros","slug":"george-soros","type":"person"}},{"id":21533,"relationshipType":"Likely ally/shared mission (privacy/oversight)","description":"ACLU is a major civil liberties organization that frequently works on surveillance and privacy issues, parallel to S.T.O.P.'s mission.","confidence":"inferential","firstDocumented":"2026","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":4542,"name":"Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.)","slug":"surveillance-technology-oversight-project-s-t-o-p","type":"organization"}},{"id":18812,"relationshipType":"alignment","description":"Doggett voted against mandatory ICE detention for undocumented immigrants, aligning with progressive activist groups and immigrant communities in his district.","confidence":"inferential","firstDocumented":"2025","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":10907,"name":"Lloyd Doggett","slug":"congress-d000399","type":"person"}},{"id":17879,"relationshipType":"policy_ally","description":"Schumer's vote against the Laken Riley Act and his role as defender of immigrant rights aligns with ACLU positions on immigration enforcement and civil liberties.","confidence":"inferential","firstDocumented":"2025","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":7826,"name":"Chuck Schumer","slug":"chuck-schumer","type":"elected_official"}},{"id":17101,"relationshipType":"legal","description":"Clearview AI's cluster of three SEC filings in September 2022 (September 1, 15, and 22) coincides with the company's post-ACLU settlement period, suggesting capital restructuring or new investment rounds tied to expanding government contract capacity.","confidence":"inferential","firstDocumented":"2022","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":124,"name":"Clearview AI","slug":"clearview-ai","type":"company"}},{"id":16109,"relationshipType":"grant recipient","description":"New Venture Fund has funded the ACLU for litigation and advocacy on civil liberties issues.","confidence":"inferential","firstDocumented":"2017","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":1008,"name":"New Venture Fund","slug":"new-venture-fund","type":"institution"}},{"id":15994,"relationshipType":"affiliation","description":"Arabella Advisors and ACLU are both part of the 'Arabella network' of left-leaning nonprofit organizations.","confidence":"inferential","firstDocumented":"2020","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":1007,"name":"Arabella Advisors","slug":"arabella-advisors","type":"company"}},{"id":15914,"relationshipType":"grant recipient","description":"Democracy Alliance is a major funding network; ACLU is a known grant recipient of the Democracy Alliance donor network.","confidence":"inferential","firstDocumented":"2017","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":1003,"name":"Democracy Alliance","slug":"democracy-alliance","type":"institution"}},{"id":15071,"relationshipType":"affiliation","description":"Mark Rumold and the ACLU both appear in the known entities database, with Rumold known as a senior staff attorney at the ACLU, making this a direct professional relationship. However, given the data is untrusted, the connection is marked as inferential based on the known entities list placement.","confidence":"inferential","firstDocumented":"2026","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":3317,"name":"Mark Rumold","slug":"mark-rumold","type":"person"}},{"id":102356,"relationshipType":"Investigative Oversight","description":"The ACLU obtained FOIA disclosures showing that the State Department paid millions in legal fees to Blackwater's defense counsel under indemnification clauses.","confidence":"primary","firstDocumented":"2010","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":128,"name":"Academi (formerly Blackwater)","slug":"academi-formerly-blackwater","type":"company"}},{"id":19130,"relationshipType":"affiliation","description":"Case cited free speech concerns aligning with ACLU warnings when voting against H.R. 6090 (Antisemitism Awareness Act).","confidence":"primary","firstDocumented":"2024","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":11111,"name":"Ed Case","slug":"congress-c001055","type":"person"}},{"id":19043,"relationshipType":"affiliation","description":"ACLU of Kentucky warned the SAVE Act (H.R. 22) would disenfranchise voters; McGarvey voted Nay on the bill in April 2025.","confidence":"primary","firstDocumented":"2025","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":10922,"name":"Morgan McGarvey","slug":"congress-m001220","type":"person"}},{"id":18444,"relationshipType":"Organizational score/rating","description":"Castro has maintained a 100% lifetime score from the ACLU on LGBTQ+ issues, indicating his voting record aligns with ACLU positions.","confidence":"primary","firstDocumented":"2021","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":10702,"name":"Joaquin Castro","slug":"congress-c001091","type":"person"}},{"id":16815,"relationshipType":"oversight","description":"Civil liberties organizations including the ACLU and Electronic Frontier Foundation have filed FOIA requests seeking documentation about ImmigrationOS capabilities and data sharing practices.","confidence":"primary","firstDocumented":"2021","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":32,"name":"ImmigrationOS","slug":"immigrationos","type":"instrument"}},{"id":15945,"relationshipType":"campaign target","description":"ACLU joined #NoTechforICE campaign calling on Microsoft to stop selling tools to ICE and CBP","confidence":"primary","firstDocumented":"unknown","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":9146,"name":"Microsoft","slug":"microsoft","type":"company"}},{"id":15944,"relationshipType":"campaign target","description":"ACLU joined #NoTechforICE campaign calling on companies