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ACLU Files Landmark Lawsuit Challenging CIA’s “Extraordinary Rendition” of Innocent Man (12/06/2005)
WASHINGTON -- The American Civil Liberties Union today announced the first ever lawsuit against former CIA director George Tenet challenging the CIA’s abduction of a foreign national for detention and interrogation in a secret overseas prison. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Khalid El-Masri, an innocent German citizen victimized by the CIA’s policy of “extraordinary rendition.”

Final 9/11 Commission Report Does Not Call for Patriot Act Search Powers Expansion, ACLU Says Congress Must Take Steps to Better Balance Security and Liberty (12/05/2005)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today welcomed the final report of the 9/11 Public Discourse Project, noting that the successor organization to the 9/11 Commission did not call for a further expansion of the Patriot Act. Congress is currently working to pass legislation to reauthorize provisions of that law that are scheduled to "sunset," or expire, at the end of this year.

FBI Retaliated Against Whistleblower for Reporting National Security Breaches, Inspector General Report Concludes (12/04/2005)
NEW YORK -- The FBI retaliated against a former undercover agent for reporting flaws in a terrorism investigation and doctored records to cover up mistakes, according to a draft report from the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General. The American Civil Liberties Union criticized the FBI’s actions against the agent, Mike German, and called on Congress to enact real whistleblower protections.

Supreme Court Denies Review in FBI Whistleblower Case (11/28/2005)
NEW YORK -- The American Civil Liberties Union today expressed disappointment over the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision not to review the case of Sibel Edmonds, a former FBI translator who was fired in retaliation for reporting serious security breaches and espionage within the Bureau. Lower courts dismissed the case when former Attorney General John Ashcroft invoked the rarely used “state secrets” privilege.

Secret Surveillance Court That Reviews Patriot Act Surveillance Considers Rule Changes to Better Protect Privacy and Civil Liberties (11/17/2005)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today called upon the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to enact changes to its rules that would better protect those affected by its secret search and surveillance orders.

ACLU Urges Federal Appeals Court to Uphold Two Rulings Blocking FBI's Use of Patriot Surveillance Power (11/02/2005)
NEW YORK - In the first federal appeals court argument addressing a surveillance provision of the Patriot Act, the American Civil Liberties Union today urged a three-judge panel to uphold two separate rulings: one which found the National Security Letter (NSL) authority of the Patriot Act unconstitutional and another that struck down a gag imposed under the same statute. The controversial NSL provision authorizes the FBI to demand a range of personal records without court approval, including records of Web site visits, e-mail addresses and library records.

Portland, Oregon to End Role in FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force (04/22/2005)
PORTLAND, OR -- Citing the need for greater oversight of its own police officers, Mayor Tom Potter announced Friday that Portland will soon end its participation in the local FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force. However, Potter and FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Robert Jordan said the two agencies would continue to cooperate in terrorism investigations and that the Mayor will be seeking secret clearance to allow him access to classified information.

ACLU Challenges Government's Use of Secrecy to Avoid Accountability in National Security Whistleblower Case (04/21/2005)
WASHINGTON -- During closed oral arguments today before the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, the American Civil Liberties Union challenged the government's ""radical theory"" that every aspect of FBI whistleblower Sibel Edmonds' case involved state secrets and therefore could not go forward. The ACLU also filed an emergency motion last night, along with other public interest groups and media outlets, challenging the court's decision to close the courtroom to members of the press and the general public.

ACLU of Southern California Sues DHS Secretary Chertoff Over Free Speech Rights for Federal Air Marshals (04/21/2005)
LOS ANGELES -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California today filed a lawsuit on behalf of Air Marshal Frank Terreri, who is seeking a ban on Federal Air Marshal Service rules that prohibit him from speaking publicly about his job or saying anything in connection with the Air Marshal Service.

