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ACLU-NJ: Our state has long been a civil rights leader and, with racist and white nationalist movements emboldened, we have a duty to both defend vulnerable communities and march on toward a more fair and just state. Here's our proposal, brick by brick. (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

By Ari Rosmarin

The election of Donald Trump understandably has many New Jerseyans afraid. ACLU of New Jersey staff and supporters were scared too -- and then we got to work.

The ACLU has spent nearly 100 years defending our fundamental rights and liberties. We don't kid ourselves about the challenges ahead.

Every new appointment by Team Trump signals new, serious threats to freedom and equality. U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions, Trump's nominee for attorney general, has called the ACLU and NAACP "un-American" for "trying to force civil rights down people's throats."

If Trump thinks name-calling will deter us, he has no idea what's coming.

In Congress, the courts, state legislatures, towns, and in the streets -- all across the country -- the ACLU is gearing up to fight like hell for your rights.

The focus of that fight in New Jersey is building a wall.

No, not on the U.S.-Mexico border. New Jersey must build a protective wall for our rights and freedoms.

Our state has long been a civil rights leader and, with racist and white nationalist movements emboldened, we have a duty to both defend vulnerable communities and march on toward a more fair and just state. Here's our proposal, brick by brick.

To start where Trump's campaign began, New Jersey has a duty to protect immigrant families. Trump has promised mass deportations and crackdowns on sanctuary cities, among other threats.

New Jersey, a leading example of the diversity that truly makes America great, must stop local law enforcement from assisting in deportations. Counties should refuse to rent out jail beds to the Trump administration. The state can support towns and campuses that give refuge to immigrants. The Legislature must expand access to driver's licenses for undocumented New Jerseyans and provide lawyers to community members facing deportation. We can build a wall to keep our immigrant communities safe.

Amid this nativist atmosphere, Muslims face serious threats - to their safety, their ability to worship freely, and their right to live free from discrimination and surveillance. New Jersey must reject unconstitutional targeting of Muslim communities, whether it rears its head through federal registries or zoning aimed at stopping mosque construction. Our wall must insulate our Muslim communities from hatred.

Trump's administration poses unprecedented threats to privacy on at least two fronts. First, women could face restrictions on some of their most intimate reproductive health decisions. New Jersey must expand access to contraception and abortion services. Second, we should expect expanded domestic surveillance. Our state needs twenty-first century privacy laws. Police should need a warrant before getting our phone records, flying surveillance drones, stockpiling data about our travels from license plate readers, or deploying new ways to spy on us. Our wall must shield privacy.

Trump has proposed expanding stop-and-frisk and mocked calls from Black Lives Matter and others for police reform. With a Justice Department possibly hostile to civil rights, New Jersey must take up the mission of ensuring fair, constitutional policing. Stronger oversight from lawmakers, the attorney general, and the public must lead to more accountable and transparent police departments.

The path to ending mass incarceration also goes through the states. Despite Trump, New Jersey has an opportunity to lead nationally on bail reform, ending mandatory minimum sentences and banning solitary confinement abuse. We can fix parole, wind down the drug war, and help people return home after incarceration. With racial justice in mind, our wall can fortify a fairer criminal justice system.

Trump, Congress, and a future U.S. Supreme Court could unravel federal protections for LGBTQ people. Much discrimination is illegal under New Jersey law. But we must affirm marriage equality, prevent unlawful bigotry disguised as religious expression, and provide transgender New Jerseyans access to health care and birth certificates. Our wall must secure the LGBTQ community's rights and expand protections.

The right to protest is fundamental. We've already seen attempts to silence opposition. Our wall must also block any crackdown on dissent and prevent suppression of free speech.

The ACLU cannot build this wall alone. New Jerseyans from all communities, faiths, and political persuasions must band together to cement the promises of our Bill of Rights and renew our shared vision for a fair, equal, and just society.

The threats to our freedoms are real. Let's get to work - we've got a huge wall to build.

Ari Rosmarin is the public policy director of the ACLU of New Jersey.

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