Chandra Bhatnagar Named Executive Director Of ACLU SoCal
By India-West Staff Reporter
LOS ANGELES, CA — The ACLU of Southern California has appointed human rights advocate Chandra S. Bhatnagar as its new executive director, making him only the third person to hold the position in more than five decades.
Bhatnagar joins the Southern California affiliate with a distinguished 20-year career spanning the nonprofit sector, federal government, and higher education. He previously served as a senior staff attorney in the Human Rights Program at the national ACLU and held a key role in the Obama administration as senior legal and policy advisor to the chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
In 2017, Bhatnagar helped establish and lead the Civil Rights Office at UCLA, a neutral and independent body responsible for civil rights enforcement across the university and UCLA Health System. Over the years, he has championed marginalized communities through litigation and policy advocacy, including a notable 2015 case in which he successfully represented H-2B guest workers from India who were victims of a labor trafficking scheme.
“I am deeply honored to return to the ACLU as the Southern California affiliate’s next executive director,” Bhatnagar said. “As our region and country confront the greatest threat to our constitutional rights of this generation, we will remain on the frontline of the struggle to protect and advance the dignity and well-being of all our communities.”
Carlos Amador, president of ACLU SoCal, described Bhatnagar as “a proven fighter for the people,” highlighting his experience as an organizer and lawyer, his deep understanding of systemic oppression, and his empathy for marginalized populations.
Bhatnagar succeeds Hector Villagra, who led the organization from 2011 and expanded its presence by opening offices in the Inland Region and Kern County. Before Villagra, civil rights icon Ramona Ripston headed the affiliate from 1972 to 2011.
Founded in 1923, ACLU SoCal is the first affiliate of the national American Civil Liberties Union and continues to play a pivotal role in defending constitutional rights across Southern California.
