The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) is actively representing Rosanna Pulido, a Springfield, Illinois, resident, in a case involving alleged violations of her First Amendment rights.
The incident occurred during a Springfield City Council meeting on October 29, 2024, when Ms. Pulido wore a “Chicanos for Trump” T-shirt. Despite her peaceful participation, she was reportedly singled out by an alderwoman, who claimed the shirt violated a policy against “campaign materials” in the council chambers.
Ms. Pulido was forced to either turn her shirt inside out or cover the message. According to the ACLJ, no written rule or law justifies such restrictions, and Ms. Pulido’s inquiries to the city council and the city attorney regarding the legal basis for the action went unanswered.
The ACLJ, led by Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow, has committed to defending Ms. Pulido’s constitutional rights, highlighting the importance of free expression in public forums. The organization aims to hold the city accountable for what it deems an unjust restriction of Ms. Pulido’s First Amendment freedoms.
In January 2023, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that wearing a MAGA hat is an expression of free speech and is protected under the First Amendment. The ruling was in favor of Washington middle school teacher Eric Dodge, who claimed the school’s principle threatened to discipline him if he wore the hat to future teacher training sessions.
“That some may not like the political message being conveyed is par for the course and cannot itself be a basis for finding disruption of a kind that outweighs the speaker’s First Amendment rights,” wrote, Circuit Judge Danielle Forrest, a Trump appointee.
