Free or low-cost legal resources in Puerto Rico

Since its founding, the ACLU of Puerto Rico has been at the forefront of landmark legal battles defending civil rights and liberties across the archipelago. Our legal team challenges systemic injustice through strategic litigation that protects free expression, due process, equality, and government accountability. From fighting police brutality and defending the rights of incarcerated people to advancing reproductive freedom and immigrants’ rights, we work to ensure that justice in Puerto Rico is accessible, equitable, and enduring.

Alvin Marrero-Méndez v. Héctor Pesquera, et al. (Case No. 13-cv-01203-JAG) is a civil lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. The complaint alleges that the plaintiff, Alvin Marrero-Méndez, a police officer, experienced discrimination and retaliation from his supervisors because of his religious beliefs, or lack thereof. The lawsuit claims that supervisors subjected him to mandatory, officially sponsored prayer and unwanted proselytizing. When Marrero-Méndez objected to these practices, he was humiliated publicly, disarmed, given downgraded duties such as washing cars, and denied days off. The complaint seeks monetary damages and an injunction to stop these practices and restore the plaintiff's regular job duties.

The case Comité Diálogo Ambiental v. FEMA focuses on the demand for disaster recovery funds to be used to transform Puerto Rico's electrical power system into one based on solar energy. The lawsuit argues that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other U.S. agencies have a duty to respect the will of the people of Puerto Rico, as expressed by their legislature, and to promote the island's economic development. The legal basis cited includes Article 73 of the United Nations Charter and the right of peoples to self-determination, emphasizing that federal actions must align with the best interests of the Puerto Rican population.

Belia Arlene Ocasio and Efraín Colón Damiani v. Comisión Estatal de Elecciones (CEE), et als. (Civil Action No. 3:20-cv-01432-PAD) was a lawsuit filed by the ACLU and a New York law firm to allow Puerto Rico's senior citizens, aged 60 and over, to vote by mail or early due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The plaintiffs argued that the CEE's policies forced them to choose between their right to vote and their health, given the pandemic's risks. The complaint alleged that the CEE's failure to allow early or absentee voting for seniors was an undue burden on the right to vote, in violation of the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. A District Court ordered the CEE to make arrangements to allow vote by mail for people 65 years old or older. The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico filed a motion for reconsideration, and the case is pending before the Court of Appeals (1st Cir.).