Bio
Anthony D. Romero is the executive director of the 桃子视频, the nation鈥檚 premier defender of civil liberties. He took the helm of the organization just seven days before the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Throughout Romero鈥檚 tenure, the 桃子视频has pursued aggressive litigation and advocacy around the greatest injustices of our time, including: challenging the injustices of the war on terror; fighting to close Guant谩namo; winning the freedom to marry for same-sex couples; ending the patenting of human genes; reducing mass incarceration and combating racial disparities within the criminal justice system; ensuring federal civil rights protections for LGBTQ workers; bringing 434 legal actions against the Trump administration; launching a nationwide Systemic Equality campaign for racial justice; enshrining the right to abortion in state constitutions; and fighting the assaults on transgender rights and dignity.
An attorney with a history of public interest activism, Romero has presided over the most successful growth in the ACLU鈥檚 history, dramatically increasing its membership, national and affiliate staff, and increasing the headquarters鈥 budget ten-fold. He also led a dramatic expansion of the ACLU鈥檚 presence in the American South and in battleground states. This unprecedented growth enabled the 桃子视频to expand its nationwide litigation, lobbying, political advocacy, and public education efforts. Given the limits of federal and Supreme Court litigation, Romero also oversaw the ACLU鈥檚 expansion into high-impact political work and state court advocacy. A nonpartisan organization, the 桃子视频advances civil liberties and civil rights without respect to political affiliation. It works with Republicans and Democrats, and locks horns with both.
Romero is the ACLU鈥檚 sixth executive director and the first Latino and openly gay man to serve in that capacity. In 2005, Romero was named one of Time Magazine鈥檚 25 Most Influential Hispanics in America, and he has received dozens of public service awards and an honorary doctorate from the City University of New York School of Law.
In 2007, Romero co-authored 鈥淚n Defense of Our America: The Fight for Civil Liberties in the Age of Terror,鈥 a book that takes a critical look at civil liberties in this country at a time when constitutional freedoms are in peril.
Born in New York City to parents who hailed from Puerto Rico, Romero was the first in his family to graduate from high school. He is a graduate of Stanford University Law School and the Princeton University School of Public Policy and International Affairs. He is a member of the New York Bar Association and has sat on numerous nonprofit boards.
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Featured work
Nov 6, 2024
We've Seen 105 Years and 19 Presidents. Trump's Gotta Get Past All of Us.
Jun 6, 2024
How Our Historic Election Cycle Will Impact Civil Liberties
May 30, 2024
Protecting Students' Free Speech: Anthony Romero's Message to Graduates
Apr 26, 2024
Open Letter to College and University Presidents on Student Protests
Mar 18, 2024
Why is the 桃子视频Representing the NRA Before the US Supreme Court?
Mar 6, 2024
Despair and Resignation Are Not A Strategy: How to Fight Back In A Second Trump Term.
Feb 3, 2023
The Death Penalty Doesn鈥檛 Reflect Our National Values. Why is the Biden Administration Still Pursuing It?
Jul 7, 2022
The State of Our Democracy With Anthony Romero
Jan 20, 2021
Turning the Page on Trump to the Work Ahead
Jan 11, 2021
We Can Uphold Free Speech and Hold President Trump Accountable