Los Angeles, California, USA: Chandra S. Bhatnagar, an Indian American civil rights attorney, has been named the new executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California (ACLU SoCal).
Bhatnagar officially took over the role in July 2025, becoming only the third individual to lead the Southern California affiliate in over five decades. He succeeds Hector Villagra, who held the position since 2011.
In a statement, Bhatnagar said, “I am truly honored to return to the ACLU as the executive director of the Southern California affiliate. As our region and nation face unprecedented threats to constitutional rights, we will continue to be at the forefront of defending and promoting the dignity and well-being of all communities.”
Carlos Amador, president of ACLU SoCal and chair of its foundation, described Bhatnagar as “a dedicated advocate for the people,” highlighting his dual experience as a community organizer and civil rights lawyer.
Bhatnagar brings more than 20 years of legal, policy, and advocacy experience. He began his career as a staff attorney and Skadden Fellow at the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund in New York City, where he led the South Asian Workers’ Project for Human Rights. The initiative, started after 9/11, offered legal support to low-wage South Asian immigrant workers.
He then spent over a decade as a senior staff attorney with the national ACLU Human Rights Program, focusing on racial justice and immigrant rights litigation. Notably, he was part of a legal team representing over 500 Indian H-2B guest workers who had been subjected to labor trafficking in Mississippi and Texas, a case that earned the 2015 Public Justice Trial Lawyer of the Year Award.
During the Obama administration, Bhatnagar served as senior legal and policy advisor to the chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). His responsibilities included labor trafficking, policing, protection of vulnerable workers, and promoting diversity within law enforcement agencies.
In 2017, he joined UCLA as the first assistant vice chancellor for civil rights, establishing the Civil Rights Office. The office unified compliance and enforcement functions from Title IX, the Discrimination Prevention Office, and other units to address discrimination and harassment cases across UCLA and its health system. Bhatnagar also served as the university’s Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Officer.
Bhatnagar follows Hector Villagra, who broadened ACLU SoCal’s reach into the Inland Region and Kern County. Before Villagra, Ramona Ripston led the affiliate from 1972 to 2011.
Founded in 1923, ACLU SoCal was the first affiliate of the national ACLU, which now has 53 affiliates across the U.S. The Southern California branch continues to play a key role in protecting civil liberties and constitutional rights.
