American Civil Liberties Union

Immigrants' Rights:
The ACLU has been one of the nation's leading advocates for the rights of immigrants, refugees and non-citizens, challenging unconstitutional laws and practices, countering the myths upon which many of these laws are based. Learn more about our Immigrants' Rights Project and take action to protect the rights guaranteed by the Bill of Rights.


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Immigrants Rights : Due Process : Press Releases

As Senate Immigration Bill Stalls, ACLU Calls for Much-Needed Fixes, Says Lawmakers Must Act to Protect Due Process and Privacy (04/07/2006)
WASHINGTON - As legislation to reform the nation’s immigration laws stalled in the Senate today, the American Civil Liberties Union urged lawmakers to modify that legislation to better protect privacy, judicial review and due process rights.

ACLU Says Immigration Bills Must Protect Due Process and Privacy, Urges Lawmakers to Fix Shortcomings in Pending Legislation (04/03/2006)
WASHINGTON - As the Senate Judiciary Committee met today to examine immigration, the American Civil Liberties Union urged lawmakers to reject two proposals that would deprive immigrants of their right to appeal and overburden the judicial system. The Judiciary Committee recently passed an immigration bill that does not include these two objectionable provisions, but lawmakers may yet seek to include them in the final measure.

ACLU Urges House To Reject "Border Security" Bill, Warns of Unintended Consequences For America’s Workers (12/16/2005)
WASHINGTON - With a vote looming on an ill-considered and short-sighted immigration bill, the American Civil Liberties Union today urged the House of Representatives to oppose legislation that would have a detrimental impact on Americans’ ability to work and would also undermine due process in the immigration system.

ACLU Opposes Faulty "Border Security" Bill, Proposal Would Require Workers to Get Government "Permission Slip" (12/15/2005)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today urged the House of Representatives to oppose a border security bill that fails to properly address the issue of illegal immigration, undermines due process and creates a federally mandated "permission slip" for all Americans. This sweeping legislation has not been thoroughly examined by Congress, and yet could be considered as early as today.

ACLU Calls Flawed House Border Security Bill An Assault on Privacy, Says Measure Would Expand Policies That Already Erode Civil Liberties (12/08/2005)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today denounced legislation, authored by House Judiciary Chairman James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), aimed at enhancing border security and employment verification, but that would actually undermine the privacy of Americans and would not appropriately address the issue of illegal immigration. The House Judiciary Committee approved that bill today.

House Includes Asylum and Privacy Assault in 'Must Pass' Funding Bill; ACLU Urges Senate to Reject Sensenbrenner Measure (03/16/2005)
WASHINGTON - The House of Representatives today attached controversial anti-immigration legislation to an emergency military funding bill. The American Civil Liberties Union urged the Senate to reject the House's efforts to evade regular legislative order, saying that the REAL ID Act would make it more difficult to seek asylum, lay the foundation for a national ID card and chill free speech.

ACLU Hails Unanimous Supreme Court Decision Rejecting Unfair Deportation of Legal Immigrants (11/09/2004)
WASHINGTON, DC-In a victory for immigrants' rights, the Supreme Court today ruled that a drunk driving conviction, while a ""nationwide problem,"" does not allow for mandatory deportation of legal immigrants.

ACLU Warns of Resurrecting 'Voluntary' Interview Program; Arab and Muslim Communities Should Not be Targets of Racial Profiling (06/22/2004)
WASHINGTON -- Saying that previous attempts by federal law enforcement officials to conduct 'voluntary' interviews of Arab and Muslim immigrants proved ineffective, the American Civil Liberties Union today called upon the FBI to give careful consideration before engaging in similar efforts.

ACLU Applauds Introduction of Civil Liberties Restoration Act; Measure Restores Freedom, Protects Security (06/16/2004)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union and other civil rights organizations today welcomed the introduction in Congress of the "Civil Liberties Restoration Act of 2004," a bill that would restore basic freedoms and protections that have been compromised since 9/11, without compromising national security.

ACLU Opposes Latest Court-Stripping Assault on Rights of Immigrants; Unnecessary Proposal Includes Another Piece of 'Patriot 2' (05/20/2004)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today strongly condemned new proposed legislation that would restrict immigrants' access to federal court, and called on Congress to reject the measure. The proposed bill would explicitly restrict access to the "Great Writ" of habeas corpus, which lies at the core of American liberty, and also contains a provision of the now defunct "Patriot Act 2" legislation leaked last year.

ACLU "Disappointed" by First Federal Appeals Court Decision to Allow Closed Immigration Hearings (10/08/2002)
NEW YORK--The American Civil Liberties Union said today it was disappointed by a federal appeals court ruling that immigration hearings involving people detained after Sept. 11 may be closed by the government without the input of the court.

Federal Appeals Court Declares Secret Deportation Hearings Unconstitutional in ACLU Victory (08/26/2002)
DETROIT-- In a unanimous decision today, a federal appeals court struck down the government's blanket policy of conducting secret deportation hearings in post-9/11 cases as a violation of the First Amendment. It is the first such decision by a federal appellate court anywhere in the country.

ACLU Endorses Bill Aimed at Protecting Vulnerable Immigrant Families From Unfair Deportations (07/17/2002)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today said that it strongly supports a bill that would protect some legal permanent residents in the United States from unfair deportations, saying that such deportations often result in the destructive dissolution of loving families in America.

ACLU Decries Ashcroft Scheme to Gut Immigration Courts (03/20/2002)
WASHINGTON -- The American Civil Liberties Union today decried the latest step in an ongoing scheme to gut the country's immigration courts, calling it a serious threat to the fairness of America's immigration system.

Advocacy Groups Hold Rights Trainings For Jailed INS Detainees (03/13/2002)
NEWARK -- The American Civil Liberties of New Jersey and coalition organizations today said that they have completed three "Know Your Rights" training sessions in the last week for detainees being held by the Immigration and Nationalization Service in Hudson, Passaic and Middlesex County Jails. 

ACLU Backs Bill to Stop Improper Removal and Jailing of Refugees, Says Measure Would Save Lives, Prevent Mistreatment (08/02/2001)
WASHINGTON -- The American Civil Liberties Union expressed strong support today for new bipartisan legislation that would greatly limit the number of deportations, without a fair hearing and without review, of asylum-seekers with a valid need for refuge in the United States. 

ACLU to Argue Crucial Immigrants' Rights Case Before Supreme Court Tomorrow (04/23/2001)
WASHINGTON--The fate of thousands of legal immigrants facing deportation is to be determined by two closely watched cases being argued before the Supreme Court tomorrow morning by the American Civil Liberties Union. 

California Court Orders Hearing For Unlawfully Imprisoned Immigrant (07/14/1999)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- Ruling that the San Francisco Office of Immigration and Naturalization Service unlawfully incarcerated a Salvadoran immigrant for over a year, a U.S. District Court Judge yesterday ordered the INS to grant the immigrant a hearing to determine whether the asylum applicant could be released while his case is pending.


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