ACLU Newsfeeds

Obama Administration Should Not Revive Military Commissions, Says ACLU

2009-06-29T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – According to The Wall Street Journal, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has issued guidance to the Obama administration on reviving the military commissions system to try Guantánamo detainees. The Journal reports that the DOJ's Office of Legal Counsel advised the administration that detainees can claim some constitutional rights if they are tried in military commissions within the United States.

Obama Administration Indefinite Detention Order Would Undermine American Values Of Justice, Says ACLU

2009-06-26T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK - According to news reports, the Obama administration is considering issuing an executive order that would reassert executive authority to imprison terrorism suspects without charge or trial.

Italian "Extraordinary Rendition" Victim Still Held In Morocco Based On Tortured Confession

2009-06-25T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – Human rights groups today asked two U.N. Special Rapporteurs to investigate the case of Abou Elkassim Britel, an Italian citizen and victim of the CIA's unlawful "extraordinary rendition" program who is currently held in a Moroccan prison based on a confession coerced from him through torture. The American Civil Liberties Union and Alkarama for Human Rights requested that the U.N. Special Rapporteur on Torture and the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights while Countering Terrorism investigate the circumstances of Britel's forced disappearance, rendition, detention and torture, and raise his case with the governments of the United States, Morocco, Pakistan and Italy.

ACLU Letter to the House Urging Support of the Holt Amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 2647)

2009-06-25T12:00:00-05:00

New Evidence Of Abuse At Bagram Underscores Need For Full Disclosure About Prison, Says ACLU

2009-06-24T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – Former detainees have alleged they were beaten, deprived of sleep and threatened with dogs at the Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan, according to a new BBC report based on interviews with former detainees held at Bagram between 2002 and 2006. Hundreds of detainees are still being held in U.S. custody at the Bagram prison without charge or trial.

New Evidence Of Abuse At Bagram Underscores Need For Full Disclosure About Prison, Says ACLU

2009-06-24T12:00:00-05:00

Coalition Sign-On Letter to the Senate Judiciary and Armed Services Committees Urging Public Hearings Before Votes on Potential Revisions to the Military Commissions Act or Detention Policies

2009-06-22T12:00:00-05:00

CIA Delays Release Of Inspector General Report On Torture

2009-06-19T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – The CIA informed the American Civil Liberties Union that it would delay by one week its release of a reprocessed version of the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) report on the CIA's interrogation and detention program. The CIA turned over a heavily redacted version of the report in May 2008 as part of an ACLU Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, but on May 28, 2009, informed the court that it would review the same report with a view toward disclosing more information.

ACLU Sues DHS Over Unlawful TSA Searches And Detention

2009-06-18T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is subjecting innocent Americans to unreasonable searches and detentions that violate the Constitution, according to a lawsuit filed today by the American Civil Liberties Union. The ACLU filed the complaint on behalf of a traveler who was illegally detained and harassed by TSA agents at the airport for carrying approximately $4,700 in cash.

Attorney General To Testify Before Senate Committee Today On Torture, Surveillance And Civil Rights

2009-06-17T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – Attorney General Eric Holder will testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee today as it holds its first oversight hearing over the Department of Justice (DOJ) during the Obama administration. The American Civil Liberties Union has urged committee members to ask Holder tough questions on issues including overzealous surveillance, the restoration of the DOJ Civil Rights Division and torture.

Obama Administration Should Release CIA Inspector General Report Without Substantial Redactions, Says ACLU

2009-06-17T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties Union today renewed its call for the Obama administration to release a CIA Inspector General report on the CIA's interrogation and detention program. The government is facing a June 19 deadline to reprocess the report in an ongoing ACLU Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit seeking documents related to the treatment of prisoners in U.S. custody overseas. According to a report in the Washington Post today, CIA officials are pressuring the Obama administration to suppress significant portions of the report.

Report Confirms Continued Dragnet Collection Of Americans’ Communications

2009-06-17T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – The scope of National Security Agency (NSA) domestic surveillance activities is far wider than previously acknowledged, according to a report in today’s New York Times, prompting renewed scrutiny by congressional investigators. It was first disclosed in April that the NSA was exceeding the already overbroad limits granted to it under the FISA Amendments Act (FAA) of 2008. Today’s report suggests that the NSA’s warrantless surveillance of Americans’ phone calls and emails was even more pervasive.

Attorney General To Testify Before Senate Committee Today On Torture, Surveillance And Civil Rights

2009-06-17T12:00:00-05:00

Report Confirms Continued Dragnet Collection Of Americans’ Communications

2009-06-17T12:00:00-05:00

Newly Released Detainee Statements Provide More Evidence Of CIA Torture Program

2009-06-15T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – The CIA today released still-highly redacted documents in which Guantánamo Bay prisoners describe abuse and torture they suffered in CIA custody. The documents were released as part of an American Civil Liberties Union Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit seeking uncensored transcripts from Combatant Status Review Tribunals (CSRTs) that determine if prisoners held by the Defense Department at Guantánamo qualify as "enemy combatants." In previously released versions of the documents, the CIA had removed virtually all references to the abuse of prisoners in their custody; the documents released today are still heavily blacked out but include some new information.

Torture Photo Release Decision Should Be Left To Courts, Says ACLU

2009-06-12T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – In an effort to encourage passage of a military spending bill, late Thursday President Obama told members of Congress in a phone call and a letter that he would use every "legal and administrative remedy" available to prevent the release of photos depicting detainee abuse overseas. A federal court had ordered the government to release the photos in an American Civil Liberties Union Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, but stayed that order to allow the government to seek Supreme Court review.

Obama Administration Seeks To Keep Torture Victims From Having Day In Court

2009-06-12T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – The Justice Department today argued that the victims of the "extraordinary rendition" program should not have their day in court, asking a federal appeals court to block a landmark case the court had earlier ruled could go forward. In April, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that an American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit against Boeing subsidiary, Jeppesen DataPlan Inc., for its role in the Bush administration's unlawful "extraordinary rendition" program could proceed, but today the government asked the appeals court's full panel of judges to rehear that decision.

Court Gives Government More Time To Pursue Legal Options On Torture Photos

2009-06-11T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – The Second Circuit Court of Appeals today held that the government does not immediately have to turn over photos depicting the abuse of prisoners in U.S. custody overseas, but can have more time to pursue further legal options. The court had issued an April 27 mandate directing the government to turn over the photos in an American Civil Liberties Union Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, but today recalled that mandate and stayed it pending resolution of the case by the Supreme Court.

ACLU Files Lawsuit Seeking Disclosure Of Still-Secret Torture Documents

2009-06-11T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties Union today filed a lawsuit seeking the disclosure of still-secret records relating to the torture of prisoners held by the U.S. overseas. The requested documents include legal memos authored by John Yoo and Steven Bradbury, who were lawyers in the Bush administration Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel (OLC), as well as documents sent by the Bush White House to the CIA. The government has failed to turn over the documents in response to a December 2008 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.

ACLU Challenges Defense Department Personnel Policy To Regard Lawful Protests As “Low-Level Terrorism”

2009-06-10T12:00:00-05:00

Anti-terrorism training materials currently being used by the Department of Defense (DoD) teach its personnel that free expression in the form of public protests should be regarded as “low level terrorism.” ACLU attorneys are calling the approach “an egregious insult to constitutional values” and have sent a letter to the Department of Defense demanding that the offending materials be changed and that the DoD send corrective information to all DoD employees who received the erroneous training.

ACLU Letter to the Department of Defense Regarding Its Level 1 Anti-terrorism Training Materials

2009-06-10T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Challenges Defense Department Personnel Policy To Regard Lawful Protests As “Low-Level Terrorism”

2009-06-10T12:00:00-05:00

CIA Refuses To Disclose Interrogation Tape Documents

2009-06-09T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – In another attempt to avoid public and judicial scrutiny of the Bush administration torture program, CIA Director Leon Panetta argued that records related to the destruction and content of interrogation tapes should be withheld in their entirety. In documents filed yesterday in an American Civil Liberties Union Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit, Director Panetta argued that the documents in question should not be released because they contain information about the actual implementation of "enhanced interrogation techniques," as opposed to abstract information about the techniques such as that included in Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) memos released earlier this year. Director Panetta also argued that the release of this information could be used as "ready-made" propaganda by our enemies.

Senate Questions Indefinite Detention Without Charge

2009-06-09T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – A hearing today held by a Senate subcommittee explored the legal and moral questions surrounding the continued use of indefinite detention for terrorism suspects at Guantanamo Bay. In a speech given two weeks ago, President Obama signaled new laws could be needed to indefinitely hold Guantanamo detainees without charge or trial. The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution heard testimony on the topic today from legal scholars and human rights advocates.

Rep. Harman Introduces Bill To Restrain Domestic Deployment Of Spy Satellites

2009-06-05T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – Representative Jane Harman (D-CA) introduced two bills last night to stop the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) use of satellite imagery from intelligence agencies for homeland security and law enforcement purposes. The legislation, H.R. 2703 and 2704, will prohibit funding for and close the DHS’ National Application Office (NAO). This troubled office is responsible for a domestic surveillance program that the American Civil Liberties Union had long opposed in testimony and letters to Congress over the past two years.

Rep. Harman Introduces Bill To Restrain Domestic Deployment Of Spy Satellites

2009-06-05T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Testifies In Support Of Bill To Reform State Secrets Doctrine

2009-06-04T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – The ACLU is set to testify today before a key House subcommittee considering legislation to reform the state secrets privilege, an evidentiary rule that has been improperly used to shut down several national security related lawsuits against the federal government. The privilege, which is intended to protect discrete pieces of sensitive evidence at trial, has been asserted by the government to block entire lawsuits before any specific evidence has been considered.

U.S. Citizen Tortured in U.A.E. Could Soon Face Trial

2009-06-04T12:00:00-05:00

Washington D.C. – The case of an American citizen who was tortured in the United Arab Emirates and held at the behest of the U.S. is heading into a new phase. On June 8, the ACLU of Southern California will ask a U.S. District Court judge in Washington, D.C. to compel the federal government to reveal the extent of U.S. involvement in the arrest and detention of Naji Hamdan. Meanwhile, Hamdan is scheduled to appear June 14 in a U.A.E. court on unspecified terrorism charges. Testimony obtained from him under torture could be used at his trial.

Testimony of ACLU National Security Project Attorney Ben Wizner On the State Secrets Protetion Act of 2009 Before A Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee

2009-06-04T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Calls For Independent Investigation Into Guantánamo Death

2009-06-02T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties Union today called for a full and transparent investigation into the death of a Yemeni national held at Guantánamo Bay. Military officials have described the death as an "apparent suicide."

Court Rules In Favor Of Transparency In Guantánamo Cases

2009-06-01T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – In an important ruling affecting the public's access to records regarding the cases of Guantánamo detainees, a federal court today denied a government motion to seal unclassified information related to those cases. Judge Thomas F. Hogan of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, citing a "First Amendment and common law right to access" judicial records, ruled that the government cannot suppress unclassified documents and must seek court approval to seal specific information.

Leading Rights Groups Call On Obama To Release Prisoner Abuse Photos

2009-06-01T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – Several of the nation's leading human rights and civil liberties organizations sent a letter to President Obama today urging him to release photos depicting the abuse of detainees by U.S. personnel overseas.

ACLU In Court In Case Of South African Scholar Banned From U.S.

2009-05-27T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties Union is in federal court today to present arguments in the case of a prominent South African scholar who was denied a visa and is barred from attending speaking engagements in the U.S. The government has denied Professor Habib a visa on unspecified national security grounds.

Intelligence Community Raises Its Standards For Information Collection

2009-05-22T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) issued revised guidelines this week for handling personal information gathered by law enforcement on members of the public. The changes were made to the “Functional Standard for Suspicious Activity Reporting,” which sets forth procedures on the collection and retention of data by federal, state and local law enforcement for the ODNI’s Information Sharing Environment (ISE)

Intelligence Community Raises Its Standards For Information Collection

2009-05-22T12:00:00-05:00

Coalition Letter to Congress Urging Review Of Surveillance Laws

2009-05-21T12:00:00-05:00

Obama's Commitment To Constitution A Welcome Break From Past

2009-05-21T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – The following can be attributed to Anthony D. Romero, Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union, in response to President Obama's national security speech today:

Coalition Letter in Support of S 417 the State Secret Protection Act

2009-05-20T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU letter to Senate Judiciary Committee in Support of S 417, The State Secrets Protection Act

2009-05-20T12:00:00-05:00

FBI Director Mueller To Testify Before Congress Today

2009-05-20T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – FBI Director Robert Mueller will testify before the House Judiciary Committee today in a general oversight hearing on matters including his agency’s role in the torture of detainees, a bloated terrorist watchlist and recent changes to guidelines that outline FBI agents’ ability to conduct surveillance on Americans who are not suspected of wrongdoing.

FBI Director Mueller To Testify Before Congress Today

2009-05-20T12:00:00-05:00

Obama Administration Will Not Ask Supreme Court To Take Up National Security Letter "Gag Order" Decision

2009-05-18T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – The government will not ask the Supreme Court to review a decision that struck down Patriot Act provisions that allow the government to impose unconstitutional gag orders on recipients of national security letters (NSLs). NSLs issued by the FBI require recipients to turn over sensitive information about their clients and subscribers. A lower court ruled in 2007 that the gag order provisions were unconstitutional, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit upheld that ruling in 2008. The government's time for petitioning the Supreme Court for review has now expired.

Obama Administration To Revive Fatally Flawed Military Commissions

2009-05-15T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – In a striking blow to due process and the rule of law, the Obama administration has decided to revive the fatally flawed military commissions system to prosecute certain Guantánamo detainees, according to news reports.

Failure To Protect National Security Whistleblowers Threatens U.S. Security And Liberty, ACLU Testifies

2009-05-14T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – American Civil Liberties Union Policy Counsel and former FBI Special Agent Michael German testified today before a House committee about the need for national security whistleblowers to have full access to courts as a matter of U.S. security and liberty. German, who has first-hand experience as a former whistleblower, told lawmakers that H.R. 1507, the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2009, would deter retaliation against the conscientious federal agents who risk their own safety to secure ours and provide Congress with information it needs to check executive abuse. The hearing, held by the House on Oversight and Government Reform, was entitled, “Protecting the Public from Waste, Fraud and Abuse: H.R. 1507, the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2009.”

Obama Administration Reverses Promise To Release Torture Photos

2009-05-13T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – The Obama administration announced today that it is reversing its promise to make public photos depicting detainee abuse by U.S. personnel overseas. The Department of Defense had told a federal judge that it would release a "substantial number" of photos in response to a court ruling in an American Civil Liberties Union Freedom of Information Act lawsuit.

Obama Administration To Revive Fatally Flawed Military Commissions

2009-05-09T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK - News reports today indicate the Obama administration is considering reviving the flawed military commissions system to try Guantanamo detainees within the United States. According to the reports, the revamped system would still allow the use of hearsay evidence, which is inadmissible in federal court and military courts martial, in some circumstances. The American Civil Liberties Union says moving the commissions to U.S. soil would do nothing to increase their legitimacy.

Obama Administration To Revive Fatally Flawed Military Commissions

2009-05-09T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Urges Supreme Court To Hear Case Of 17 Uighurs Detained Indefinitely At Guantánamo

2009-05-07T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties Union urged the United States Supreme Court in a friend-of-the-court brief to hear the case of 17 Chinese ethnic Uighurs who have been detained without charge for over seven years at Guantánamo Bay and whose continued detention was found unlawful by a federal district court. The district court ordered the Uighurs, who the government concedes are not "enemy combatants," released into the U.S. because they cannot be returned to China given the threat of torture there, and because no other country has agreed to accept them. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit reversed that decision in February when it held that federal courts are powerless to order the men released into the U.S. even if their continued detention is illegal. In its friend-of-the-court brief filed yesterday, the ACLU urged the Court to review the D.C. circuit decision.

Massachusetts Police Privacy Breach Underlines Need For Reform

2009-05-06T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – A state auditor’s report released Tuesday reveals that “dozens” of Massachusetts law enforcement officials used the state Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) to access information about “local celebrities and high profile citizens” hundreds of times without work-related justification.