to stop selling tools to CBP","confidence":"primary","firstDocumented":"unknown","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":281,"name":"US Customs and Border Protection (CBP)","slug":"us-customs-and-border-protection-cbp","type":"government_agency"}},{"id":15943,"relationshipType":"legal","description":"ACLU filed multiple lawsuits against ICE seeking records on deportation infrastructure expansion plans","confidence":"primary","firstDocumented":"unknown","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":79,"name":"US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)","slug":"us-immigration-and-customs-enforcement-ice","type":"institution"}},{"id":13389,"relationshipType":"policy opposition","description":"ACLU warned that H.R. 6090 (Antisemitism Awareness Act), which Matsui voted for, threatens First Amendment speech protections.","confidence":"primary","firstDocumented":"2024","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":11009,"name":"Doris O. Matsui","slug":"congress-m001163","type":"person"}},{"id":13148,"relationshipType":"legislative_scorecard_rating","description":"ACLU gave Gonzalez a 100% rating on its most recent legislative scorecard (2021), noting 9 out of 9 votes matched ACLU positions.","confidence":"primary","firstDocumented":"2021","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":10904,"name":"Vicente Gonzalez","slug":"congress-g000581","type":"person"}},{"id":12942,"relationshipType":"adversarial","description":"As Kansas Attorney General, Schmidt defended the state's documentary proof-of-citizenship voter law through multiple appeals; the state ultimately paid $1.9 million in legal fees to the ACLU after federal courts ruled the law unconstitutional.","confidence":"primary","firstDocumented":"2020","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":10828,"name":"Derek Schmidt","slug":"congress-s001228","type":"person"}},{"id":12919,"relationshipType":"Policy opposition","description":"The ACLU harshly criticized Whitesides' vote in favor of the Laken Riley Act (H.R. 29) requiring mandatory detention of undocumented immigrants for theft-related offenses.","confidence":"primary","firstDocumented":"2025","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":10821,"name":"George Whitesides","slug":"congress-w000830","type":"person"}},{"id":1301,"relationshipType":"donor","description":"OSF gave ACLU $50M grant in 2014 for immigrant rights litigation.","confidence":"primary","firstDocumented":null,"lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":997,"name":"Open Society Foundations","slug":"open-society-foundations","type":"institution"}},{"id":21389,"relationshipType":"affiliation / collaboration","description":"Marcia Hofmann has collaborated with or worked alongside ACLU attorneys on digital privacy and free speech cases, and is listed as a cooperating attorney in some matters.","confidence":"secondary","firstDocumented":"2012","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":3314,"name":"Marcia Hofmann","slug":"marcia-hofmann","type":"person"}},{"id":19445,"relationshipType":"professional_history_and_vote_tension","description":"Scanlon's pre-congressional career included work as a civil rights attorney with the ACLU. However, she voted against ACLU-recommended positions on at least two significant civil liberties votes in the 118th Congress: the Fiscal Responsibility Act's ICE detention funding and H.R. 7521 TikTok divestiture.","confidence":"secondary","firstDocumented":"2023","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":10903,"name":"Mary Gay Scanlon","slug":"congress-s001205","type":"person"}},{"id":16136,"relationshipType":"Opposition Stance","description":"The ACLU condemned the Laken Riley Act, which Pappas voted for, as undermining due process.","confidence":"secondary","firstDocumented":"2025","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":11069,"name":"Chris Pappas","slug":"congress-p000614","type":"person"}},{"id":15883,"relationshipType":"policy_coalition_partner","description":"Both appear sequentially in the known entities list and frequently collaborate on civil liberties and immigration policy advocacy.","confidence":"secondary","firstDocumented":"2005","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":1001,"name":"Center for American Progress","slug":"center-for-american-progress","type":"institution"}},{"id":15868,"relationshipType":"funded organization","description":"The ACLU has received significant funding from Open Society Foundations and other Soros-linked philanthropies funded by Quantum Fund profits.","confidence":"secondary","firstDocumented":"1995","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":999,"name":"Quantum Fund","slug":"quantum-fund","type":"instrument"}},{"id":13935,"relationshipType":"legal_adversary","description":"ACLU has litigated against NYPD over surveillance programs, stop-and-frisk policies, and data retention practices.","confidence":"secondary","firstDocumented":"2013","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":434,"name":"New York Police Department (NYPD)","slug":"new-york-police-department-nypd","type":"institution"}},{"id":10073,"relationshipType":"civil_rights_advocacy","description":"Both organizations focus on protecting civil rights and civil liberties, often collaborating on issues of government surveillance and discrimination","confidence":"secondary","firstDocumented":"1970","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":4535,"name":"U.S. Civil Rights Commission (USCCR)","slug":"u-s-civil-rights-commission-usccr","type":"government_agency"}}],"contradictions":[],"permalink":"https://www.goblinhouse.net/entity/american-civil-liberties-union-aclu","timelineUrl":"https://www.goblinhouse.net/entity/american-civil-liberties-union-aclu/timeline"}