Members of Congress Pledge Support for FBI Whistleblower Sibel Edmonds (03/03/2005)
WASHINGTON - Two Members of Congress promised to investigate whistleblower Sibel Edmonds' allegations against the FBI and raised concerns over the government's response to her case after she testified Wednesday for the first time before Congress.

ACLU Calls on Attorney General Gonzales to Show Commitment to Justice, Appoint Special Counsel on Torture Abuses to Uncover Truth (02/03/2005)
WASHINGTON - The newly confirmed attorney general, Alberto Gonzales, should immediately appoint an outside special counsel to investigate and prosecute any criminal acts by civilians in the torture or abuse of detainees by the U.S. government, the American Civil Liberties Union said today.

Chertoff Shows No Remorse for Round-up of Arab, Muslim and South Asian Men; Dodges Tough Questions From Senators on Torture (02/02/2005)
WASHINGTON - Michael Chertoff, nominee for Secretary of Homeland Security and the force behind the unprovoked detention of hundreds of Arab, South Asian and Muslim men after 9/11, showed no regrets for that roundup during his Senate confirmation hearing today. He also acknowledged he was consulted on the development and implementation of a notorious Justice Department torture memo.

ACLU Examines Chertoff's Troubling Civil Liberties Record; Nominee Had Key Role In Controversial Post- 9/11 Policies (01/31/2005)
WASHINGTON - In anticipation of this week's confirmation hearings, the American Civil Liberties Union today released a review of the troubling civil liberties record of Michael Chertoff, who has been nominated to head the Department of Homeland Security.

Government is Abusing "States Secrets Privilege" to Cover Up National Security Blunders, ACLU Says (01/12/2005)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today urged the D.C. Court of Appeals to reinstate the case of former FBI translator Sibel Edmonds, saying that the government is abusing the ""state secrets privilege"" to silence employees who expose national security blunders.

Special Ops Task Force Threatened Government Agents Who Saw Detainee Abuse in Iraq, Documents Obtained by ACLU Reveal (12/07/2004)
NEW YORK - Documents released today by the American Civil Liberties Union reveal that a special operations task force in Iraq sought to silence Defense Intelligence Agency personnel who observed abusive interrogations and that the Department of Defense adopted questionable interrogation techniques at Guantanamo over FBI objections.

ACLU Renews Call for Strong Civil Liberties Board in Intelligence Reform, Says Increased Government Powers Intensify Need For Independent Review (10/26/2004)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today renewed its call to lawmakers to ensure that a strong civil liberties board is created and government openness is maintained as the House, the Senate and the White House seek to hammer out a compromise on intelligence reform legislation. The 9/11 Commission specifically called for those provisions, and though they were included in the Senate bill, the administration and the House leadership have vehemently opposed their inclusion in the final intelligence reform legislation.

ACLU Opposes British-American Extradition Treaty; Says Measure Removes Crucial Due Process Protections (12/19/2003)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today weighed in against the ratification of a new extradition treaty between the United Kingdom and the United States, saying that the measure contains a number of ill-considered erosions of judicial review and would threaten the due process rights of Americans and others accused of crimes by the British government.

ACLU Urges Congress to Put in Place Guidelines to Prevent Civil Liberties Abuses by New Intelligence Umbrella Agency (07/22/2003)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today urged lawmakers to put in place guidelines to help prevent the Central Intelligence Agency's leadership of the new domestic intelligence umbrella agency from resulting in widespread infringements on civil liberties.

ACLU Warns Against Domestic Spying Role For CIA; Urges Congress to Reject Flawed Bush Proposal (05/02/2003)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today strongly urged Congress to reject a Bush Administration proposal to allow the Central Intelligence Agency and the military broad authority to spy on Americans and raised concerns about how the Administration attempted to push the proposal through a closed Senate hearing.

Government Cannot Use Material Witness Statute to Detain People, ACLU Tells Appeals Court (11/22/2002)
NEW YORK - The American Civil Liberties Union today urged a federal appeals court to uphold a ruling that the government unlawfully used the material witness statute to detain a Jordanian-born college student for 20 days.