Justice Department Ethics Report No Substitute For Criminal Investigations

2009-05-06T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – According to news reports, a draft report from the Justice Department's Office of Professional Responsibility concludes that the lawyers who wrote the "torture memos" legally sanctioning illegal interrogation methods committed serious lapses of judgment but should not be prosecuted. The Washington Post reports that former Bush administration officials launched a behind-the-scenes campaign to get the Justice Department to soften the ethics report.

Justice Department Ethics Report No Substitute For Criminal Investigations

2009-05-06T12:00:00-05:00

Guantánamo Military Commissions Should Not Be Revived, Says ACLU

2009-05-04T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Attorney General Eric Holder have recently suggested that the Obama administration is considering reviving the failed Guantanamo military commissions, and administration officials have reportedly stated this could happen imminently.

Guantánamo Military Commissions Should Not Be Revived, Says ACLU

2009-05-04T12:00:00-05:00

Gates Suggestion Would Move Guantánamo Onshore

2009-05-01T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – Defense Secretary Robert Gates suggested in congressional testimony Thursday that as many as 100 Guantánamo detainees could be transferred to U.S. soil and held without trial.

Investigation Ordered Into Virginia Fusion Center Document

2009-04-30T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – Following the American Civil Liberties Union’s criticism regarding a controversial Virginia Fusion Center terrorism assessment report, Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine has announced that he will investigate the practices of the secretive center located in Virginia. The ACLU raised constitutional concerns about the report’s focus on First Amendment protected activities when it was made public this month. The document characterized the “diversity” surrounding a Virginia military base and the state’s “historically black” colleges as possible recruiting grounds for terrorists.

Bill Introduced To Examine National Security Policies

2009-04-30T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – A bill introduced in the House of Representatives today would create a congressional committee to examine national security policies including those related to torture, detention and surveillance. The Select Committee on National Security and Civil Liberties Act of 2009, introduced by Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA), Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (D-MI and Robert Wexler (D-FL), would study the development, implementation and effectiveness of past and present U.S. government practices

Investigation Ordered Into Virginia Fusion Center Document

2009-04-30T12:00:00-05:00

Bill Introduced To Examine National Security Policies

2009-04-30T12:00:00-05:00

Iranian American Refugees Will Continue Fight Over Contributions to Opposition Group

2009-04-30T12:00:00-05:00

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Seven Iranian American refugees have conditionally pled guilty to providing material support to an Iranian opposition group known as the the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK), in an agreement that enables them to appeal the ruling on the grounds that their prosecution violates the U.S. Constitution -- an argument that the trial judge indicated should be decided by a higher court. Their challenge focuses on the fact that the MEK does not threaten U.S. national security, in large part because the U.S. government has itself provided material support to the same group, as court documents obtained in the case revealed.

Federal Court Permits Landmark ACLU Rendition Case To Go Forward

2009-04-28T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – A federal appeals court today ruled that a landmark American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit against Boeing subsidiary Jeppesen DataPlan Inc. for its role in the Bush administration's unlawful extraordinary rendition program can go forward. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reversed a lower court dismissal of the lawsuit, brought on behalf of five men who were kidnapped, forcibly disappeared and secretly transferred to U.S.-run prisons or foreign intelligence agencies overseas where they were interrogated under torture. The government had intervened, improperly asserting the "state secrets" privilege to have the case thrown out. Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled, as the ACLU has argued, that the government must invoke the state secrets privilege with respect to specific evidence, not to dismiss the entire suit.

Judge Rejects CIA Attempt To Withhold Records On Destroyed Interrogation Tapes

2009-04-24T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – A federal judge today rejected the CIA's attempt to withhold records relating to the agency's destruction of 92 videotapes that depicted the harsh interrogation of CIA prisoners. The ACLU is seeking disclosure of these records as part of its pending motion to hold the CIA in contempt for destroying the tapes which violated a court order requiring it to produce or identify records responsive to the ACLU's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for records relating to the treatment of prisoners held in U.S. custody overseas.

A Quarter Million Americans Demand Torture Prosecutions

2009-04-23T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - A broad coalition of advocacy groups today will deliver petitions containing a quarter million signatures to Attorney General Eric Holder demanding that he appoint an independent prosecutor to investigate the Bush administration's use of torture on terrorism suspects. The petitions were gathered by the American Civil Liberties Union, MoveOn.org Political Action, the Center for Constitutional Rights, Firedoglake.com, Democrats.com and other advocacy groups. The petitions will be delivered during Holder's testimony before a House Appropriations Subcommittee.

Defense Department To Release Prisoner Abuse Photos By May 28 In Response To ACLU Lawsuit

2009-04-23T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – In a letter addressed to a federal court today, the Department of Defense announced that it will make public by May 28 a "substantial number" of photos depicting the abuse of prisoners by U.S. personnel. The photos, which are being released in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union in 2004, include images from prisons in Iraq and Afghanistan at locations other than Abu Ghraib.

Government Should Make Bagram Documents Public, Says ACLU

2009-04-23T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties Union today asked the Obama administration to make public records pertaining to the detention and treatment of prisoners held at the Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan. The ACLU filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for records pertaining to the number of people currently detained at Bagram and their names, citizenship, place of capture and length of detention. The ACLU is also seeking records pertaining to the process afforded those prisoners to challenge their detention and designation as "enemy combatants."

Congressional Report Reaffirms Involvement Of High Level Bush Officials In Torture Policies

2009-04-22T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – A landmark congressional report released today sheds new light on the coordination among the Bush White House and other high level government officials in the creation and implementation of torture policies.

Attorney General Holder Says He Will "Follow The Law" And Investigate Torture

2009-04-22T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – Attorney General Eric Holder said today that the Justice Department will "follow the law wherever it takes us" in investigating the U.S. officials behind the CIA torture policies under the Bush administration.

Judge Upholds Guantánamo Prisoner's Right To Challenge Indefinite Detention

2009-04-22T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – A federal judge today denied the Justice Department's motion to dismiss or delay a challenge to the unlawful detention of Mohammed Jawad, a Guantánamo prisoner who has been held in U.S. custody since he was a teenager. In February, the government filed a motion continuing Bush administration efforts to deny Jawad his right to challenge his detention in federal court until after the Guantánamo military commission case against him is complete, even though President Obama has ordered a halt to all military commission proceedings.

Congressional Report Reaffirms Involvement Of High Level Bush Officials In Torture Policies

2009-04-22T12:00:00-05:00

Attorney General Holder Says He Will "Follow The Law" And Investigate Torture

2009-04-22T12:00:00-05:00

Justice Department Must Appoint Prosecutor To Investigate Torture Crimes, Says ACLU

2009-04-21T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – President Obama today suggested that the attorney general should consider prosecuting those who formulated the legal decisions that purported to justify torture under the Bush administration, and that Congress could play a role in achieving accountability.

Justice Department Must Appoint Prosecutor To Investigate Torture Crimes, Says ACLU

2009-04-21T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Response To Former Vice-President Cheney's Call For Release Of Bush Torture Documentation

2009-04-21T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – In response to the recent release of four torture memos, Vice-President Dick Cheney has called for further disclosure of documents regarding interrogation policy under the Bush administration. The torture memos were released as part of a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union.

Interrogation Memos Provide Further Reason To Give Torture Victims Day In Court, Says ACLU

2009-04-21T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK - The American Civil Liberties Union today alerted a California federal appellate court that the government's assertion of the "state secrets" privilege in an extraordinary rendition case has even less merit given last week's Justice Department release of four "torture memos."

ACLU Urges Congress To Improve Intelligence Oversight

2009-04-21T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – The American Civil Liberties Union today urged Congress to intensify its oversight of terrorism-related information sharing between law enforcement agencies. In testimony before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security. Caroline Fredrickson, Director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office, focused on abuses in law enforcement intelligence collection and sharing practices, including the unwarranted state police surveillance of peace groups in Maryland.

Government's Letter to the ACLU Re: Redactions in the Bradbury/Bybee Memos

2009-04-21T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Testimony Before The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security On Terrorism-Related Information Sharing

2009-04-21T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Statement In Response To President Obama's Speech Today To CIA

2009-04-20T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – In a speech to the CIA today, President Obama emphasized the importance of upholding American values while protecting the nation's security. Referring to the controversy around the Justice Department's release last week of four "torture memos," President Obama asked the CIA not to be discouraged and stressed that it is important that we acknowledge "mistakes," "move forward" and "learn" from those mistakes.

ACLU Statement In Response To President Obama's Speech Today To CIA

2009-04-20T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU v. Department of Defense - Order Regulating Government's Proposed Work Plan

2009-04-20T12:00:00-05:00

Justice Department Releases Bush Administration Torture Memos

2009-04-16T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – In response to litigation filed by the American Civil Liberties Union under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the Justice Department today released four secret memos used by the Bush administration to justify torture. The memos, produced by the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel (OLC), provided the legal framework for the CIA's use of waterboarding and other illegal interrogation methods that violate domestic and international law.

NSA Spies On Americans Outside The Law

2009-04-16T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – The National Security Agency (NSA) has been intercepting Americans’ emails and phone calls in recent months to an extent that exceeded even the overbroad limits permitted under the controversial spying legislation passed last summer. According to the New York Times, the NSA’s “overcollection” of American’ communications has been “significant and systemic.”

NSA Spies On Americans Outside The Law

2009-04-16T12:00:00-05:00

Justice Department Releases Bush Administration Torture Memos

2009-04-16T12:00:00-05:00

Obama Administration Reportedly Considering Withholding Vital Information In Torture Memos

2009-04-15T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – In response to a troubling Wall Street Journal report that the Obama administration is considering withholding key information from Bush-era memos that authorized torture, the American Civil Liberties Union today once again urged the Justice Department to turn over the memos in full. According to a deadline set in an ACLU Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit, the government has until tomorrow to turn over memos authored by Jay Bybee and Steven Bradbury, then top lawyers in the Office of Legal Counsel, that supplied the framework for the Bush administration interrogation program – or else explain why they continue to withhold them from the public. Until now, reports have indicated that the White House wanted to release the memos but was facing pressure from CIA officials to keep them a secret.

Guantánamo Attorneys Urge Panetta To Preserve CIA Black Site Evidence

2009-04-13T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – Attorneys for detainee Abd Al-Rahim Hussain Mohammed al-Nashiri today sent a letter to CIA Director Leon Panetta requesting that the CIA "black site" buildings, interrogation cells, prisoner cells, shackles, water boards and other equipment be preserved for inspection and documentation. Al-Nashiri, who is now detained at Guantánamo, was held in the secret CIA prison facilities from 2002 to 2006. Director Panetta has ordered the closure of CIA black sites, but al-Nashiri's attorneys are concerned that the CIA intends to destroy the sites – including the buildings and the equipment used to interrogate and torture al-Nashiri and other detainees – and in doing so destroy evidence of his mistreatment.

Guantánamo Attorneys Urge Panetta To Preserve CIA Black Site Evidence

2009-04-13T12:00:00-05:00

Full ICRC Report Further Underscores Extent Of Torture And Abuse By U.S. Officials

2009-04-07T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – A full report from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) made public late Monday on the treatment of detainees in U.S. custody further underscores the extent of the systemic and far-reaching use of torture by American personnel and provides further evidence of the need for accountability for government officials who broke the law.

Full ICRC Report Further Underscores Extent Of Torture And Abuse By U.S. Officials

2009-04-07T12:00:00-05:00

Federal Judge Rules That Some Detainees Held At Bagram Can Challenge Their Detention

2009-04-02T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – A federal judge ruled today that three prisoners who are being held by the United States at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan can challenge their detention in U.S. courts. The prisoners, who were captured outside of Afghanistan and are not Afghan citizens, have been held at Bagram for more than six years without charge or access to counsel. The ruling came from Judge John D. Bates of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

ACLU Agrees To Extension Of Torture Memo Deadline Based On DOJ Pledge To Consider Releasing Bybee Memo

2009-04-02T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – The Justice Department has sought an extension of the government's deadline to decide whether to disclose three legal memoranda authored in May 2005 by Steven Bradbury, then a lawyer in the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel (OLC). The memos authorized the CIA to subject prisoners to torture methods including waterboarding. In ongoing Freedom of Information Act litigation brought by the American Civil Liberties Union, a federal judge had given the Justice Department until today to disclose the memos or explain its refusal to do so. The ACLU has consented to extend the production deadline to April 16 in return for the government's representation that high-level officials will consider the release not only of the Bradbury memos but also a memo authored in August 2002 by Jay S. Bybee, who was then the head of the OLC. The Bush administration had previously withheld the Bybee memo.

ACLU Urges Obama Administration To Turn Over Torture Documents

2009-04-01T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – In advance of a looming deadline in long-running Freedom of Information Act litigation, the American Civil Liberties Union today urged the government to immediately release Bush-era legal memos that authorized the torture of prisoners in CIA custody. According to reports, there is a debate within the Obama administration about whether to continue to withhold the documents, which include three legal memoranda authored in May 2005 by Stephen Bradbury, who was then a lawyer in the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel. In connection with an ACLU lawsuit seeking these memos and other government records, a federal judge has given the Justice Department until tomorrow to disclose the memos or explain its refusal to do so.

Legislation Introduced To Curtail Patriot Act Abuse

2009-03-30T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – Congressmen Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and Jeff Flake (R-AZ) introduced legislation today to narrow the overbroad subpoena power in the National Security Letter (NSL) provision of the Patriot Act. The bipartisan bill, National Security Letters Reform Act of 2009, aims to curb rampant abuse of that power by federal law enforcement following the expansion of the Patriot Act and was introduced with 17 cosponsors. NSLs are secret subpoenas used to demand personal customer records from Internet Service Providers, financial institutions and credit companies without prior court approval.

Amicus Curiae Brief Presented to IACHR by REDRESS in the case of El-Masri v. United States

2009-03-30T12:00:00-05:00

Legislation Introduced To Curtail Patriot Act Abuse

2009-03-30T12:00:00-05:00

DHS To Review Spy Satellite Program At Urging of Congresswoman

2009-03-27T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano has asked for a review of the Department’s National Applications Office (NAO), a troubled program created to use satellite imagery from intelligence agencies for homeland security and law enforcement purposes. The review comes at the behest of House Homeland Security Committee members Jane Harman (D-CA) and Norman Dicks (D-WA). The move, disclosed in a March 25 letter to Representatives Harman and Dicks, follows criticism of this program by the American Civil Liberties Union, which testified on its opposition to the program before Congress in 2007.

ACLU Presenting Oral Arguments Today In Case Of Prominent Muslim Scholar Barred From U.S.

2009-03-24T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties Union is in a federal appeals court today to present arguments in the case of a Swiss professor and leading scholar of the Muslim world who was denied entry to the United States based on his political views. The ACLU is arguing that the government's exclusion of Professor Tariq Ramadan is illegal and was motivated not by anything he did but by his vocal criticism of U.S. foreign policy.

House Votes To Create Privacy Officers At DHS

2009-03-24T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – The House of Representatives passed legislation today that creates a privacy official for each division of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). If established by law, these new positions would be responsible for ensuring privacy laws and regulations are followed by DHS.

CIA Says It Has 3,000 Documents Related To Destroyed Interrogation Tapes

2009-03-20T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – In connection with an American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit seeking information on detainee abuse, the CIA today disclosed that it has a list of roughly 3,000 summaries, transcripts, reconstructions and memoranda relating to 92 interrogation videotapes that were destroyed by the agency. The CIA refused, however, to disclose the list to the public. The agency also refused to publicly disclose a list of witnesses who may have viewed the videotapes or retained custody of the videotapes before their destruction.

CIA Says It Has 3,000 Documents Related To Destroyed Interrogation Tapes

2009-03-20T12:00:00-05:00

Attorney General Issues New Freedom Of Information Act Guidelines

2009-03-19T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – New Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) guidelines calling for a “presumption of openness” were issued today by Attorney General Eric Holder. The guidelines, fulfilling the directive of a presidential memorandum issued in January, overturn the “Ashcroft doctrine” of the Bush administration that allowed the government to withhold information requested through FOIA whenever legally possible. The attorney general’s announcement comes during “Sunshine Week” and follows the introduction of legislation aimed at strengthening FOIA in the Senate

Legislation Introduced To Strengthen Freedom of Information Act

2009-03-18T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – The Senate this week signaled its intention to improve government transparency as Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced legislation to improve and strengthen the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The OPEN FOIA Act’s introduction follows a January presidential memorandum directing government agencies to comply swiftly and thoroughly with FOIA requests. The American Civil Liberties Union welcomes the legislation.

