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Immigration enforcement in South Carolina: What you need to know
ICE and local police are collaborating across the state. Be prepared, know your rights.
Here's how we stopped the map rigging plan
This victory belongs to all South Carolinians who called, testified, wrote, rallied, and voted
Episode 22: How to Love Your Neighbor
From opening prayers to religious authoritarian laws to the pastors who show up to defend their transgender congregants, religion is an unavoidable fact in the South Carolina Statehouse. What does it mean when people from the same faith traditions find themselves at odds in the political arena?
We've met some remarkable faith leaders and people of faith who joined us in the pursuit of civil liberties. Two of those people, Ginny Eiwen and the Rev. Alston Lippert, join us on today's episode to share what they have witnessed and how they keep going.
Interested in joining the Faith & Justice Table? Fill out the interest form at aclusc.org/fj
The March of Dimes Maternal and Infant Health Report Card mentioned in this episode is available here: https://www.marchofdimes.org/peristats/reports/south-carolina/report-card
Press Releases
Jun 04, 2026
ACLU-SC seeking details after Abbeville immigration raid
Director responds after June 3 immigration arrests and June 4 attorney general's press conference
Featured Case
Violating the civil liberties of South Carolinians? We'll see y'all in court.
In the Courts
In the fall of 2025, four South Carolina lawmakers threatened to block state funds to the private Presbyterian College in Clinton, S.C., unless the college fired an English professor for her writing.
The professor, Dr. Emily Taylor, had published an essay titled “Dying to Be Men: American Masculinity as Death Cult” that was critical of the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The essay concluded:
“I’m sorry for Charlie Kirk and all the other men like him that have been raised in this America and with these ideals of masculinity. I’m sorry that he decided to adopt this hateful ideology and to profit from it. And as the mother to a boy and a girl, my heart breaks for the America these children are growing up in. Here’s hoping we can save ourselves.”In response, State House Representative Luke S. Rankin* called for Dr. Taylor’s firing. He followed up that threat with a letter, co-signed by fellow State House Representatives Mark Willis, John McCravy, and Craig Gagnon, that threatened to block funds via the Higher Education Tuition Grants Commission unless the college fired her for her speech. On December 18, 2025, Dr. Taylor resigned because of the threats. On March 11, 2026, Dr. Taylor sued the four state lawmakers in U.S. District Court for what the lawsuit describes as “textbook, unconstitutional jawboning.” She is asking the court to declare the state lawmakers’ actions unconstitutional and order them to rescind their letter and threats. She also seeks compensation for back pay, lost benefits, and compensatory and punitive damages. She is represented in the case by the American Civil Liberties Union of South Carolina and by attorney Joshua Snow Kendrick of Kendrick & Leonard, P.C.
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