First Amendment
The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution outlines five fundamental rights that individuals have with regard to the government: freedom of speech and expression, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, freedom to petition the government, and freedom of religion.
Learn about the First Amendment's five fundamental rights, and scroll down to explore our work protecting First Amendment rights in Rhode Island through litigation, advocacy, and education.
The Latest
Court Blocks Trump-Vance Administration’s Unlawful Restrictions on Violence Against Women Act Grants
In a victory for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault and the state coalitions, a federal court in Rhode Island today issued a preliminary order blocking the Trump-Vance administration from enforcing many of the new unlawful restrictions on grants from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women.
RI Judge Grants Motion to Block Trump-Vance Administration’s Unlawful Restrictions on Funding for Critical Services for Survivors, LGBTQI+ Youth, and Unhoused Communities
Rhode Island District Judge Melissa R. DuBose has granted a request to temporarily block the Trump-Vance administration from adding harmful new restrictions on federal grant programs
administered by the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Cases, Campaigns & Legislation
Aug 08, 2025
RI Coalition Against Domestic Violence v. Bondi
A nationwide group of 17 state domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions, led by the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence (RICADV), filed a lawsuit seeking to stop the Trump administration from imposing unlawful restrictions on grants
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