ACLU Letter to Attorney General Eric Holder, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano Regarding Ideological Exclusion

2009-03-18T12:00:00-05:00

Urging the government to end the practice of ideological exclusion which compromises the vitality of academic and political debate in the United States. The practice was misguided during the Cold War and it is misguided now.

ACLU Asks Justice Department To Appoint Independent Prosecutor To Investigate Torture

2009-03-18T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – The American Civil Liberties Union sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder reiterating its call for the Department of Justice to appoint an independent prosecutor to investigate the authorization to use torture at CIA secret prisons. This follows recent revelations that the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) concluded in 2007 that the treatment of detainees being held by American personnel constituted torture, as well as cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. The ICRC report is based on harrowing accounts from detainees about the treatment to which they were subjected.

Over-Zealous Intelligence Gathering Warrants Strict Congressional Oversight, ACLU Testifies

2009-03-18T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – The American Civil Liberties Union testified today before a House subcommittee about the strong need for oversight in intelligence gathering and dissemination at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The Homeland Security Subcommittee on Intelligence, Information Sharing, and Terrorism Risk Assessment hearing examined the definition of “homeland security intelligence;” the Department's role in developing it as a new intelligence discipline; and how the Department and others can provide state, local and tribal authorities with national threat awareness while building privacy and civil liberties protections into the process.

ACLU Asks Justice Department To Appoint Independent Prosecutor To Investigate Torture

2009-03-18T12:00:00-05:00

Groups Call On Obama Administration To Stop Refusing Visas On The Basis Of Political Views

2009-03-18T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – One week before a federal appeals court is to hear argument in a related case, dozens of the nation's leading academic, free speech and civil rights organizations sent a letter to high-level U.S. officials today urging them to end the practice of refusing visas to foreign scholars, writers, artists and activists on the basis of their political views and associations. In the letter, groups including the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Education Association and the Rutherford Institute call on Attorney General Eric Holder, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano to put an end to the Cold War-era practice of "ideological exclusion."

Letter to Attorney General Holder Requesting Appointment of an Independent Prosecutor

2009-03-17T12:00:00-05:00

First official request of the new administration for appointment of an independent prosecutor for the investigation and prosecution of any violations of federal criminal laws related to interrogation of detainees.

Appeals Court Refuses To Revisit Decision Ordering Defense Department To Release Prisoner Abuse Photos

2009-03-17T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – A federal court rejected a Bush administration request to reconsider a decision that ordered the Department of Defense to release photographs depicting the abuse of detainees by U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit rejected the government's request to have the full appeals court rehear a decision from last September ordering the release of the photos as part of an American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit seeking information on the abuse of prisoners held in U.S. custody overseas.

Justice Department Adheres To Key Elements Of Bush Administration Detention Policy

2009-03-13T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – In a court filing today, the Obama administration argued that detention of prisoners held at Guantánamo is justified even if the individual is captured far from any battlefield and has not directly participated in hostilities. According to the definition offered in the government's brief, individuals who provide "substantial" support to al-Qaeda or the Taliban can be detained.

ACLU Releases Comprehensive Report On Patriot Act Abuses

2009-03-11T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – The American Civil Liberties Union released a comprehensive report today examining widespread abuses that have occurred under the USA Patriot Act, a law that was rushed through Congress just 45 days after September 11. In the almost eight years since the passage of the controversial national security law, the Patriot Act has led to egregious government misconduct.

ACLU Releases Comprehensive Report On Patriot Act Abuses

2009-03-11T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Calls On Obama Administration To Release Bush-Era Prisoner Abuse Photos

2009-03-10T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – In a letter sent to the Department of Defense today, the American Civil Liberties Union called on the Obama administration to release photographs depicting the abuse of prisoners by U.S. forces in Iraq and in Afghanistan. In September 2008, a unanimous three-judge panel of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ordered the Bush administration to release the photos as part of an ACLU lawsuit seeking information on the abuse of prisoners held in U.S. custody overseas. The outgoing administration asked the full court to rehear the case, but the court has not issued a decision on whether or not it will do so. To date, the Obama administration has not expressed a position on the litigation.

ACLU Presents Arguments Today For Congressional Select Committee To Reform U.S. Surveillance Policies

2009-03-10T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – The American Civil Liberties Union presented its reasons for Congress to establish a Select Committee to review U.S. surveillance policies at a panel discussion today entitled, “Domestic Surveillance: Next Steps.” As a panelist, Michael MacLeod-Ball, Chief Legislative and Policy Counsel for the Washington Legislative Office, talked about the need to reform intrusive surveillance powers which have resulted in the misuse of national security letters, untracked administrative subpoenas issued by the FBI that do not require going through a judge, as well as the wasteful use of taxpayer dollars spent monitoring peaceful law-abiding protestors in Maryland and Texas.

Guantánamo Judge Proceeds With Military Commissions In Defiance Of Obama Order

2009-03-10T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – In defiance of President Obama's order halting the Guantánamo military commissions, a military judge accepted a legal pleading filed by the five 9/11 suspects. Judge Col. Stephen R. Henley ordered the immediate public release of the filed document despite the fact that all other legal filings have been kept sealed for months by the military commissions. Remarkably, the judge accepted the pleading from all five 9/11 defendants despite the fact that the competency of two of them has not been determined and their attorneys were not informed.

CIA Confirms 12 Destroyed Videotapes Depicted "Enhanced Interrogation Methods"

2009-03-06T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – As part of an American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit seeking information on detainee abuse, the government today provided new details about the content of interrogation videotapes destroyed by the CIA, specifically that 12 depict so-called "enhanced interrogation techniques." In documents filed in a New York federal court, the government also announced it would produce a complete list of summaries, transcripts or memoranda related to the videotapes by March 20. However, an inventory of the tapes provided to the court was nearly entirely redacted.

Supreme Court Vacates Decision Giving President Indefinite Detention Power In Al-Marri Case

2009-03-06T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Supreme Court today vacated a lower court decision giving the president the extraordinary power to seize and indefinitely detain U.S. citizens or residents without charge or trial. The case was brought by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri, who, after being held for almost six years in military detention, was indicted last week in federal court and charged with two counts of material support for terrorism.

ACLU Statement for the Record for the Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing “Getting to the Truth Through a Nonpartisan Commission of Inquiry”

2009-03-04T12:00:00-05:00

Senate Hears Testimony On Proposed Truth Commission

2009-03-04T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – A key Senate committee met today to hear testimony from constitutional experts and legal scholars to determine the focus and scope of a proposed “truth commission” to investigate the national security and executive power policies of the Bush administration. Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) initiated the hearing after announcing last month that he sought to form the commission.

ACLU Urges Supreme Court To Deny Motion To Dismiss Al-Marri's Indefinite Detention Case

2009-03-03T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – The American Civil Liberties Union filed a brief with the Supreme Court today opposing the government's move to dismiss the case against Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri as moot. The Supreme Court agreed to hear al-Marri's case in December, and oral arguments are currently scheduled for April 27.

Justice Department Releases Bush Administration National Security Memos

2009-03-02T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK - The Justice Department today released nine secret memos and opinions written by the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) that authorized some of the Bush administration's unlawful national security policies, including a memo written by OLC lawyer John Yoo that argued the Fourth Amendment does not apply to military activities inside the United States. Some of the memos are responsive to American Civil Liberties Union lawsuits seeking OLC legal opinions and other government records.

CIA Destroyed 92 Interrogation Tapes

2009-03-02T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – According to a letter filed by the government in court today, the CIA acknowledged it destroyed 92 tapes of interrogations. The admission comes in an American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit seeking records of the treatment of prisoners in U.S. custody abroad. In December 2007, the ACLU filed a motion to hold the CIA in contempt for its destruction of videotapes recording the harsh interrogation of prisoners in violation of a court order requiring the agency to produce or identify all the requested records. That motion is still pending.

ACLU Letter to House Members Regarding CIA Destruction Of 92 Interrogation Videotapes

2009-03-02T12:00:00-05:00

The American Civil Liberties Union received the attached letter from the Department of Justice earlier today, which provides important new information on the magnitude of the Bush Administration’s destruction of CIA videotapes of interrogations. The information was provided to a federal court in Freedom of Information Act litigation brought by the ACLU to obtain documents on the use of torture and abuse. The litigation has produced over 100,000 pages of documents during the past five years, but only heavily redacted documents from the CIA, which fall far short of meaningful disclosure.

ACLU Letter To Senate Members Regarding CIA Destruction Of 92 Interrogation Videotapes

2009-03-02T12:00:00-05:00

Supreme Court Should Hear Illegal Detention Case Of Ali Al-Marri

2009-02-27T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – In its announcement that material support for terrorism charges were filed against Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri, the Department of Justice today said that its Office of the Solicitor General will be "moving to dismiss al-Marri's pending litigation before the U.S. Supreme Court." The American Civil Liberties Union represents al-Marri in that case, Al-Marri v. Spagone.

Government Brings Federal Charges Against ACLU Client Ali Al-Marri, Only "Enemy Combatant" Held On U.S. Soil

2009-02-27T12:00:00-05:00

PEORIA, IL – Federal prosecutors announced criminal charges today against Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri, the only individual to be designated an "enemy combatant" by the Bush administration being held in military detention on U.S. soil. Al-Marri was indicted in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois and charged with two counts of material support for terrorism. The American Civil Liberties Union represents al-Marri in his case before the U.S. Supreme Court challenging his illegal designation as an "enemy combatant."

Senate Intelligence Committee To Investigate CIA Detention And Interrogation

2009-02-27T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – Multiple news reports today indicate that the Senate Intelligence Committee will launch an investigation into the Central Intelligence Agency’s (CIA) detention and interrogation programs. The investigation will seek to uncover how the agency was given the authority to establish black site prisons abroad to indefinitely detain individuals, as well as to interrogate them using torture and abuse. The American Civil Liberties Union welcomes the committee’s investigation, and calls for the proceedings and findings to be open to the public.

Senate Intelligence Committee To Investigate CIA Detention And Interrogation

2009-02-27T12:00:00-05:00

Designating Non-Profits As Terrorist Organizations Without Due Process Undermines Security And Humanitarian Aid, Say Groups

2009-02-27T12:00:00-05:00

TOLEDO, OH – Several of the nation's top non-profit humanitarian and philanthropic organizations told a federal court today that the government's authority and conduct in freezing a charity's assets undermines critical humanitarian aid and the government's own anti-terrorism efforts. Grantmakers Without Borders, OMB Watch, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee and several other organizations made this argument in a friend-of-the-court brief filed in support of due process rights for KindHearts for Charitable Humanitarian Development, Inc. in a case brought by the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Ohio and several civil rights lawyers.

Government Preparing Federal Charges Against ACLU Client Ali Al-Marri, Only "Enemy Combatant" Held On U.S. Soil

2009-02-26T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – According to news reports today, federal prosecutors are preparing criminal terrorism charges against Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri, the only individual to be designated an "enemy combatant" by the Bush administration being held in military detention on U.S. soil. The American Civil Liberties Union represents al-Marri in his case before the U.S. Supreme Court challenging his illegal designation as an "enemy combatant." A criminal indictment would not automatically resolve the issues that are pending before the Supreme Court.

Fusion Center Encourages Improper Investigations Of Lobbying Groups And Anti-War Activists

2009-02-25T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – A Texas fusion center’s “Prevention Awareness Bulletin” made public last night is the latest example of inappropriate police intelligence operations targeting political, religious and social activists for investigation. The North Central Texas Fusion System bulletin states that it is “imperative for law enforcement officers to report” the activities of lobbying groups, Muslim civil rights organizations and anti-war protest groups in their areas.

Senator Leahy Calls Hearing To Discuss Truth Commission To Investigate Bush Administration Abuses Of Power

2009-02-25T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – On the Senate floor today, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), chairman of the Judiciary Committee, announced that his committee will hold a hearing next week to discuss proceeding with a “truth commission” to investigate the abuses of power of the Bush administration. Next week’s hearing will likely focus on how an independent commission could be constituted and the scope of the issues it would examine.

DHS Head Napolitano To Testify Wednesday In Congress For First Time

2009-02-24T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano is scheduled to testify tomorrow before the House Homeland Security Committee as part of the hearing titled, “DHS: The Path Forward.” The American Civil Liberties Union calls on the committee to inquire into the secretary’s views on key DHS policies, where the balance between security and civil liberties was often skewed under the Bush administration. Employment verification (E-Verify) and Real ID are both areas that need thorough revamping in order to respect the constitutional rights of all Americans.

Obama Administration Continues Indefinite Detention Policy For Bagram Prisoners

2009-02-23T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – The Obama administration told a federal court late Friday that military detainees in Afghanistan have no legal right to challenge their detention. The move, which is a continuation of the Bush administration's detention policy, comes in a lawsuit filed on behalf of several prisoners who have been indefinitely detained at the Bagram Air Force base for years without trial. The American Civil Liberties Union calls on the new administration to reconsider this troubling position.

Pentagon Review Reportedly Says Guantánamo Complies With Geneva Conventions

2009-02-20T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – According to a report in the New York Times today, the Pentagon concluded that the Guantánamo Bay prison complies with the humanitarian requirements of the Geneva conventions. The findings come less than three weeks after President Obama ordered a review of conditions at the infamous prison facility. The review was conducted by Admiral Patrick M. Walsh, the vice chief of naval operations.

Appeals Court Orders Continued Imprisonment Of Uighurs Unlawfully Detained At Guantánamo

2009-02-18T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – A federal appeals panel today blocked the release of 17 Chinese ethnic Uighurs, who have been detained without charge for over seven years at Guantánamo Bay. Despite the fact that the U.S. government no longer considers the men "enemy combatants" and admitted that it does not have the authority to detain them, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit overturned an October 2008 decision that ordered their release.

ACLU Opposes Justice Department Efforts To Throw Out Case Challenging Illegal Detention Of Guantánamo Prisoner Mohammed Jawad

2009-02-18T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – The American Civil Liberties Union filed a motion today opposing the Justice Department's move to dismiss or delay a challenge to the unlawful detention of Mohammed Jawad, a Guantánamo prisoner who has been held in U.S. custody since he was a teenager. Despite President Obama's executive order halting military commission proceedings, the government is moving forward with a last-minute effort by the Bush administration to deny Jawad his right to challenge his detention in federal court until after the commissions case against him is complete.

Judge Sets Hearing On Obama Administration's Request To Delay Lawsuit Over Release Of Torture Memos

2009-02-13T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – A federal judge today called a hearing to examine the Obama administration's request for a 90-day delay of an American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit concerning public access to controversial Bush-era legal memos. The memos, written by the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel, supplied the basis for the Bush administration's torture and rendition programs. The hearing is scheduled for February 18 at 3:00 p.m. in New York.

State Secrets Fix Introduced In House

2009-02-11T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – With today’s introduction of legislation to rein in the overbroad use of the state secrets privilege, the executive branch may soon have one less tool in its chest to stymie legitimate cases against government misconduct. A bill introduced in the House will aim to narrow the scope of the privilege and could open the courthouse doors to people who have suffered real and legitimate harm by the government. The government has attempted to block several important lawsuits with an overbroad and improper assertion of “state secrets,” most recently this week in the ACLU’s case against Boeing subsidiary Jeppesen DataPlan for its role in facilitating extraordinary rendition.

Both Houses Of Congress Urge State Secrets Reform

2009-02-11T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – Following introduction of a similar bill in the House, the Senate today dropped its version of a bill aimed at narrowing the use of the controversial state secrets privilege. Like its counterpart in the House, the Senate bill will give greater power to judges to review claims of state secrets by the government. The legislation was introduced by both the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee, Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Arlen Specter (R-PA), as well as Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Ted Kennedy (D-MA).

Both Houses Of Congress Urge State Secrets Reform

2009-02-11T12:00:00-05:00

State Secrets Fix Introduced In House

2009-02-11T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU In Court Today To Argue Extraordinary Rendition Case Should Go Forward

2009-02-09T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties Union is in court today arguing that its lawsuit should go forward against Boeing subsidiary Jeppesen DataPlan, Inc. for the company's role in the CIA's extraordinary rendition program. The Bush administration intervened in the case, improperly asserting the "state secrets" privilege and claiming the case would undermine national security interests. The lawsuit was dismissed in February 2008, and the ACLU is appealing that ruling.

