Resisting the Abuse of Power: Standing Together Against Authoritarianism

Across the country — and here in Arkansas — we are witnessing a dangerous escalation in the misuse of government power.

Federal and state officials have deployed people who are not trained to police communities, yet are given weapons and extraordinary authority, including the authority to use deadly force against the public. While the precise abuses unfolding in any given moment may be unpredictable, the danger of this approach has always been obvious.

Immigration enforcement has repeatedly been used as a pretext for racial profiling — a modern-day “show me your papers” regime that targets people of color and those who stand with them. History teaches us where this road leads. When the state normalizes suspicion, militarization, and unchecked authority, the result is fear, harm, and the erosion of democracy itself.

Using ICE and the National Guard in this way is not only reckless — it is intentionally abusive, legally indefensible, and profoundly dangerous. It cannot stand.

Any law enforcement officer or military official who orders, enables, or commits abuse must be held accountable. So must those who stand by and do nothing.

Police and military personnel have a legal duty to intervene when their colleagues violate the law. Silence in the face of abuse is not neutrality — it is complicity.

In the midst of fear and heartbreak, people are stepping up — and it matters.

Faith leaders, farmers, teachers, child and family advocates, lawyers, business owners, first responders, and neighbors across Arkansas and the nation are supporting those who are being targeted and harmed. American courage, creativity, and resolve remind us that solidarity is not abstract — it is practiced.

The grit and determination of communities in Minnesota, even amid profound loss, offer a powerful example: we resist chaos and violence with collective action rooted in love and justice.

We work in solidarity and we will keep at it.

Over the past year, the ACLU has taken 239 legal actions, including 100 focused on immigration policy, to push back against unconstitutional abuses of power. We are challenging unlawful policies in court, defending the rights of protesters and dissenters, and supporting people targeted for exercising their fundamental freedoms.

You can read more about the nationwide legal fight we are engaged in here: Defeat, Delay, Dilute: ACLU v. Trump

At the ACLU of Arkansas, we will continue working to protect people harmed by reckless policies, to defend free speech and protest, and to oppose the use of police and military force against our communities — for as long as it takes.

Stopping the rise of authoritarianism requires collective resolve. Democracy does not defend itself — we do.

Here are concrete steps you can take right now:

Demand Change from Those in Power

• Join us in telling our public officials they must get ICE out of our communities and bring the National Guard home to serve and protect Arkansans.
• Send a message to Arkansans in Congress - Stop ICE’s Attack On Our Communities
• Contact your local elected officials. Ask where they stand — and demand they uphold the constitutional rights of all people. You can find out more about how your local and Arkansas government is involved with ICE here.

Engage, Organize, Vote

• Support and elect public servants who take seriously their duty to protect civil rights and civil liberties.
• Speak out against harmful policies, laws, and rhetoric — at the ballot box and between elections.
• Get informed about your Free Speech & Protest rights.
• Use your voice and your vote, and encourage your friends and neighbors to do the same. Monday, Feb. 2 is the deadline to register for the March 3 primary and judicial election in Arkansas. So:
  • Click here to check your voter registration.
  • Find out how to register in Arkansas on the Secretary of State's website.
  • Click here to learn how to vote, if you have been convicted of a crime.

Get Involved with the ACLU of Arkansas

• Take action by volunteering with and/or donating.
  • For more information on becoming a volunteer, reach out to: [email protected]
  • Donate here.

• Go National: Join our People Power campaign for organizing trainings, community engagement, and election protection opportunities in 2026.

Know Your Rights — and Share Them

• Learn about your rights during immigration enforcement encounters.
• Report immigration enforcement activity or abuse in Arkansas.
• Report other civil rights violations in Arkansas.

Support Community Partners

So many organizations are doing critical work on the ground. We encourage you to support groups including:

• Avanza Arkansas
• Intransitive
• Hispanic Women’s Organization of Arkansas (HWOA)
• Alliance for Immigrant Respect and Education (AIRE)
• Arkansas State Conference of the NAACP
• Little Rock Freedom Fund
• Seis Puentes
• Mamas Unidas
• El Zocalo

This moment demands courage and care. Look out for one another. Rest when you need to. Support local small businesses and restaurants. And keep showing up.

To be inspired, watch our latest town hall, where ACLU experts discuss how we respond in this difficult moment and what’s next in this fight.

Thank you for sticking with us, and for refusing to accept a future defined by fear, abuse of power, and silence. Together, we can — and will — achieve a democracy that belongs to and protects all of us.