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ACLU Calls for End to Secure Flight and Registered Traveler Programs, Says TSA Passenger Screening Plans Fail to Identify Threats (02/09/2006)
WASHINGTON - Appearing before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, the American Civil Liberties Union today urged Congress to end two fatally flawed, airline passenger pre-screening systems operated by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA): Secure Flight and the Registered Traveler program. Both programs make America less safe while violating travelers’ civil liberties.

ACLU of Virginia Approves Lawsuit Challenging Manassas Ordinance That Limits Right of Family Members to Live Together (01/04/2006)
RICHMOND, VA -- The America Civil Liberties Union of Virginia today announced that it will support a legal challenge to a City of Manassas ordinance that prevents aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, great-grandparents, or great-grandchildren from living together as family unit.

ACLU Calls on Gonzales to Appoint Special Counsel on NSA Domestic Spying; Investigation of Violations of Law Must Be Independent, Free of Political Pressure (12/21/2005)
WASHINGTON - In a formal request to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, the American Civil Liberties Union today called for the immediate appointment of an outside special counsel to investigate and prosecute any criminal acts and violations of laws as a result of the National Security Agency’s surveillance of domestic targets as authorized by President Bush.

Michigan Courts Use Cohabitation Law to Restrict Father's Visitation Rights (12/21/2005)
DETROIT - The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan has appealed to the state Supreme Court on behalf of a divorced man whose overnight visitation with his children has been restricted by the court of appeals. The court order, based on an antiquated law that criminalizes "lewd and lascivious cohabitation," prohibits his girlfriend from sleeping at their shared home on the nights when the children are in the home.

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 Challenges Minneapolis “Photo Cop” Ordinance (12/15/2005)
MINNEAPOLIS – The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota filed a motion today seeking to have the Minneapolis Automated Traffic Enforcement Ordinance invalidated as a violation of Minnesota state law and the Constitution.

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.

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.

ACLU Raises Security, Privacy Concerns As Congress Considers TSA's "Registered Traveler Program" (11/03/2005)
WASHINGTON - As Congress moved a step closer Wednesday to authorizing the Transportation Security Administration's controversial "Registered Traveler Program," the American Civil Liberties Union strongly cautioned lawmakers against endorsing an initiative rife with security shortcomings and constitutional problems. The House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Economic Security, Infrastructure Protection and Cybersecurity today held a hearing on the future of the program.

Following Thefts of Student Social Security Numbers, ACLU Launches Investigation Into Kent State University's Privacy Policy (10/17/2005)
KENT, OH - After two separate incidents in which computers containing the Social Security Numbers of more than 100,000 students and faculty at Kent State University were stolen, the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio today sent a letter and public records request to university officials seeking information about the incidents.

ACLU of Hawai'i Celebrates 40th Anniversary with Gala Awards Dinner (09/08/2005)
HONOLULU - The American Civil Liberties Union of Hawai'i celebrates 40 years of protecting the Bill of Rights with a gala fundraising event on September 25 featuring a keynote address by renowned author, security critic and commentator Bruce Schneier. Three awards will be presented to local individuals for outstanding work to promote civil liberties awareness. The event will occur at the Renaissance Waikiki Ilikai Hotel beginning at 5:00 p.m.

ACLU of Michigan Challenges Breathalyzer Tests for Young Pedestrians (08/08/2005)
DETROIT - In a case with far-reaching implications for young adults and minors throughout the state, the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan filed a federal lawsuit today challenging a state law that allows police to force pedestrians under the age of 21 to take a Breathalyzer test without first obtaining a search warrant.

Michigan State Police and Legal Groups Agree To Changes To Help Identity Theft Victims (07/27/2005)
DETROIT - The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan and Legal Aid of Western Michigan today hailed an agreement with the Michigan State Police to clear the names of innocent victims of identity theft whose criminal records contain convictions that actually belong to the criminals who stole their identities.

ACLU Vows To Press Fight To Preserve Free Internet As Supreme Court Decides Two Cases (06/27/2005)
NEW YORK -- The American Civil Liberties Union today expressed concern over the Supreme Court's rulings in two cases of great importance for the future of freedom on the Internet, and vowed to continue fighting to preserve the Internet as the greatest forum for free speech and innovation that now exists.

Pentagon Student Database Another Example of the Government's Out-of-Control Information Grab, ACLU Says (06/23/2005)
NEW YORK -- The recent revelation that the Pentagon is working with a private company to create information dossiers on millions of American college and high school students as young as 16 for the purpose of military recruiting is yet another example of the government's rampant and unregulated collection and use of our personal information.

ACLU Says TSA Action on Secure Flight Shows Blatant Disregard for Privacy, Agency Violated Congressional Limits and Its Own Public Positions (06/20/2005)
WASHINGTON - The Department of Homeland Security's Transportation Security Administration is set to disclose this week in the Federal Register that the agency has collected and stored personal data about airline travelers, despite a Congressional ban and promises from the agency that it would not do so. The American Civil Liberties Union today said the secret collection of personal data from private companies shows a complete disregard for the privacy of Americans, and said it shows that the Secure Flight program should not be launched because testing of commercial data using a more limited amount of data failed.

ACLU Says DHS Privacy Office Probe on TSA's Handling of Consumer Data Confirms Fears About Government Abuse of Databases (06/16/2005)
NEW YORK -- The revelation that the Chief Privacy Officer of the Department of Homeland Security is investigating the possible violation of the Privacy Act by the Transportation Security Agency confirms what the American Civil Liberties Union and other privacy advocates have been saying about the problems with entrusting the government with large amounts of personal data on millions of innocent American travelers.

ACLU of Rhode Island Files Open Records Lawsuit Against North Smithfield (06/01/2005)
NORTH SMITHFIELD, RI -- For the third time in two years, the American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island has taken legal action against the town of North Smithfield, this time for a violation of the state's open records law. Today's lawsuit challenges a requirement by the town that any individual seeking access to an online database of public records must first provide personal information.

ACLU of Rhode Island Sues DMV Over Driver's License Procedures For Immigrants (05/23/2005)
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The ACLU of Rhode Island today filed a lawsuit against the Division of Motor Vehicles, charging the agency with a complete failure to comply with an important state law designed to ensure open and responsive government. The Administrative Procedures Act requires state agencies to provide advance public notice and seek public comment before they adopt rules and regulations governing their activities.