Justice Department Stands Behind Bush Secrecy In Extraordinary Rendition Case

2009-02-09T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – The Justice Department today repeated Bush administration claims of "state secrets" in a lawsuit against Boeing subsidiary Jeppesen DataPlan for its role in the extraordinary rendition program. Mohamed et al. v. Jeppesen was brought on behalf of five men who were kidnapped and secretly transferred to U.S.-run prisons or foreign intelligence agencies overseas where they were interrogated under torture. The Bush administration intervened in the case, inappropriately asserting the "state secrets" privilege and claiming the case would undermine national security. Oral arguments were presented today in the American Civil Liberties Union's appeal of the dismissal, and the Obama administration opted not to change the government position in the case, instead reasserting that the entire subject matter of the case is a state secret.

Charges Dropped In USS Cole Case Of ACLU John Adams Client At Guantánamo

2009-02-06T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – Susan Crawford, the top Pentagon official overseeing the military commission system at Guantánamo, dropped all charges late Thursday in the case of Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, a suspect in the USS Cole bombing in 2000. The charges were withdrawn without prejudice, which means al-Nashiri can be charged again in a military commission or civilian court at a later date.

Obama Endorses Bush Secrecy On Torture And Rendition

2009-02-04T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – After the British High Court ruled that evidence of British resident Binyam Mohamed's extraordinary rendition and torture at Guantánamo Bay must remain secret because of threats made by the Bush administration to halt intelligence sharing, the Obama administration told the BBC today in a written statement: "The United States thanks the UK government for its continued commitment to protect sensitive national security information and preserve the long-standing intelligence sharing relationship that enables both countries to protect their citizens."

ACLU Asks Secretary Of State Clinton To Clarify U.S. Policy On Exposing Torture And Rendition

2009-02-04T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties Union sent a letter today to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton urging her to clarify the Obama administration's position related to the rendition case of Guantánamo detainee Binyam Mohamed and calling on her to reject the Bush administration's policy of using false claims of national security to avoid judicial review of controversial programs. The British High Court today ruled that evidence of British resident Mohamed's extraordinary rendition and torture at Guantánamo Bay must remain secret because of threats made by the Bush administration to halt intelligence sharing with Britain if the evidence is disclosed. According to the British court's opinion, the U.S. "position remains the same, even after the making of the executive orders by President Obama," and, if the evidence is to be made public, "it must now be for the United States Government to consider changing its position or itself putting that information in the public domain."

ACLU Letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Asking For Clarification On Position of the U.S. Blocking Disclosure By A British Court Of Its Report On Allegations Of Torture

2009-02-04T12:00:00-05:00

The ACLU is strongly urging the State Department to clarify the position of the United States on the publication of the full judgment in a lawsuit brought by a Guantanamo detainee, Binyam Mohamed, in a British court.

House Passes Bill Providing Redress For Those Erroneously Placed On Watch Lists

2009-02-04T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill late last night establishing a process for innocent Americans to challenge their erroneous placement on government watch lists. The inaccurate and over-inclusive lists ensnare innocent travelers and waste resources that could be spent on effective counterterrorism efforts.

Leading Human Rights Groups Request Full Access To Guantánamo Prison

2009-01-30T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – Four leading human rights and civil liberties organizations asked President Obama to grant them full access to the Guantánamo Bay detention center so that they can review the conditions of confinement and make recommendations for revising U.S. detention policies. The American Civil Liberties Union, Amnesty International USA, Human Rights First and Human Rights Watch have had permission to observe the military commissions at Guantánamo since August 2004, but have thus far only been offered a guided tour of the detention camp without access to detainees.

ACLU Calls On Secretary Gates To Halt Guantánamo Case

2009-01-29T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – Military commission judge Col. James Pohl today refused to suspend the case of Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, who is charged with crimes related to the USS Cole bombing in 2000. The prosecution, at the direction of President Obama, had requested that the proceedings be stayed. The American Civil Liberties Union calls on Defense Secretary Gates to put a halt to these proceedings by withdrawing the charges so that this case can be tried in a legitimate court.

ACLU Says Federal Criminal Justice System Appropriate For Guantánamo Detainees

2009-01-29T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – Contrary to some news reports, the American Civil Liberties Union's position on the handling of Guantánamo detainees following the closure of the prison camp remains steadfast and consistent. The ACLU maintains that our federal prison system is perfectly capable of holding terrorism suspects pending trial and incarcerating them if convicted. Statements from ACLU state affiliates that might indicate otherwise do not reflect the national office's position.

Respected Military And Civilian Leaders Urge Supreme Court To Overturn Indefinite Detention Case

2009-01-28T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – Former United States Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach, former FBI Director William Sessions and numerous former generals, admirals and diplomats joined the American Civil Liberties Union in urging the U.S. Supreme Court to reject the president's authority to indefinitely imprison a legal resident of the U.S. without charge or trial. These and other top military and civilian leaders are expected to file friend-of-the-court briefs today in the ACLU case of Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri, who has been detained in solitary confinement at a Navy brig in South Carolina since June 2003.

ACLU Calls On Justice Department To Release Bush Administration Torture And Surveillance Memos

2009-01-28T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – In a letter sent to the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) today, the American Civil Liberties Union requested the release of secret memos that provided the legal basis for many of the Bush administration's controversial national security policies. The Justice Department continues to withhold many legal opinions, including memos purporting to allow torture and warrantless surveillance. The ACLU has previously sought the memos through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

ACLU Meets With Top U.K. Officials To Garner International Support For U.S. Restoration Of Civil Liberties

2009-01-27T12:00:00-05:00

LONDON – American Civil Liberties Union Executive Director Anthony D. Romero and Liberty Director Shami Chakrabarti of the U.K. met with officials at the British Foreign Office on Monday and at 10 Downing Street today to promote the shared goals of restoring the rule of law to the U.S. after eight years of abuse and reestablishing the unique Anglo-American alliance based on a respect for civil liberties and human rights. The two leading transatlantic civil liberties groups also emphasized the importance of expressing international support for the Obama administration's impressive first steps in this direction and encouraging the new president to reject any form of indefinite detention or extraordinary rendition as new policies are developed.

ACLU Meets With Top U.K. Officials To Garner International Support For U.S. Restoration Of Civil Liberties

2009-01-27T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Decries Critics Of Guantánamo Closure Proposals

2009-01-27T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – Following President Obama's historic order calling for the closure of Guantánamo Bay detention center and suspension of the military commissions, some critics have argued that detainees held there cannot be transferred to U.S. prisons, while others allege they will likely turn to terrorism once sent to foreign countries. Both positions are meant to obstruct the closure of the facility and a return to the rule of law, said the American Civil Liberties Union today.

ACLU Decries Critics Of Guantánamo Closure Proposals

2009-01-27T12:00:00-05:00

President Obama Orders Guantánamo Closed And End To Torture

2009-01-22T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – President Obama issued executive orders today putting an end to some of the worst Bush administration policies of the last eight years dealing with detention of terrorism suspects. Obama ordered the closure of the prison camp at Guantánamo Bay within a year and the halting of its military commissions; the end of the use of torture; the shuttering of secret prisons around the world; and a review of the detention of the only U.S. resident being held indefinitely as a so-called "enemy combatant" on American soil. The detainee, Ali al-Marri, is the American Civil Liberties Union's client in a case pending before the Supreme Court.

President Obama Orders Guantánamo Closed And End To Torture

2009-01-22T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Asks Supreme Court To Outlaw Indefinite Detention Of U.S. Residents

2009-01-21T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court should rule it illegal for the president to indefinitely hold U.S. residents in military detention, according to a brief filed today by the American Civil Liberties Union. In its brief filed in Al-Marri v. Spagone, the ACLU asks the Court to overturn a federal appeals court decision giving the president sweeping power to deprive individuals living in the United States of their most basic constitutional rights by designating them "enemy combatants." Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri, the petitioner in the case, has been detained in solitary confinement at a Navy brig in South Carolina since June 2003.

President Obama To Order Guantánamo Closed

2009-01-21T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – The new Obama administration circulated a draft executive order Wednesday calling for the closure of the Guantánamo Bay detention camp within a year and halting all military commission trials in the meantime.

President Obama Orders Prosecution To Seek Suspension Of Guantánamo Military Commissions

2009-01-21T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – Late last night, President Barack Obama ordered the prosecution to seek a 120-day suspension of the ongoing Guantánamo military commissions.

ACLU Monitoring Unconstitutional Guantánamo Military Commissions This Week

2009-01-19T12:00:00-05:00

Guantánamo BAY, Cuba – The American Civil Liberties Union is at Guantánamo this week monitoring the unconstitutional military commission hearings in the case of Omar Khadr, the 22-year-old Canadian national slated to be tried for war crimes allegedly committed when he was 15. If Khadr's trial goes forward as scheduled on January 26, the U.S. will be the first western nation in recent years to hold a war crimes trial for crimes allegedly committed by a juvenile. The ACLU and other rights groups sent a letter to President-elect Obama on January 12 asking him to suspend Khadr’s trial.

ACLU Statement Regarding False Accusations Against Islamic Society Of North America

2009-01-18T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK - The American Civil Liberties Union represents the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) and another mainstream Muslim organization, the North American Islamic Trust (NAIT), in an effort to clear their designations as "unindicted co-conspirators" by prosecutors in the Holy Land Foundation terrorism-financing case. Neither organization was the subject of a criminal investigation or charged with any crime.

Bush Administration Fights To Continue Illegal Prosecution Of Guantánamo Prisoner Captured As Teenager

2009-01-16T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – The Bush administration filed a motion today to dismiss a habeas corpus challenge to the unlawful detention of Mohammed Jawad, asking the court to let the government proceed with his military commission prosecution at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. On Tuesday, the American Civil Liberties Union filed this challenge on behalf of Jawad in federal court in the District of Columbia.

Defense Attorneys Request Withdrawal Of Charges Against USS Cole Suspect After Government's Torture Admission

2009-01-15T12:00:00-05:00

GUANTÁNAMO BAY, Cuba – In response to the admission by Susan J. Crawford, the top official overseeing the Office of Military Commissions, that the reason she refused to send a detainee's case to trial is because "we tortured [him]," military lawyers filed a motion late Wednesday in Guantánamo to withdraw the charges against Abd al-Rahim Hussain Mohammed al-Nashiri, who is being charged for his alleged involvement in crimes including the USS Cole bombing. The government has admitted to waterboarding al-Nashiri when he was held in CIA custody.

Attorney General Nominee Reveals Stance On Major Civil Liberties Issues

2009-01-15T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – Today, during the first of two confirmation hearings, Attorney General-nominee Eric Holder was questioned on several issues that are relevant to ACLU’s legislative agenda for restoring meaningful checks on executive authority and preserving individual rights.

Intelligence Court Upholds Executive Power To Engage In Warrantless Surveillance

2009-01-15T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties Union today responded to an opinion released by a secret intelligence appeals court upholding the constitutionality of directives issued under the Protect America Act. The directives from the executive branch required a telecommunications company to assist the government in warrantless surveillance of its customers.

Defense Attorneys Request Withdrawal Of Charges Against USS Cole Suspect After Government's Torture Admission

2009-01-15T12:00:00-05:00

Attorney General Nominee Reveals Stance On Major Civil Liberties Issues

2009-01-15T12:00:00-05:00

Top Military Commission Official Admits Detainee Was Tortured

2009-01-14T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – In an interview published in the Washington Post today, Susan J. Crawford, the official overseeing the Bush administration's Office of Military Commissions at Guantánamo, said she refused to send detainee Mohammed al-Qahtani's case to trial because "we tortured [him]." Al-Qahtani allegedly planned to participate in the 9/11 hijackings. Despite this admission, the government is proceeding with the cases of several other detainees who have been waterboarded and subjected to coercive interrogations. Crawford's admission comes along with reports that the Office of Military Commissions may have "accidentally" withdrawn the charges against all Guantánamo detainees facing trial, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and the other defendants charged in the 9/11 terror attacks. As a result, the detainees would need to be re-arraigned before trials can proceed.

Leading NGOs Urge Military Judge To Allow Public To Hear Details Of 9/11 Case

2009-01-14T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK - Four leading non-governmental organizations filed a friend-of-the-court brief today opposing a court order on classified information in the military commission case of the alleged 9/11 conspirators, United States v. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, et al. The order is overbroad and would unjustifiably prevent public scrutiny of the most important and highly-anticipated trial at Guantánamo Bay, the groups say.

United States v. al-Nashiri - Request to Withdraw Charges

2009-01-14T12:00:00-05:00

Top Military Commission Official Admits Detainee Was Tortured

2009-01-14T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Announces Agenda For 111th Congress

2009-01-13T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – Top leaders of the American Civil Liberties Union today called on the newly-installed 111th Congress to defend the fundamental freedoms of all Americans. In a letter sent to every member of Congress, the ACLU outlined its legislative agenda.

9/11 Detainees Face Possible Re-Arraignment At Guantánamo

2009-01-13T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – Today, a Guantánamo military commission judge requested counsel to comment Thursday regarding the possibility of re-arraigning the five detainees accused of perpetrating the 9/11 attacks. The re-arraignment would occur on January 19, the last day of the Bush administration and a day before President-elect Obama takes office.

ACLU Files Habeas Petition Challenging Guantánamo Detention Of Prisoner Captured As Juvenile

2009-01-13T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – The American Civil Liberties Union filed a petition for habeas corpus today in federal court in the District of Columbia to challenge the unlawful detention of Mohammed Jawad, who has been held for over six years at Guantánamo Bay. Lt. Col. Darrel Vandeveld, the former lead prosecutor in Jawad's military commission case, is supporting the ACLU's legal challenge.

A Quick Glance at the ACLU's Legislative Priorities for the 111th Congress

2009-01-13T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Legislative Priorities for the 111th Congress

2009-01-13T12:00:00-05:00

Leading Rights Groups Urge Obama To Stop Guantánamo Proceedings Against Child Soldiers

2009-01-12T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – Five leading human rights and civil liberties groups sent a letter to President-elect Barack Obama today urging him to suspend the Guantánamo Bay military commissions and to ensure that the upcoming trial of Omar Khadr, a 22-year-old Canadian, does not proceed. The trial is scheduled to begin on January 26, six days after the presidential inauguration.

Obama To Order Guantánamo Closed First Week In Office

2009-01-12T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – News reports indicate that President-elect Obama, according to his advisers, will order the closure of Guantánamo during his first week in office.

Obama Should Not Delay Closure Of Guantánamo And Military Commissions, Says ACLU

2009-01-12T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – After President-elect Obama stated Sunday on ABC's "This Week" that he may delay the closure of the prison at Guantánamo Bay, the American Civil Liberties Union urged him to waste no time making good on his campaign promise to shut down the prison and the military commissions. Obama implied that it might not be feasible to close the prison during the first 100 days of his presidency; the ACLU disagrees and urges him to take action immediately upon being sworn in.

Court Closes Avenue For Guantánamo Detainees To Challenge Their Detention

2009-01-09T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – A panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit today closed an avenue for Guantánamo Bay detainees to challenge their detention, shutting down approximately 175 pending cases in that court. The court struck down a provision of the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005 that allowed detainees to challenge their status as "enemy combatants" as determined by the Pentagon’s Combatant Status Review Tribunals, a status that allows for their indefinite detention at Guantánamo.

Court Closes Avenue For Guantánamo Detainees To Challenge Their Detention

2009-01-09T12:00:00-05:00

Justice Department Releases Several Legal Memos On Bush Administration's War Policies

2009-01-09T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – In the final days of the Bush administration, the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) released several memos that provide the legal basis for some of the president's war policies. However, the Justice Department continues to withhold many legal opinions, including memos justifying torture and surveillance policies that are responsive to Freedom of Information Act lawsuits filed by the American Civil Liberties Union.

Justice Department Releases Several Legal Memos On Bush Administration's War Policies

2009-01-09T12:00:00-05:00

U.S. Government Refers Charges Against USS Cole Suspect Al-Nashiri At Guantánamo

2008-12-19T12:00:00-05:00

GUANTÁNAMO BAY, Cuba – In one of its final moves at the Guantánamo military commissions, the Bush administration referred charges in the capital case of detainee Abd al-Rahim Hussain Mohammed al-Nashiri, who is being charged for his alleged involvement in crimes including the USS Cole bombing. The American Civil Liberties Union is sponsoring civilian attorneys to represent al-Nashiri through its John Adams Project, a partnership with the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers to supplement the under-resourced military defense teams that have been assigned to Guantánamo detainees.

