ACLU petition calls on Biden to "commute all federal death sentences" before Trump takes office

A petition from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) calls on President Biden to “commute all federal death sentences” before President-elect Trump takes office.

“President Biden, I implore you, your constituents, to seize this moment before he leaves office to make history by becoming the first U.S. president to commute all federal death sentences.” petition readings.

“For decades, the federal death penalty has disproportionately affected people of color and people with disabilities, but has produced no improvements in public safety,” the petition continues.

In 2020, the last year of the first Trump administration, federal government executed According to one study, there are more inmates who carry out the death penalty than all the states combined.

The Death Penalty Information Center found that after a 17-year hiatus, the Department of Justice (DOJ) oversaw the executions of 10 inmates in 2020, while seven were executed by states that still impose the death penalty.

Merrick Garland, Biden’s attorney general in 2021, declared moratorium About federal death penalties

The ACLU’s petition to Biden reads: “Now, in 2024, with more than half of the federal death row serving people of color, you have a chance to prevent irreversible miscarriages of justice and build a legacy rooted in racial justice and compassion.”

“You came into office committed to taking action on the fundamental flaws of the death penalty,” the petition continues. “Now is the time to make good on that promise, especially as the nation once again approaches the Trump administration.”

As of Thursday afternoon, the petition, which aims to collect 10,000 signatures, had collected 951 signatures.

Hill has reached out to the White House and the Trump transition team for comment.

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