From the ACLU of Northern California, MAKE the CASE takes you behind the scenes of the fights for your civil rights and civil liberties. Host Carmen King sits down each episode with an attorney or organizer and asks them to make their case — on mass surveillance, voter suppression, immigration, and more. Change doesn't have to come from Washington or Sacramento. It starts with people willing to tell the truth and fight back. You don't need a legal background or to agree on every issue to join us.
New episodes every week starting October 6th through the end of the month. Listen to MAKE the CASE wherever you get your podcasts.
How White Supremacy is Driving Trump's Immigration Policy
What happens when the government considers America a country club for which they control membership and not a democracy that is supposed to welcome all? Join Emi MacLean, senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Northern California, in a discussion about the repercussions of a recent Supreme Court ruling and the urgent need for comprehensive immigration reform.
Episode Guest: Emi MacLean, senior attorney at the ACLU of Northern California
Host: Carmen King, senior communications strategist, ACLU of Northern California
Production Credits:
Produced by the ACLU of Northern California
Executive Producer: Candice Francis
Producer: Jarrod Sport
Senior Producer: Joanne Jennings
Senior Editor: Tammerlin Drummond
Digital Media Producer Virginia Reinhart
Music by Renzo Gorrio
Art Design: Annabelle Ison
Administrative Specialist: Kevin Fonseca
LEARN MORE:
Temporary Protected Status - ACLU of Northern California
The Fight is Not Over: Clear the Path to Legal Status - ACLU of Northern California
After This Supreme Court Term, We're Doubling Down on America's Founding Promise
Mullin v. Dahlia Doe - ACLU of Northern California
Garro Pinchi, et al. v. Noem, et al. - ACLU of Northern California
Immigrants' Rights - ACLU of Northern California
The Death of a Young Haitian's American Dream | The New Yorker
20 Oct 2026
Vallejo Badge Bending: A Terrifying Case of Police Misconduct
What happens when police fail to honor the code to serve and protect? Avi Frey, deputy director of the ACLU of Northern California's Criminal Law & Immigration Project, discusses the Vallejo police badge bending scandal and the ACLU lawsuit that forced the city to release its hidden investigation into officers accused of bending the tips of their badges to mark killing a civilian in the line of duty.
Episode Guest:
Avi Frey, deputy director of the criminal law & immigration project at the ACLU of Northern California
Host: Carmen King, senior communications strategist, ACLU of Northern California
Production Credits:
Produced by the ACLU of Northern California
Executive Producer: Candice Francis
Producer: Jarrod Sport
Senior Producer: Joanne Jennings
Senior Editor: Tammerlin Drummond
Digital Media Producer Virginia Reinhart
Music by Renzo Gorrio
Art Design: Annabelle Ison
Administrative Specialist Kevin Fonseca
Learn more about our police accountability work:
ACLU, Open Vallejo win release of badge bending report
City of Vallejo Releases Sanitized Report On Police Officers' Badge-Bending Ritual - ACLU of Northern California
ACLU Calls on Vallejo City Council to Authorize Independent Investigation of City Attorney's Office in Wake of Serious Misconduct Allegations - ACLU of Northern California
ACLU, Family Members Whose Loved Ones Died in Police Shootings, Will Rally Thursday in West Sacramento to Call for Decertification Investigations of Vallejo Police Officers - ACLU of Northern California
13 Oct 2026
Safety Through Mass Surveillance is an Illusion
What can go wrong when a private company builds a nationwide mass surveillance network that records billions of license plate scans per month? Nick Hidalgo, senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Northern California, examines dubious claims that Flock cameras fight crime—and the consequences of tracking millions of people as they go about their daily lives.
Host: Carmen King, senior communication strategist, ACLU of Northern California
Episode Guest:
Nick Hidalgo, senior attorney with the ACLU of Northern California democracy, speech and technology program
Production Credits:
Produced by the ACLU of Northern California
Executive Producer: Candice Francis
Producer: Jarrod Sport
Senior Producer: Joanne Jennings
Senior Editor: Tammerlin Drummond
Digital Media Producer Virginia Reinhart
Music by Renzo Gorrio
Art Design: Annabelle Ison
Administrative Specialist: Kevin Fonseca
LEARN MORE:
Activist Toolkit here: Get Flock Cameras Out of Your Community - ACLU of Northern California
Lawsuit discussed in the episode here: SIREN, et al. v. City of San Jose, et al. - ACLU of Northern California
6 Oct 2026
Voting Rights: The Myth of Voter Fraud
How do you distinguish a rule that promises election security from a rule that protects the people already in power? In this inaugural episode of MAKE the CASE, Abdi Soltani, executive director of the ACLU of Northern California, discusses attacks on free and fair elections in California and nationwide, and how the ACLU is working to defend this critical constitutional right.
Host: Carmen King, senior communication strategist, ACLU of Northern California
Episode Guest: Abdi Soltani, executive director of the ACLU of Northern California
Production Credits:
Produced by the ACLU of Northern California
Executive Producer: Candice Francis
Producer: Jarrod Sport
Senior Producer: Joanne Elgart Jennings
Senior Editor: Tammerlin Drummond
Digital Media Producer: Virginia Reinhart
Music: Renzo Gorrio
Art Design: Annabelle Ison
Administrative Specialist: Kevin Fonseca
Learn more about your voting rights and our ACLU voter protection work:
Voting Rights - ACLU of Northern California
Join Californians for Voting Rights in saying NO on Prop 39. (https://noonprop39.com/)
3 Oct 2026
Introducing MAKE the CASE
Do you ever wonder what goes on behind the scenes of a lawsuit or public policy that changes lives, informs opinion, and instigates debate? How do ACLU lawyers and advocates gear up to fight for civil liberties and civil rights?
Find out on our new podcast MAKE the CASE with Carmen King, where we delve into some of the most consequential questions of our time. We go behind the headlines to help listeners understand what's at stake, why the ACLU gets involved, and who could be affected when the outcome will shape how people are treated under the law for years to come.
New episodes every week starting October 6th. Listen to MAKE the CASE wherever you get your podcasts.
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