U.S. Government Refers Charges Against USS Cole Suspect Al-Nashiri At Guantánamo

2008-12-19T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Calls Gates Plans To Close Down Guantánamo An Important First Step

2008-12-18T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – A Pentagon spokesman said today that U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has ordered aides to draw up plans for closing down the prison camp at Guantánamo Bay.

Leading Civil Liberties And Human Rights Organizations Urge Obama Not To Create On-Shore Guantánamo System

2008-12-18T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – Four leading civil liberties and human rights organizations today urged President-elect Obama to implement "an unqualified return to America's established system of justice for detaining and prosecuting suspects" when he fulfills his pledge to shut down the Guantánamo Bay prison camp and military commissions. In a letter delivered to the presidential transition team, the American Civil Liberties Union, Amnesty International USA, Human Rights First and Human Rights Watch state that they "categorically oppose the creation of any other ad-hoc illegal detention system or 'third way' that permits the executive branch to suspend due process and hold suspected terrorists without charge or trial, essentially moving Guantánamo on-shore."

Leading Civil Liberties And Human Rights Organizations Urge Obama Not To Create On-Shore Guantánamo System

2008-12-18T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Rejects Vice President Cheney's Praise Of Guantánamo

2008-12-16T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – Despite years of legal setbacks and international controversy, Vice President Dick Cheney this week heaped praise upon the maligned Guantánamo prison camp and military commission system, saying that "Guantánamo has been very well run" and should remain open indefinitely.

ACLU Rejects Vice President Cheney's Praise Of Guantánamo

2008-12-16T12:00:00-05:00

Court Rules Patriot Act's "National Security Letter" Gag Provisions Unconstitutional

2008-12-15T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – A federal appeals court today upheld, in part, a decision striking down provisions of the Patriot Act that prevent national security letter (NSL) recipients from speaking out about the secret records demands. The decision comes in an American Civil Liberties Union and New York Civil Liberties Union lawsuit challenging the FBI's authority to use NSLs to demand sensitive and private customer records from Internet Service Providers and then forbid them from discussing the requests. Siding with the ACLU, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit found that the statute's gag provisions violate the First Amendment.

ACLU Monitoring Unconstitutional Guantánamo Military Commissions Today

2008-12-15T12:00:00-05:00

GUANTÁNAMO BAY, Cuba – The American Civil Liberties Union is at Guantánamo monitoring the military commission hearings of Saudi national Ahmed Mohammed Al Darbi scheduled for today.

Court Rules Patriot Act's "National Security Letter" Gag Provisions Unconstitutional

2008-12-15T12:00:00-05:00

U.S. Embassy Will Protest to Government of United Arab Emirates Over Treatment of American Citizen, Who Says U.S. Officials Participated in His Interrogation and Torture

2008-12-12T12:00:00-05:00

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The U.S. Embassy will protest to the government of the United Arab Emirates regarding the treatment of American citizen Naji Hamdan, who was severely tortured during the three months he was imprisoned by state security forces in the U.A.E.

ACLU Monitoring Unconstitutional Guantánamo Military Commissions Today

2008-12-12T12:00:00-05:00

GUANTÁNAMO BAY, Cuba – The American Civil Liberties Union is at Guantánamo monitoring the military commission hearings of Omar Khadr scheduled for today. If his case moves forward, Khadr will be the first child soldier in American history to be prosecuted for alleged war crimes.

ACLU Welcomes Report’s Conclusions On Detainee Treatment In U.S. Custody

2008-12-11T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – Today, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-MI) and Ranking Member John McCain (R-AZ) released the executive summary and conclusions of the committee’s long-awaited report on its inquiry into the treatment of detainees in U.S. custody. The American Civil Liberties Union welcomes the release and applauds the committee for initiating the inquiry.

ACLU Welcomes Report’s Conclusions On Detainee Treatment In U.S. Custody

2008-12-11T12:00:00-05:00

9/11 Victims' Families Challenge Legitimacy Of Guantánamo Military Commissions

2008-12-10T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties Union today released a statement from 31 9/11 victims' family members challenging the legitimacy of the Guantánamo military commissions and their ability to achieve justice.

9/11 Victims' Families Challenge Legitimacy Of Guantánamo Military Commissions

2008-12-10T12:00:00-05:00

9/11 Detainees Postpone Guilty Pleas At Guantánamo

2008-12-08T12:00:00-05:00

GUANTÁNAMO BAY, Cuba – After expressing their desire to plead guilty at a Guantánamo military commission hearing earlier today, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two other detainees charged with crimes related to the 9/11 attacks said they would postpone entering pleas until the competency of two additional co-defendants is determined. Outstanding questions remain about whether the death penalty can be imposed if the defendants plead guilty.

ACLU At Guantánamo This Week For 9/11 Hearings

2008-12-08T12:00:00-05:00

GUANTÁNAMO BAY, Cuba – The American Civil Liberties Union is at Guantánamo this week for hearings in the 9/11-related military commission cases. The ACLU's John Adams Project, a partnership with the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NADCL), has sponsored expert civilian counsel who are assisting the under-resourced military defense counsel for several Guantánamo detainees.

ACLU Announces Poster Design Contest

2008-12-08T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties has issued a call for poster design submissions that depict the transformation of America into a country that holds its leaders accountable, strives to restore civil liberties and works to fix unconstitutional policies. The winning designer will be awarded $500 and the poster will be used as part of the ACLU's national campaign to renew America's commitment to the Constitution.

Video Produced By ACLU And Brave New Films Reveals Flaws In Guantánamo Military Commissions

2008-12-08T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties Union is pleased to announce a new video available online today featuring three military officials who enumerate the egregious flaws in the Guantánamo military commissions. The video features Navy Lt. Commander Brian Mizer, who served as commission defense counsel for convicted Guantánamo detainee Salim Hamdan and has been serving as defense counsel for Ali Abdul Aziz Ali, one of the Guantánamo detainees charged with crimes related to the 9/11 attacks who offered to plead guilty today before a military commission; Air Force Major David J.R. Frakt, who is the commission defense counsel for Mohammed Jawad; and Lt. Colonel Darrel John Vandeveld, who was a senior military commission prosecutor before resigning in protest.

Federal Court Rules Bush Administration Must Justify Scholar's Visa Denial

2008-12-08T12:00:00-05:00

BOSTON – A federal court today ruled that it has the power to review whether the Bush administration has a valid reason for denying a visa to respected South African scholar Adam Habib. The decision comes in a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union and ACLU of Massachusetts challenging the State Department's refusal to grant Professor Habib a visa based on unsubstantiated national security claims. Habib remains banned from the country and unable to attend speaking engagements in the United States.

Guantánamo Detainees Charged With 9/11 Crimes Offer To Plead Guilty

2008-12-08T12:00:00-05:00

GUANTÁNAMO BAY, Cuba – The Guantánamo detainees charged with crimes related to the 9/11 attacks offered to plead guilty today before a military commission. The American Civil Liberties Union's John Adams Project, a partnership with the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NADCL), has sponsored expert civilian counsel who are assisting the under-resourced military defense counsel for these detainees.

Supreme Court Agrees To Review ACLU's Landmark Indefinite Detention Case

2008-12-05T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court today agreed to review the Bush administration's claim that it can indefinitely imprison a legal resident of the United States without charge or trial. The case was filed on behalf of Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri, who has been detained in solitary confinement at a Navy brig in South Carolina since June 2003. Al-Marri asked the Court to reverse a federal appeals court decision that gave the president sweeping power to deprive individuals in the United States of their most basic constitutional rights by designating them as "enemy combatants."

ACLU Challenges Government Suppression Of Torture Testimony At Guantánamo

2008-12-05T12:00:00-05:00

GUANTÁNAMO BAY, Cuba – The American Civil Liberties Union filed a legal challenge today to prohibit the government from censoring prisoners' testimony about torture and abuse in their military commission proceedings. Currently, the government cuts off the audio feed whenever a detainee testifies about CIA abuse so that observers cannot hear descriptions of brutal interrogations. In its motion, filed with the judge overseeing the prosecution of five defendants charged with involvement in the 9/11 attacks, the ACLU also seeks the immediate release of all transcripts of past proceedings in which the audio was turned off.

U.S. Citizen Severely Tortured While Detained in the United Arab Emirates at the Behest of the United States

2008-12-03T12:00:00-05:00

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – An American man detained in the United Arab Emirates at the behest of the U.S. government has been released from state security custody and transferred to a prison in Abu Dhabi, but only after suffering severe torture. Naji Hamdan's transfer came only one week after lawyers for the ACLU of Southern California filed a lawsuit seeking his release.

ACLU Says No Room For Compromise On Banning Torture

2008-12-03T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – News reports indicate that some members of Congress may be considering compromising over whether to completely end the Bush administration's disastrous policies of torture and detainee abuse.

ACLU Briefs Key House Committee on Privacy

2008-12-03T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – The House Homeland Security Committee hosted a series of roundtable discussions today to consider the future of privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties at the Department of Homeland Security. Chairman Bennie Thompson invited scholars and experts from across the country, including the American Civil Liberties Union, to participate. The ACLU offered guidance on policies such as federal watch lists, border security, and increased information sharing among law enforcement – including the use of fusion centers.

ACLU Says No Room For Compromise On Banning Torture

2008-12-03T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Challenges Government's Authority To Designate Charities As Terrorists Without Due Process Or Court Oversight

2008-11-21T12:00:00-05:00

TOLEDO, OH – A federal court should block the government from blacklisting an Ohio-based charity without providing it due process and should lift a freeze on the organization's assets, the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Ohio and several civil rights lawyers argued today. The U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) froze the funds of KindHearts for Charitable Humanitarian Development, Inc. more than 33 months ago without notice or a hearing, based simply on the assertion that the charity was "under investigation." OFAC then threatened to designate KindHearts as a "specially designated global terrorist" (SDGT) based on classified evidence, again without providing it with a reason or meaningful opportunity to defend itself.

Federal Judge Orders Release Of Five Guantánamo Detainees Held Without Charges

2008-11-20T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – A federal judge today ordered the release of five Algerian detainees who have been held at Guantánamo for nearly seven years without charges. U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon also ruled that the government may continue to hold a sixth Algerian indefinitely. These cases are the first contested challenges to the indefinite detention of Guantánamo prisoners since the Supreme Court's landmark decision upholding the right of habeas corpus last June in Boumediene v Bush.

Guantánamo Judge Throws Out More Evidence Obtained Through Torture In Jawad Case

2008-11-20T12:00:00-05:00

GUANTÁNAMO BAY, Cuba – Less than a month after throwing out an alleged confession obtained through torture, a judge late Wednesday rejected more evidence gathered through coercive interrogations in the military commission case against Afghan national Mohammed Jawad. Army judge Col. Stephen Henley held that evidence collected while Jawad was in U.S. custody cannot be admitted in his trial. Previously, the government had told the judge that Jawad's alleged confessions were the centerpiece of its case against him.

Bush Administration Continues To Ram Through Military Commissions Despite Obama's Pledge To Dismantle Guantánamo

2008-11-19T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – In a continued effort to press ahead with the Guantánamo military commissions at warp speed before the Obama administration can implement its plans to dismantle them, military prosecutors have filed new charges against detainee Mohammed al-Qahtani, who is accused of having plotted with the hijackers in the September 11 attacks. The administration dropped charges against al-Qahtani in May amidst revelations that he had been tortured and subjected to coercive interrogation techniques that could make it impossible to prosecute him with admissible evidence.

Documents Obtained By ACLU Provide Further Evidence That Abuse Of Iraqi Prisoners Was Systemic

2008-11-19T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties Union released Department of Defense documents today that provide further evidence that prisoner abuse in U.S. detention facilities in Iraq was systemic. The documents, obtained as part of an ongoing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit, also show that Army investigations of abuse in Iraq were compromised by missing records, flawed interviews and problems with witness recollection.

Documents Released Under the "Diplomatic Assurances" FOIA

2008-11-18T12:00:00-05:00

Documents Reveal U.S. Knowingly Transfers Detainees To Countries That Torture

2008-11-18T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties Union and Columbia Law School's Human Rights Clinic released documents today revealing for the first time details of the U.S. government's process for transferring individuals to countries where they face a significant risk of being tortured. The documents, which were uncovered as the result of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request by the two organizations, shed new light on the fundamentally flawed practice of "diplomatic assurances" or secret promises obtained from foreign governments that they will not torture the returned individuals.

Documents Reveal U.S. Knowingly Transfers Detainees To Countries That Torture

2008-11-18T12:00:00-05:00

Military And Civilian Attorneys Challenge The Military Commissions Act In Second Round Of Guantánamo Pretrial Motions For 9/11 Detainees

2008-11-18T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – For the second time this month, a group of military defense lawyers and a team of civilian attorneys assembled by the American Civil Liberties Union and National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) as part of the John Adams Project filed several pretrial motions in Guantánamo challenging the constitutionality of the military commission prosecutions. The defense is protesting the legality of these ad hoc tribunals, which may rely on coerced confessions and expressly preclude prisoners from invoking the Geneva Conventions. The John Adams Project is a partnership between the ACLU and the NACDL that sponsors expert civilian counsel to assist the under-resourced military defense counsel for several Guantánamo detainees.

ACLU Praises Obama's Plan To Close Guantánamo

2008-11-17T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties Union strongly praises President-elect Barack Obama's promise on CBS' "60 Minutes" Sunday night to close down Guantánamo and its unconstitutional military commissions being used to prosecute detainees.

ACLU Praises Obama's Plan To Close Guantánamo

2008-11-17T12:00:00-05:00

Documents Released By the Government in Response to The ACLU's Cell Phone FOIA Requests

2008-11-12T12:00:00-05:00

No Special Court System Necessary For Guantánamo Detainees, Says ACLU

2008-11-10T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – News reports today indicated that President-elect Barack Obama's team was preparing a plan to close the prison camp at Guantánamo Bay and possibly create an alternative court system to try some of the detainees. Obama's transition team later clarified that no decisions have yet been made about detainee prosecutions.

ACLU Calls On Obama To Close Guantánamo On Day One Of Presidency

2008-11-10T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties Union launched a new campaign today calling on President-elect Barack Obama to close the Guantánamo Bay prison and end the military commissions on Day One of his presidency.

Bush Administration Once Again Attempts To Block Release Of Prisoner Abuse Photos In ACLU Lawsuit

2008-11-07T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – The Bush administration petitioned a full appeals court late Thursday to reconsider a decision ordering the Defense Department to release photographs showing detainee abuse by U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. In September, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ordered the government to release the photos as part of an American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit seeking information on the abuse of prisoners held in U.S. custody overseas.

ACLU Calls on President-elect Obama to Restore America

2008-11-07T12:00:00-05:00

In the wake of the presidential election, the ACLU has delivered to President-elect Obama a list of initiatives to implement during his first year in office.

Second Unconstitutional Military Commission Trial Ends In Conviction At Guantánamo

2008-11-03T12:00:00-05:00

GUANTÁNAMO BAY, Cuba – After a flawed military commission trial that was boycotted by the accused, a jury of nine military officers found Ali Hamza al Bahlul guilty of crimes including conspiracy and providing material support to al Qaeda. The American Civil Liberties Union was at Guantánamo Bay observing the al Bahlul proceedings, which, like all of the military commissions, lacked the fairness and transparency found in traditional U.S. or military courts.

Military And Civilian Lawyers Petition Guantánamo Military Commission To Address Fundamental Flaws

2008-11-03T12:00:00-05:00

GUANTÁNAMO BAY, Cuba – A coalition of military and civilian lawyers, assembled as part of the American Civil Liberties Union's John Adams Project, filed pretrial motions in a Guantánamo military commission today requesting legal relief for some of the worst of the constitutional flaws plaguing the commission system. The ACLU's John Adams Project is a partnership with the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers sponsoring expert civilian counsel to assist the under-resourced military defense counsel for several Guantánamo detainees.

Sweeping Homeland Security Investigation Of Muslims Was Unconstitutional And Discriminatory, Says ACLU

2008-10-31T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – A report in today’s New York Times revealed details of a 2004 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) anti-terrorism program that, despite government claims to the contrary, used racial profiling. More than 2,000 Muslim immigrants were investigated in the lead up to the 2004 elections, and many were interrogated right before the November election. Despite the investment of considerable resources, “Operation Front Line” produced minimal results. Most of those investigated were found to have done nothing wrong.

