American Civil Liberties Union

National Security:
Throughout U.S. history "national security" has often been used as a pretext for massive violations of individual rights. The terrorist attacks on Sept. 11 mobilized our country in the fight against terrorism. However, this also launched a serious civil liberties crises. The ACLU continues to challenge policies like the USA Patriot Act, and creates campaigns like Safe and Free.


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National Security : Legislative Documents

Answers to Written Questions Posed to Professor Nadine Strossen, ACLU President, Following Her Testimony Before the Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on November 18, 2003: "America After 9/11: Freedom Preserved Or Freedom Lost?" (12/19/2003)

Answers to Written Questions Posed to Professor Nadine Strossen, President of the ACLU, Following Her Testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee on November 18, 2003: "America After 9/11: Freedom Preserved or Freedom Lost?" (12/19/2003)

Coalition Letter to the Department of Homeland Security in Support of Recent Suspension of the One-Year and Thirty-Day Re-Registration Requirements for the National Entry-Exit Registration System or "NSEERS" (12/18/2003)

ACLU Testimony at a Hearing on "Security and Liberty" Before the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (12/08/2003)

ACLU Letter to the House and Senate Committees on Intelligence Urging Opposition to Expanded Authority of "National Security Letters" in H.R. 2417 and S. 1025, the Intelligence Authorization Act for FY2004 (11/17/2003)

ACLU Comments to Department of Homeland Security on the "Passenger and Aviation Security Screening Records" (09/30/2003)

The Five Problems With CAPPS II (08/25/2003)
The new version of CAPPS II is all dressed up in the language of privacy and concern for freedom, but it fails to address the core problems with the concept, and continues to pose an enormous threat to American freedom and privacy.

ACLU Statement on Terrorist Information Awareness Before the Department of Defense Technology and Privacy Advisory Committee (06/19/2003)

Sign-on Letter to the House Judiciary Committee Urging Oversight on the Treatment of Detainees by the Department of Justice (06/04/2003)

Sign-on Letter to the Senate on the Freedom of Information Act Exemption for National Security Agency Files in S. 1050, Defense Authorization Act (05/16/2003)

Sign-on Letter to CIA Director Tenet Urging the Defense Department Report on the Total Information Awareness Program be Available to the Public (05/13/2003)

Sign-on Letter to Attorney General Ashcroft Urging the Defense Department Report on the Total Information Awareness Program be Available to the Public (05/13/2003)

Sign-on Letter to Defense Secretary Rumsfeld Urging the Defense Department Report on the Total Information Awareness Program be Available to the Public (05/13/2003)

Letter to the Census Bureau Concerning Data Privacy (04/29/2003)

Letter to the Senate Urging Opposition to S. 113, the Expansion of Wiretapping and Other Surveillance under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) (04/09/2003)

Testimony of ACLU Legislative Counsel Timothy Edgar on "Securing the Freedom of the Nation: Collecting Intelligence Under the Law" Before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (04/09/2003)

Letter to Conferees on S. 151, Child Abduction Prevention Act (04/08/2003)

Sign on Letter to Key Members of Congress on the Draft Domestic Security Enhancement Act (PATRIOT Act II) (04/02/2003)

ACLU Fact Sheet on PATRIOT Act II (03/28/2003)

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