Court Orders Justice Department To Submit NSA Wiretapping Memos For Judicial Review

2008-10-31T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – A federal judge today said that he would review in chambers a set of Justice Department memos relating to the National Security Agency's (NSA) illegal warrantless wiretapping program. The judge found for the second time in an American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit that the government had failed adequately to explain why the memos should be kept secret in their entirety.

Federal Court Allows Bush Administration To Withhold Records Detailing Torture And Abuse Of Guantánamo Prisoners

2008-10-29T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – A federal judge today allowed the Bush administration to withhold unredacted transcripts in which 14 prisoners now held at Guantánamo Bay describe abuse and torture they endured in CIA custody. The decision comes in an American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit filed in March to enforce a Freedom of Information Act request for records from Combatant Status Review Tribunals that determine if prisoners held by the Defense Department at Guantánamo qualify as "enemy combatants."

Federal Court Allows Bush Administration To Withhold Records Detailing Torture And Abuse Of Guantánamo Prisoners

2008-10-29T12:00:00-05:00

Mainers Granted Intervenor Status in Warrantless Spying Case

2008-10-28T12:00:00-05:00

PORTLAND – A California court has granted the motion of the Maine Civil Liberties Union Foundation to intervene in a case involving National Security Agency wiretapping of potentially millions of Americans. Under the new ruling, James D. Cowie and twenty-one other Mainers have been given formal legal status in a consolidated case against the telephone companies for their role in the NSA warrantless surveillance program.

Guantánamo Judge Rejects Evidence Obtained Through Torture In Jawad Case

2008-10-28T12:00:00-05:00

GUANTÁNAMO BAY, Cuba – A military judge ruled today that the government cannot use statements made as a result of torture in the military commission case against Afghan national Mohammed Jawad. The judge held that Jawad's alleged confession to throwing a grenade at two U.S. service members and an Afghan interpreter was obtained after armed Afghan officials threatened to kill Jawad and his family. The government had previously told the judge that Jawad's alleged confession while in Afghan custody was central to the case against him.

Amnesty et al. v. McConnell - Defendants' Memo in Opposition to Summary Judgment

2008-10-28T12:00:00-05:00

Guantánamo Judge Rejects Evidence Obtained Through Torture In Jawad Case

2008-10-28T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Releases Presidential Transition Plan To Restore Civil Liberties

2008-10-27T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – In anticipation of the presidential election, the American Civil Liberties Union today released a set of detailed recommendations on steps that the new president should take to “clean house,” renew freedom, and restore the nation’s reputation.

ACLU Monitoring Unconstitutional Guantánamo Military Commission Trial This Week

2008-10-27T12:00:00-05:00

GUANTÁNAMO BAY, Cuba – The American Civil Liberties Union is at Guantánamo to monitor the military commission trial of Ali Hamza al-Bahlul scheduled to begin today. The ACLU has been present as an independent observer at nearly every military commission hearing since 2004 and continues to see no indication that the proceedings are fair, impartial or in accordance with constitutional principles.

Former U.S. Attorney General, Senior Justice Officials And Top Military Officers Urge Supreme Court To Review Indefinite Detention Case

2008-10-23T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – Former United States Attorney General Janet Reno, Former FBI Director William Sessions, Major General Antonio M. Taguba and other former government and military officials today are joining the American Civil Liberties Union in urging the U.S. Supreme Court to review the president's authority to indefinitely imprison a legal resident of the U.S. without charge or trial. Several former top government and military leaders are signing on to friend-of-the-court briefs in the ACLU case of Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri, who has been detained in solitary confinement at a Navy brig in South Carolina since June 2003.

ACLU Monitoring Unconstitutional Guantánamo Military Commissions This Week

2008-10-22T12:00:00-05:00

GUANTÁNAMO BAY, Cuba – The American Civil Liberties Union is at Guantánamo monitoring the military commission hearings of Omar Khadr and Mohammed Kamin and the arraignment of Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani scheduled to take place this week. The ACLU has been present as an independent observer at nearly every commission hearing since 2004 and continues to see no indication that the proceedings are fair, impartial or in accordance with constitutional principles.

Dropped Charges Against Guantánamo Detainees Are Evidence Of Failed Policies, Says ACLU

2008-10-21T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – The government's decision to drop charges against five detainees held at Guantánamo Bay underscores the complete failure of the indefinite detention system and the need to shut down the prison and the military commissions system, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. According to news reports, the charges were dropped after a prosecutor for another detainee resigned, alleging the military was suppressing evidence favorable to the defense.

Dropped Charges Against Guantánamo Detainees Are Evidence Of Failed Policies, Says ACLU

2008-10-21T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Demands Information On Military Deployment Within U.S. Borders

2008-10-21T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties Union today demanded information from the government about reports that an active military unit has been deployed inside the U.S. to help with "civil unrest" and "crowd control" – matters traditionally handled by civilian authorities. This deployment jeopardizes the longstanding separation between civilian and military government, and the public has a right to know where and why the unit has been deployed, according to an ACLU Freedom of Information request filed today.

ACLU Challenges Destruction Of Evidence In Indefinite Detention Case

2008-10-17T12:00:00-05:00

CHARLESTON, SC – The American Civil Liberties Union today appealed a court decision allowing the government to destroy and obstruct evidence depicting the brutal interrogations of Ali al-Marri, who has been detained in solitary confinement at a Navy brig in South Carolina since June 2003. Just last week, newly released military documents obtained by the ACLU and Yale Law School's Lowenstein Human Rights Clinic showed that the Navy applied lawless Guantánamo protocols in detention facilities on American soil, including the brig where al-Marri is held.

Congress Cannot Grant Wholesale Immunity to Telecoms

2008-10-17T12:00:00-05:00

CHICAGO - Congress and the Bush White House overstepped their constitutional authority and violated the rights of millions of customers when they passed and approved legislation granting sweeping immunity to telecoms that collaborated in illegal spying. That assertion is contained in a court filing today by three California affiliates and the Illinois affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, along with other interested parties in cases consolidated in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The ACLU lawsuits filed on behalf of dozens of plaintiffs - including renowned Chicago journalist Studs Terkel, former California Congressman Tom Campbell, journalist Robert Scheer and actor Richard Belzer - challenge the unlawful collaboration of major telecommunications' companies - including AT&T - with the Bush Administration's warrantless dragnet surveillance of electronic communications and records.

ACLU Demands NSA And DOJ Turn Over Spying Policy Records

2008-10-15T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – The National Security Agency (NSA) and the Justice Department should disclose any policies and procedures pertaining to how the NSA protects Americans' privacy rights when it collects, stores and disseminates private U.S. communications, according to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests filed today by the American Civil Liberties Union. The NSA has not released a public version of its procedures for protecting the privacy of U.S. communications since 1993.

Memos Show White House Endorsed CIA Waterboarding

2008-10-15T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – The White House issued two secret memos endorsing the CIA's use of waterboarding and other forms of torture on detainees, according to a news report published today in the Washington Post. The memos, which show that senior Bush administration officials expressly endorsed the CIA's abusive practices, should have been turned over in response to an American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit seeking information on the abuse of prisoners held in U.S. custody overseas.

Court Blocks Government From Designating Charity As "Terrorist"

2008-10-09T12:00:00-05:00

TOLEDO, OH – A federal judge today blocked the government from blacklisting an Ohio-based charity, KindHearts for Charitable Humanitarian Development, Inc., without further judicial review. In response to a request filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Ohio and several civil rights lawyers on behalf of KindHearts, Judge James G. Carr of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio Western Division blocked the government from designating the organization as a specially designated global terrorist "without first affording KindHearts with constitutionally adequate process," including notice and a meaningful opportunity to contest the basis for such a designation.

ACLU Challenges Threat By Government To Designate Charity As "Terrorist"

2008-10-09T12:00:00-05:00

TOLEDO, OH – The American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Ohio and several civil rights lawyers today asked a federal court to block the government from blacklisting an Ohio-based charity, KindHearts for Charitable Humanitarian Development, Inc., without due process. The U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) froze the group's assets more than 31 months ago, without notice or a hearing, based simply on the assertion that KindHearts was "under investigation." OFAC has since threatened to designate KindHearts as a "specially designated global terrorist" based on classified evidence, again without providing KindHearts with a reason or meaningful opportunity to defend itself.

NSA Monitored Personal Conversations Of Innocent Americans, Report Says

2008-10-09T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – National Security Agency (NSA) officials have intercepted, listened to and passed around the phone calls of hundreds of innocent U.S. citizens working overseas, according to an ABC News report out today. The new information shows the government has misled the American public about the scope of its surveillance activities, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.

ACLU Hails DHS-Funded Report Condemning Data Mining

2008-10-08T12:00:00-05:00

Fact Sheet - New Attorney General Guidelines

2008-10-08T12:00:00-05:00

New Documents Reveal Unlawful Guantánamo Procedures Were Also Applied On American Soil

2008-10-08T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – According to newly released military documents, the Navy applied lawless Guantánamo protocols in detention facilities on American soil. The documents, which include regular emails between brig officers and others in the chain of command, uncover new details of the detention and interrogation of two U.S. citizens and a legal resident – Yaser Hamdi, Jose Padilla and Ali al-Marri – at naval brigs in Virginia and South Carolina.

Federal Court Orders Release Of Uighurs Indefinitely Detained At Guantánamo

2008-10-07T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – A federal judge today ordered the release of a small group of Chinese Muslims who have been held without charge at Guantánamo Bay. U.S. District Judge Ricardo M. Urbina in Washington, D.C. rejected the Bush administration's position of indefinitely holding the detainees, known as Uighurs, since they are not considered enemy combatants. The Uighurs have been held in Guantánamo for seven years.

ACLU Condemns New FBI Guidelines

2008-10-03T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – New FBI guidelines governing investigations were released today after being signed by Attorney General Michael Mukasey. The American Civil Liberties Union quickly blasted the Department of Justice and FBI for ignoring calls for more stringent protections of Americans’ rights. The guidelines replace existing bureau guidelines for five types of investigations: general criminal, national security, foreign intelligence, civil disorders and demonstrations. The ACLU has been vocal in its disapproval of the overly broad guidelines, citing both the FBI’s and DOJ’s documented records of internal abuse.

ACLU Condemns New FBI Guidelines

2008-10-03T12:00:00-05:00

Statement of Jonathan Hafetz on Al-Marri v. Pucciarelli

2008-09-30T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Commends Senate Judiciary Subpoena for Interrogation Documents

2008-09-25T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON, DC –The American Civil Liberties Union commends the Senate Judiciary Committee’s vote today to authorize a subpoena of the Department of Justice (DOJ) legal opinions justifying harsh interrogation tactics.

ACLU Asks Federal Court To Restore Torture Flight Lawsuit Against Boeing Subsidiary

2008-09-25T12:00:00-05:00

SAN FRANCISCO - The American Civil Liberties Union today asked a federal appeals court to reinstate a lawsuit against Boeing subsidiary Jeppesen Dataplan for its role in the CIA's extraordinary rendition program. The U.S. government continues to misuse the "state secrets" privilege to avoid legal scrutiny of the unlawful program. It has become increasingly clear in recent months that other governments do not share the Bush administration's conviction that the program must remain shrouded in false claims of state secrets.

ACLU Asks Inspector General to Investigate Abuses of FBI Guidelines

2008-09-23T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence will hear testimony today on proposed changes to the attorney general guidelines. The guidelines govern FBI investigations and were adopted in the mid-1970’s after it was discovered that the agency was engaged in widespread abuses and violations of constitutional rights – including politically-motivated spying on figures like Martin Luther King, Jr. FBI Director Robert Mueller also answered questions about the guidelines last week during hearings before both the House and Senate Judiciary Committees. The American Civil Liberties Union is asking the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (OIG) to investigate whether the FBI violated previous guidelines before the new guidelines are put into place.

ACLU Asks Inspector General to Investigate Abuses of FBI Guidelines

2008-09-23T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Letter to the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Urging An Investigation Into The FBI's Use Of The Attorney General Guidelines

2008-09-22T12:00:00-05:00

Appeals Court Orders Defense Department To Release Detainee Abuse Photos In ACLU Lawsuit

2008-09-22T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – A federal court today ordered the Department of Defense to release photographs depicting the abuse of detainees by U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit rejected the government's appeal of a 2006 order directing the Defense Department to release the photos. Today's decision comes as part of an American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit seeking information on the abuse of prisoners held in U.S. custody overseas.

Defense Lawyers For 9/11 Detainees Challenge Bias And Political Influence At Guantánamo Proceedings This Week

2008-09-22T12:00:00-05:00

GUANTÁNAMO BAY, Cuba – Appearing before a Guantánamo military commission today, military attorneys and civilian lawyers sponsored by the American Civil Liberties Union's John Adams Project sought to interject a degree of fairness into the deeply flawed system. Among several requests, defense lawyers are asking that all charges be dismissed against the detainees accused of crimes related to the 9/11 attacks because of a history of political interference from Brig. Gen. Thomas Hartmann, a top Pentagon general.

ACLU Urges Supreme Court To Review Landmark Indefinite Detention Case

2008-09-19T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – The American Civil Liberties Union today urged the U.S. Supreme Court to review the Bush administration's authority to indefinitely imprison a legal resident of the United States without charge or trial. The case was filed on behalf of Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri, who has been detained in solitary confinement at a Navy brig in South Carolina since June 2003. The ACLU is asking the Court to reverse a federal appeals court decision that gave the president sweeping power to deprive individuals in the United States of their most basic constitutional rights.

ACLU Urges Senate Judiciary to Subpoena Interrogation Documents

2008-09-18T12:00:00-05:00

The American Civil Liberties Union calls on the Senate Judiciary Committee to vote to authorize a subpoena for the Department of Justice (DOJ) to produce the legal opinions that approved harsh interrogations of detainees held by the United States. The committee has repeatedly requested these documents and has seen very little cooperation from DOJ. The Justice Department has provided some heavily redacted documents, which Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Ranking Member Arlen Specter (R-PA) have called inadequate. If authorized, the subpoena would legally require DOJ to comply with the committee’s request.

ACLU Launches Constitution Voter Campaign To Restore Lost Liberties In ‘08

2008-09-17T12:00:00-05:00

The American Civil Liberties Union launched a new campaign asking Americans to pledge to be Constitution Voters. The “I’m a Constitution Voter” campaign is a nonpartisan initiative to encourage activists to let candidates – including those running for president – know that the Constitution will be the first thing on their minds when they step into the polling booth this November. In addition to asking voters to sign a pledge to help make the Constitution a central issue in this campaign season, ACLU affiliates from coast to coast are holding events to commemorate Constitution Day and educate people about the rights and freedoms the Constitution protects.

ACLU Reaffirms Opposition To Unconstitutional FBI Guidelines

2008-09-17T12:00:00-05:00

Following testimony before both the House and Senate Judiciary Committees this week, FBI Director Robert Mueller failed to dispel unease regarding new internal FBI guidelines governing investigations. Yesterday and today, members of both committees sought reassurances that the guidelines – which give overly broad authorities to agents – would not be abused by the bureau. Director Mueller said the guidelines would not be rewritten to include more safeguards but that protections would instead be written into overarching FBI policies.

FBI Director Faces Interrogation by Congress

2008-09-16T12:00:00-05:00

With FBI Director Robert Mueller set to testify in front of both the House and Senate Judiciary Committees this week, the American Civil Liberties Union calls upon committee members to ask tough questions about the agency’s new internal guidelines and past abuses. The ACLU is deeply concerned with revisions to FBI internal guidelines governing investigations that allow agents to use an array of intrusive measures without evidence. The original guidelines were adopted in the mid-1970’s after investigations showed widespread abuses and violations of constitutional rights by the FBI.

ACLU Coalition Letter to Senate and House Judiciary Committee Leadership

2008-09-16T12:00:00-05:00

We, the undersigned organizations who care deeply about both individual rights and effective intelligence-gathering, are gravely concerned about reported changes to federal guidelines that would lower the bar for the FBI’s law enforcement and intelligence investigations. We ask that you thoroughly question FBI Director Mueller this week about the extent of these changes and convene a hearing of civil liberties experts to discuss the implications of the guidelines once they become public and before they go into effect. It appears that fundamental changes will be made in the FBI and Department of Justice rules that govern criminal investigations and domestic intelligence gathering, and the implications of those changes require your dedicated oversight. We also ask that you prevent any funding from being used to implement these changes until the next Attorney General has a chance to review them.

New FBI Guidelines Open Door to Further Abuse

2008-09-12T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC - Following a briefing today at the Department of Justice (DOJ), the American Civil Liberties Union reiterated its deep concern over new guidelines that would govern FBI investigations. The new guidelines would lower standards for beginning "assessments" (precursors to investigations), conducting surveillance and gathering evidence, and would replace existing guidelines for five types of existing guidelines: general criminal, national security, foreign intelligence, civil disorders and demonstrations.

ACLU Asks Court To Strike Down Unconstitutional Spying Law

2008-09-12T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – The FISA Amendments Act is the most sweeping surveillance bill ever enacted by Congress and should be struck down as unconstitutional because it utterly fails to protect U.S. residents' privacy and free speech rights, according to a brief filed in federal court today by the American Civil Liberties Union. This is the first legal brief challenging the constitutionality of the new wiretapping law and is part of the ACLU's landmark lawsuit to stop the government from conducting surveillance under the law.

New FBI Guidelines Open Door to Further Abuse

2008-09-12T12:00:00-05:00

Coalition Letter to Attorney General Michael Mukasey Regarding New FBI Guidelines Governing Investigations

2008-09-11T12:00:00-05:00

Federal Judge Orders Justice Department To Turn Over Memos Authorizing Torture Or Justify Withholding Them

2008-09-02T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – A federal judge has ordered the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) to turn over three memos that authorized the extremely harsh treatment of prisoners in CIA custody or explain by October 3 why these memos can lawfully be withheld. The American Civil Liberties Union called for the immediate release of the May 2005 OLC memos as part of its Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit requesting information on the treatment and interrogation of detainees in U.S. custody overseas.

FISA Court Denies Public Access To Spy Law Proceedings

2008-08-29T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - In a decision issued late Thursday, a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) judge denied a motion from the American Civil Liberties Union seeking to bring a measure of transparency to the court's legal review of the Bush administration's new spying law.

ACLU Asks Appeals Court To Affirm Decision Striking Down Patriot Act's "National Security Letter" Provision

2008-08-27T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – In oral arguments today, the American Civil Liberties Union urged a federal appeals court to uphold a decision striking down the national security letter (NSL) provision of the Patriot Act. This provision gives the FBI the authority to issue letters demanding private information about people within the United States, and to place the recipients of the letters under indefinite gag orders. Recent reports issued by the Department of Justice's Office of the Inspector General (OIG) have revealed the FBI's widespread, systemic abuse of its NSL power.

Guantánamo Military Lawyers Request Extension In 9/11 Cases To Prepare Adequate Defense

2008-08-25T12:00:00-05:00

Guantánamo Bay – Military defense lawyers representing Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and other detainees charged with 9/11 terrorism-related crimes filed a motion with the Guantánamo military commissions seeking more time to provide an adequate defense in a system that is unfair and biased in favor of the prosecution. The motion asks that the current due date for the filing of legal motions, August 29, be extended to November 25 so that proper investigation, research and communication with clients can be achieved. The motion comes after months of procedural and logistical obstacles that have hamstrung the ability of lawyers to wage a robust defense in these cases.

ACLU Sues Governor For "Knowing And Willful" Violation Of Open Records Law

2008-08-20T12:00:00-05:00

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The R.I. ACLU today filed a lawsuit charging Governor Donald Carcieri with a "knowing and willful" violation of the Access to Public Records Act, and seeking imposition of a $1,000 fine against him for the violation. The suit, filed in R.I. Superior Court by RI ACLU volunteer attorney Kathleen Managhan, argues that the Governor has failed to turn over records that are clearly public under the law.

FBI Improperly Obtains Reporters' Phone Records

2008-08-09T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK -- The FBI admitted late yesterday to improperly obtaining telephone records from New York Times and Washington Post reporters by issuing "emergency" records demands that allowed the agency to bypass even the extremely limited safeguards that ordinarily apply to national security letters (NSLs). The American Civil Liberties Union has successfully challenged the national security letter statute in federal court and says this breach confirms the inadequacy of safeguards on the FBI's intrusive surveillance powers.

President Carter Supports ACLU And NACDL Guantánamo Defense Project

2008-08-07T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – Former President Jimmy Carter issued a statement in support of the American Civil Liberties Union's John Adams Project, a partnership with the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) that provides civilian legal teams to assist under-resourced military counsel of Guantánamo detainees who have been charged in the military commissions.

President Carter Supports ACLU And NACDL Guantánamo Defense Project

2008-08-07T12:00:00-05:00

First Unconstitutional Military Commission Trial Ends In Conviction

2008-08-06T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – After a trial filled with overwhelming constitutional and procedural flaws, a jury of military officers today found Salim Hamdan guilty of providing material support for terrorism. The American Civil Liberties Union has been at Guantánamo Bay observing the Hamdan proceedings, which lacked the fundamental legal safeguards found in traditional U.S. courts or military courts governed by the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

ACLU's Reply Memorandum in Support of Motion for Leave to Participate in FISC Proceedings

2008-08-05T12:00:00-05:00

Testimony of ACLU Legal Director, Steven R. Shapiro, Before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Regarding The State Secrets Protection Act of 2008

2008-07-31T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Testifies Today Asking Congress To Narrow Scope Of State Secrets Privilege

2008-07-31T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – The American Civil Liberties Union testified today about the improper use of the state secrets privilege at a hearing before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties. The hearing was held to discuss legislation introduced by the subcommittee’s chairman, Representative Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), entitled the “State Secrets Protection Act of 2008” (H.R.5607). The bill would narrow the scope of the privilege by setting appropriate limits on its use.

ACLU Skeptical of Intelligence Overhaul

2008-07-31T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – The American Civil Liberties Union today expressed concern regarding significant new changes made to a previously existing executive order governing the intelligence activities of a multitude of US government agencies, including the FBI, CIA, Defense Department and National Security Agency (NSA). President Bush signed amendments to Executive Order 12333 last night before informing Congress of the changes. The ACLU applauded members of the House Intelligence Committee who walked out of a briefing today in protest of their lack of involvement in drafting the language.

ACLU Skeptical of Intelligence Overhaul

2008-07-31T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Testifies Today Asking Congress To Narrow Scope Of State Secrets Privilege

2008-07-31T12:00:00-05:00

Justice Department Asks Intelligence Court To Review New Wiretapping Law In Secret

2008-07-30T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – In a brief filed late yesterday with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC), the Bush administration asked that any review of the new warrantless surveillance law be kept secret and that the court refuse to accept legal briefs from anyone other than the Justice Department itself. The government is responding to a motion the American Civil Liberties Union filed earlier this month asking the FISC to ensure that any proceedings relating to the scope, meaning or constitutionality of the FISA Amendments Act (FAA) be open to the public to the extent possible.

ACLU Teleconference on Updated Fusion Center Report and Law Enforcement Concerns

2008-07-29T12:00:00-05:00

Fusion Centers Part of Incipient Domestic Intelligence System, ACLU Warns

2008-07-29T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – The nation’s growing network of “fusion centers” is part of an incipient de facto domestic intelligence system, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. Today the ACLU released a report detailing spying on Maryland peace demonstrators, a mysterious domestic-spying scandal at a California military base and other recent incidents, confirming that its warnings about fusion centers were coming true.

Fusion Centers Part of Incipient Domestic Intelligence System, ACLU Warns

2008-07-29T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Hails Hearing on “Imperial Presidency”

2008-07-25T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – As the House Judiciary Committee prepares to hold a hearing on the “imperial presidency of George W. Bush,” the American Civil Liberties Union voiced similar concerns about the unchecked expansion of the executive branch. The committee is expected to discuss various constitutional issues that have arisen during the Bush administration, including warrantless wiretapping, overreaching presidential signing statements and use of various privileges including the claim of state secrets to block investigations and judicial oversight.

ACLU Obtains Key Memos Authorizing CIA Torture Methods

2008-07-24T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties Union today obtained three redacted documents related to the Bush administration's brutal interrogation policies, including a previously withheld Justice Department memo authorizing the CIA's use of torture. The government was ordered to turn over the documents in response to an ongoing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit brought in 2004 by the ACLU and other organizations seeking records on the treatment of prisoners in U.S. custody overseas.

ACLU At Guantánamo For First Military Commission Trial This Week

2008-07-24T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK - With the military commission trial of Yemeni national Salim Ahmed Hamdan underway this week, the inherent flaws of this system continue to be apparent. The ACLU is at Guantánamo Bay observing the proceedings which began on Monday. The Hamdan trial is the first military commission trial to take place since the Bush administration set up the notorious Guantánamo detention camp as a way to bypass the U.S. justice system.

Congress Should Demand Answers from Attorney General

2008-07-23T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON, DC – The American Civil Liberties Union urges the House Judiciary Committee to demand accountability from Attorney General Michael Mukasey during the Department of Justice oversight hearing scheduled for today.

ACLU At Guantánamo For Military Commission Hearings This Week

2008-07-15T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties Union is at Guantánamo Bay this week observing the military commission hearings of Yemeni national Salim Ahmed Hamdan, whose trial is scheduled to begin next week. Separately, a federal judge is holding a hearing on Thursday to decide whether to delay Hamdan's trial and allow lawyers to continue challenging the legality of the commission system. A ruling in favor of Hamdan could bring the unlawful military commissions to a halt.

As Guantánamo Video Is Made Public, ACLU Calls On Government To Release Wrongfully Withheld Documentation Of Detainee Abuse

2008-07-15T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – Despite vigorous attempts by the Bush administration to block the release of footage showing the policies inside Guantánamo, lawyers made public a video today documenting the interrogation of Omar Khadr, a Canadian captured in Afghanistan in 2002 when he was 15 years old.

ACLU At Guantánamo This Week For Hearings On Detainees' Legal Representation

2008-07-09T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties Union is at Guantánamo this week for hearings to determine whether any of the detainees accused of 9/11-related crimes were coerced by fellow detainees into rejecting direct legal representation at their June 5 arraignment.

ACLU Thanks Senators Who Stood for the Constitution

2008-07-09T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – After a brutal loss on the FISA Amendments Act today in the Senate, the American Civil Liberties Union expressed gratitude to the senators who cast their vote against the bill.

ACLU Urges Senators to Oppose Unconstitutional Surveillance Bill

2008-07-08T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – With the Senate debate continuing and a vote expected on the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 this Wednesday, the American Civil Liberties Union once again urged senators to vote against the unconstitutional bill, which will allow the government to monitor calls and emails without a warrant and without meaningful court review.

Coalition Letter to the Senate Strongly Urging a "No" Vote on the FISA Amendments Act, H.R. 6304

2008-07-07T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Commends House Judiciary Subcommittee for Continued Investigation into Whether High-Level Officials Authorized Torture

2008-06-25T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – The American Civil Liberties Union commends Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties for their continued efforts to uncover the full extent of this administration’s approval of torture in the interrogation of detainees. Tomorrow’s hearing is the last in a series of three held by the subcommittee on torture, and the first time both David Addington, chief of staff to Vice President Cheney, and John Yoo, formerly of the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC), are scheduled to testify before Congress on their roles in approving the use of torture. An important focus of the series of hearings has been whether high-level government officials violated federal criminal laws against torture and abuse.

House Approves Unconstitutional Surveillance Legislation

2008-06-20T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – Following a vote in the House of Representatives sanctioning warrantless wiretapping and handing immunity to telecommunications companies for their role in domestic spying, the American Civil Liberties Union expressed outrage at representatives who voted for the unconstitutional legislation. The bill, H.R. 6304, or The FISA Amendments Act of 2008, passed the chamber by a vote of 293-129, and is expected to be voted on in the Senate next week.

ACLU Condemns FISA Deal, Declares Surveillance Bill Unconstitutional

2008-06-19T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – With news that a surveillance bill may be voted on in the House of Representatives as early as tomorrow, the American Civil Liberties Union sternly warned members against voting for the legislation. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) has worked closely with the White House and has led the effort to gut the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and give the telephone companies what amounts to a pardon for breaking the law.

ACLU Letter to the House Of Representatives Strongly Urging Opposition to H.R. 6304 , The FISA Amendments Act of 2008

2008-06-19T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU and EFF Teleconference on Congressional Efforts to Give Immunity to Telecommunications Companies and Gut the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act

2008-06-18T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Analysis of Telecom Immunity Provision in Senator Bond's Proposal of May 21, 2008

2008-06-12T12:00:00-05:00

Despite claims that Senator Bond’s proposal will allow court review of the pending lawsuits against telecoms that illegally released consumer communications and records, the draft very clearly prevents the courts from determining whether those activities actually complied with the law. Instead, it directs the secret FISA court to dismiss all cases on a showing merely that the telecoms received a piece of paper from the government – regardless of what it said. Here’s what the Bond proposal really does:

Testimony of Caroline Fredrickson on Overclassification Before the House Subcommittee on Intelligence, Information Sharing and Terrorism Risk Assessment

2008-06-11T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Says No Deal on an Unconstitutional FISA Compromise

2008-06-05T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – As news continues to trickle down from Capitol Hill regarding a deal on surveillance legislation, the American Civil Liberties Union once again voiced its fervent opposition to any attempt to undercut the Fourth Amendment or allow the telecommunications companies to gain blanket immunity for illegal spying. Before the Memorial Day recess the ranking member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Senator Christopher Bond (R-MO) floated what he claims is a compromise on surveillance legislation that will allow for sham court proceedings, virtually guaranteeing immunity to telecommunications companies. The ACLU strongly opposes this unconstitutional proposal.

Sign On Letter to House Homeland Security, Intelligence and Judiciary Committees Opposing Funding for Domestic Spy Satellites

2008-06-04T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU One Pager on the State Secrets Protection Act of 2007, H.R. 5607

2008-06-03T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Praises Adoption of Amendment Requiring Video Recording of Interrogations

2008-05-23T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON, DC - The American Civil Liberties Union praises last night's House of Representatives floor vote that adopted, by a margin of 218-192 (including 15 Republicans) the Holt/Tauscher/Grijalva/Schakowsky Amendment to the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act. The amendment requires the recording and retention of videos of strategic interrogations of persons under the custody or control of the Defense Department. The amendment would bring these interrogations into line with recommended best practices for military and law enforcement interrogations - increasing accountability for compliance with the McCain Anti-Torture Amendment and other anti-torture laws.

ACLU Rejects FISA “Compromise”

2008-05-23T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – Responding to a proposal from Senate Intelligence Ranking Member, Senator Christopher Bond (R-MO), the American Civil Liberties Union today criticized yet another attempt to gut the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and grant immunity to telecommunications companies. The proposal, which has the backing of the Bush administration, would allow for cases against the telecommunications companies to be held in a secret court and redundantly would restate the provision already in FISA making it the exclusive means to wiretap within the United States – after weakening FISA to allow the president’s warrantless wiretapping program to proceed virtually unfettered.

ACLU Letter to House Appropriations Committee, Intelligence Committee and Leadership Urging Against Funding for Spy Satellites

2008-05-22T12:00:00-05:00

FISA: Fear-mongering and What We've Learned Since January

2008-05-14T12:00:00-05:00

Coalition Sign On Letter to Senate Leadership Urging Investigations into US Agencies' Role in Torture

2008-05-12T12:00:00-05:00

Coalition Sign On Letter to House Leadership Urging Investigations into US Agencies' Role in Torture

2008-05-12T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Skeptical of Senate Report on "Homegrown" Terrorism

2008-05-08T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – After Senators Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) and Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced a report on Islamic homegrown terrorism today, the American Civil Liberties Union strongly urged Congress to use caution when moving forward on related legislation, the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007 (S. 1959). The report, "Violent Islamist Extremism, the Internet, and the Homegrown Terrorism Threat," is based on findings from hearings held by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. The ACLU and nearly twenty other groups sent a memo to the committee outlining concerns with the report, most notably the free speech implications of labeling the internet as a "weapon" and the unfair singling out of one religious group as possible "extremists."

Coalition Memo to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Regarding "Homegrown Terrorism"

2008-05-07T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Lauds House Judiciary Committee on Torture Investigation

2008-05-07T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – The American Civil Liberties Union lauds the House Judiciary Committee and especially its chairman John Conyers (D-MI) and subcommittee chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) for compelling former members of the Bush administration to appear before the committee as part of an investigation of the authorization of illegal torture of prisoners in US custody by the highest public officials in the executive branch.

ACLU Commends Senator Feingold for Hearing on Secret Law

2008-04-30T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – The American Civil Liberties Union today applauded a Senate subcommittee for holding a hearing on the Bush administration’s use of secrecy to institute government policy. During the hearing, entitled “Secret Law and the Threat to Democratic and Accountable Government,” the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and its chairman, Senator Russell Feingold (D-WI), heard testimony from legal experts and open government advocates. The hearing focused on the administration’s broad interpretation of the law as it relates to government secrecy and counterterrorism policies – including a legal opinion written by former Justice Department Official John Yoo on the use of torture in interrogations. That memo was made public through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request made by the ACLU.

ACLU Urges House to Remain Firm as FISA Stalemate Continues

2008-04-24T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – In response to reports that Republicans in the House of Representatives have filed a discharge petition in order to force a vote on a Senate-passed update to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), the American Civil Liberties Union released the following statement.

ACLU Urges Senate Committee to Pass Strong State Secrets Bill

2008-04-24T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – As the Senate Judiciary Committee meets today to mark up key legislation, the American Civil Liberties Union urged the body to pass a bill that would allow Americans to hold their government accountable. The bill, introduced by Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA), would limit the scope of the state secrets privilege. The Bush administration, which has threatened to veto Senator Kennedy’s bill, has used the privilege to halt several important lawsuits against the government, including an ACLU case involving the extraordinary rendition of an innocent German citizen, Khaled El-Masri.

ACLU Applauds Senate Scrutiny of Overbroad NSL Authority

2008-04-23T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – As an overbroad and often-abused power is examined today by the Senate Judiciary Committee, the American Civil Liberties Union urged members of the committee to thoroughly question its witnesses before marking up legislation aimed at fixing the problem. The "National Security Letter Reform Act" introduced by committee member Senator Russell Feingold (D-WI), would narrow the scope of National Security Letters (NSLs) and curb abuse by federal law enforcement. NSLs are used to obtain access to personal customer records from Internet Service Providers, financial institutions and credit reporting agencies. Recipients of the NSLs are generally forbidden, or "gagged," from disclosing that they have received the letters.

Statement of Caroline Fredrickson, Director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office, Submitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee for a Hearing Entitled, “National Security Letters: The Need for Greater Accountability and Oversight”

2008-04-23T12:00:00-05:00

FBI Practices Need Strict Oversight, ACLU Says

2008-04-23T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – As FBI Director Robert Mueller appeared before Congress today, the American Civil Liberties Union urged the House Judiciary Committee to ask him the “hard questions.”

ACLU Demands Immediate Release Of Inspector General Report On FBI's Role In Illegal Interrogations

2008-04-22T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK - The American Civil Liberties Union filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request today with the Departments of Justice and Defense for the release of a report on a long-running investigation of the FBI's role in the unlawful interrogations of detainees in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantánamo Bay. The Justice Department's Office of Inspector General (OIG) launched the investigation after internal government documents - uncovered by an ACLU lawsuit - revealed that FBI agents stationed at Guantánamo Bay expressed concern after witnessing military interrogators' use of brutal interrogation techniques.

ACLU Section by Section of S. 2088, The National Security Letter Reform Act of 2007

2008-04-22T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Says Fusion Centers Remain Problematic

2008-04-17T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – As a Senate subcommittee met today to get a “progress report” on fusion centers, the American Civil Liberties Union once again voiced its concerns with the intelligence-gathering institutions. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on State, Local, and Private Sector Preparedness and Integration heard testimony from government and intelligence officials on a recent report issued by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) regarding the centers. Though several recent reports have confirmed fusion centers’ growing role in law enforcement and revealed their expanding ties to private industry, including relationships with massive data-brokering companies, no third parties were set to testify. The ACLU released a report last year outlining serious concerns with fusion centers.

ACLU letter to President of the EU's Article 29 Working Group (French)

2008-04-16T12:00:00-05:00

Letter from the ACLU to the President of the European Union's Article 29 working group urging investigation of NSA spying.

ACLU letter to President of the EU's Article 29 Working Group (English)

2008-04-16T12:00:00-05:00

Letter from the ACLU to the President of the European Union's Article 29 Working Group urging investigation of NSA spying.

ACLU Challenges National Security Letters In Congress And Court

2008-04-15T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – The American Civil Liberties Union is challenging National Security Letter (NSL) statutes on two fronts today, testifying before Congress and filing a lawsuit in federal court in its fight to end the government’s abuse of NSL powers. NSLs, secretly issued by the government, are used to obtain access to personal customer records from Internet Service Providers, financial institutions and credit reporting agencies. Recipients of the NSLs are generally forbidden, or “gagged,” from disclosing that they have received the letters. The ACLU and representatives from the Department of Justice will testify before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties at a hearing on a bill introduced by the committee’s chairman, Representative Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), entitled “The National Security Letters Reform Act of 2007.”

The Scales of Secretive Justice at Guantánamo

2008-04-11T12:00:00-05:00

Jamil Dakwar, Director of the ACLU's Human Rights Program, was in Guantánamo Bay from April 9 through 11, for the military commissions hearings of three detainees. He talks about the highlights of the week's hearings, the newly built "Camp Justice" facility and the outlook for these proceedings.

News Report Reveals White House Approved Torture Techniques

2008-04-10T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON DC – ABC News reported that in dozens of top-secret White House meetings, the most senior Bush administration officials, including Vice President Dick Cheney, discussed and approved specific torture techniques for use on detainees. According to this report, Cheney, National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State Colin Powell and Attorney General John Ashcroft sanctioned these tactics. In light of this revelation, the American Civil Liberties Union is calling on Congress to appoint a special counsel to investigate these charges.

ACLU Calls for Investigation into NSL Abuse

2008-04-08T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – The American Civil Liberties Union yesterday called on Department of Justice Inspector General Glenn Fine to begin an internal investigation into the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) use of National Security Letters (NSLs), and whether they were used to funnel Americans’ private information to the Department of Defense (DOD). The NSL statute is a tool used by law enforcement to compel the release of information, such as communications or business records, without a court order. The revelation that the military is getting the FBI to issue NSLs in strictly DOD investigations was disclosed in documents obtained by the ACLU through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit. The ACLU sent a letter to Fine yesterday asking him to investigate whether the FBI has aided the DOD in circumventing the law.

ACLU Letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee Responding to Attorney General Mukasey's Stance on S. 2433, "State Secrets Protection Act"

2008-04-03T12:00:00-05:00

Real ID Won’t Really Be Enforced, DHS Gives Maine Real ID Extension

2008-04-02T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Tells House to Remain Steadfast on FISA

2008-04-01T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – The American Civil Liberties Union today commented on reports that President Bush said he is willing to negotiate on the domestic surveillance program.

The House Stands Up to Scare Tactics, House Votes to Let Consumers Have Their Day in Court

2008-03-14T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – The bruising battle over domestic surveillance that has been red hot since August took a dramatic turn today as the U.S. House of Representatives refused to bow to the president’s scare tactics. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) commends the Members of the House for standing up to the president and for allowing Americans to have their day in court against telecommunications companies that released private information to the government without a warrant.

FBI Audit Exposes Widespread Abuse Of Patriot Act Powers

2008-03-13T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – A report released today by the Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) on the FBI’s use of National Security Letters (NSLs) reveals a systemic, widespread abuse of power. The FBI’s authority to issue NSLs was widely expanded by the USA Patriot Act and it has been increasingly used to collect private information on American citizens without court approval. Today’s audit follows a report released last year that found serious breaches of department regulations and multiple potential violations of the law.

ACLU Lauds Introduction of House State Secrets Bill

2008-03-13T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – Legislation introduced today may give a much-needed reprieve to those who have sued the government and encountered the state secrets privilege. The legislation, introduced by Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), would establish appropriate limits on the use of the state secrets privilege. The Bush administration has misused the privilege to halt several important lawsuits against the government, including an ACLU case involving the extraordinary rendition of an innocent German citizen, Khaled El-Masri. Similar legislation has been introduced in the Senate by Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA).

ACLU Letter to the House Regarding Draft FISA Legislation, H.R. 3773

2008-03-12T12:00:00-05:00

Stunning New Report on Domestic NSA Dragnet Spying Confirms ACLU Surveillance Warnings

2008-03-12T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – The American Civil Liberties Union responded today to a stunning new report that the NSA has effectively revived the Orwellian "Total Information Awareness" domestic-spying program that was banned by Congress in 2003. In response, the ACLU said that it was filing a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for more information about the spying. And, the group announced that it was moving its "Surveillance Clock" one minute closer to midnight.

ACLU Teleconference on the Resurrection of the Total Information Awareness Program By the NSA

2008-03-12T12:00:00-05:00

New FISA Compromise Is an Improvement, Still Raises Concerns

2008-03-11T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC -- Statement from Caroline Fredrickson, Director of the ACLU’s Washington Legislative Office on the proposed House FISA compromise legislation:

Representatives Dingell, Markey and Stupak Letter to House Colleagues on Retroactive Immunity for Telecoms

2008-03-06T12:00:00-05:00

Coalition Letter to the House Urging Members to Craft A Bill With Fourth Amendment Protections and No Telecom Immunity

2008-03-05T12:00:00-05:00

Updated ACLU One Pager on Senate Bill: The Worst of Both Worlds

2008-03-05T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Urges Senate: Ask FBI the Tough Questions

2008-03-05T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – As the Senate Judiciary Committee was set to question FBI Director Robert Mueller III today, the American Civil Liberties Union urged the committee to ask Director Mueller the tough questions about the bureau’s civil liberties record.

ACLU Slams FBI Privacy Violations

2008-03-05T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – In testimony today before the Senate Judiciary Committee, FBI Director Robert Mueller confirmed the misuse of National Security Letters (NSLs) – which allow for the collection of personal information without court approval – to secure Americans’ personal information during FBI investigations. A report from the Office of the Inspector General on the FBI’s use of NSLs is expected soon, though it was due in December of last year.

Updated ACLU One Pager on Telecom Immunity

2008-03-05T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Urges Congress not to Rubberstamp FISA Plan

2008-03-04T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – With a House vote on domestic spy legislation rumored to occur within days, there are reports of a plan to split the two titles of the terrible bill passed by the Senate that gutted the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). The Senate bill contains almost no Fourth Amendment protections in its Title I, and its Title II contains immunity for telecommunications companies that illegally aided the president’s warrantlesss wiretapping program. The American Civil Liberties Union urges Congress to not rubberstamp the president’s plan to circumvent the Constitution.

FISA Fact Check: Setting the Record Straight on the White House

2008-02-29T12:00:00-05:00

As the House of Representatives takes the time it needs to negotiate a bill to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), the White House has launched a public assault on the legislative body. The administration claims that the House has endangered the country by letting the Protect America Act (PAA) expire and should pass the bill already approved by the Senate. The Senate bill, however, is unconstitutional and contains immunity for the telecommunications companies that aided the president’s warrantless wiretapping program. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is urging the House to continue to stand strong for the Constitution.

ACLU Refutes President’s Claims on FISA, Telecom Immunity

2008-02-28T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – President Bush spoke once again today on the House’s refusal to pass a Senate-approved bill updating the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). He also, once again, pleaded for retroactive and prospective immunity for the telecommunications companies who aided in his warrantless wiretapping program, claiming that the suits brought against them were a “financial gravy train” for attorneys.

ACLU, Common Cause Thank House of Representatives for Standing Up to the President

2008-02-15T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – Today the American Civil Liberties Union and Common Cause thanked the House of Representatives for standing up to President Bush and refusing to be railroaded into considering the Senate’s controversial FISA bill. The president had demanded the House rush through a just-passed Senate bill, which would allow the government to spy on the overseas phone calls and emails of innocent Americans without a warrant – in violation of the Fourth Amendment. The bill would also give retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies that gave the government private information about American citizens.

ACLU Letter to the House Strongly Urging Members to Vote No on S. 2248, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Amendments Act

2008-02-14T12:00:00-05:00

Office of Legal Counsel to Defend Torture Memos and Warrantless Wiretapping of Americans

2008-02-14T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – Today’s oversight hearing of the Justice Department Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) by the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties is expected to examine the issues of torture and waterboarding, as well as the warrantless wiretapping being conducted by the U.S. government. The acting head of the OLC, Steven Bradbury, will testify before the subcommittee. Mr. Bradbury is thought to be the author of controversial legal opinions from the OLC that have approved the use of harsh interrogation methods and spying on Americans through warrantless wiretaps.

ACLU Statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee on the State Secrets Privilege

2008-02-13T12:00:00-05:00

State Secrets Privilege Dangerously Overbroad

2008-02-13T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – Today the Senate Judiciary Committee convened to hear testimony on an evidentiary rule known as the state secret privilege. Committee member Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) introduced legislation last month to narrow the scope of the privilege. During the Bush administration, the state secrets privilege has been increasingly and improperly used as a shield to prevent investigation into executive branch misconduct. The most notable invocation of the privilege was to stall the case of an innocent German citizen, Khaled El-Masri, who was kidnapped, detained and tortured in a secret overseas prison. His suit against the government was stalled after the administration invoked the privilege.

Senate Votes to End CIA Use of Torture

2008-02-13T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – The American Civil Liberties Union was encouraged today when, by a vote of 51-45, the Senate voted to apply the Army Field Manual (AFM) on Interrogations government-wide. The Senate was voting on the Intelligence Authorization Conference Report (H.R. 2082), which includes the AFM provision. The legislation will now be sent to President Bush, who threatened to veto due to the AFM provision.

Let The Protect America Act Expire

2008-02-13T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC –The ACLU exhorts members of the House to let the unconstitutional Protect America Act expire and stand strong on not letting the phone companies off the hook for law breaking.

Senate Poised to Approve Huge Giveaway to the Bells, Immunity deal may mean no day in court for Americans

2008-02-12T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC –The U.S. Senate is likely to decide to grant immunity to telecommunications providers that broke the law over the past six years in a vote on an amendment to strip immunity from the Senate Intelligence Committee’s bill to gut the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The U.S. Senate is scheduled to vote on the immunity amendment Tuesday morning and if the amendment fails, as expected, the bill will be a multi-billion dollar giveaway to giant telecommunications companies.

ACLU Condemns Senate FISA Vote

2008-02-12T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – The American Civil Liberties Union today slammed the U.S. Senate for not only authorizing the president’s warrantless wiretapping program but for granting immunity to his accomplices, the telecommunications companies. By a vote of 68 to 29, the Senate passed legislation amending and, in the end, gutting the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). The bill now must be conferenced with the House’s version of the bill – which contains no immunity and stricter Fourth Amendment protections – by February 16th, the recently extended expiration date of the equally disastrous Protect America Act.

Letter to the Members of the House from House Energy and Commerice Committee Urging Rejection of Telecom Immunity

2008-02-11T12:00:00-05:00

Congressional Progressive Caucus Letter to the President Rejecting Telecom Immunity

2008-02-07T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Fact Sheet: Amendments to Senate FISA Bill Regarding Immunity for Telecommunications Companies that Facilitated Warrantless Wiretapping

2008-02-04T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Letter to the Senate Urging No Votes On Any Bill That Would Authorize Warrantless Wiretapping or Grant Immunity to Telecoms

2008-02-04T12:00:00-05:00

Senate Spy Debate Set for Next Week

2008-02-01T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – On the eve of Groundhog Day, the American Civil Liberties Union warned the Senate not to doom itself to repeat history with its upcoming debate on warrantless wiretapping. Both the House and Senate passed a 15-day extension to the Protect America Act in response to President Bush’s claims that the "flow of vital intelligence" would be disrupted if Congress could not meet the February 1 deadline. Last night, the Senate reached an agreement on the rules of the debate which will take place Monday and Tuesday.

ACLU Condemns Senate Vote on Judiciary Amendment

2008-01-24T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – The Senate took its first step towards legitimizing the president’s warrantless wiretapping program today by voting against a substitute amendment to the FISA Amendments Act of 2007. By a vote of 60 to 34, senators rejected replacing the base bill with an alternate version authored by the Senate Judiciary Committee.

ACLU Teleconference on the FISA Amendments Act of 2007 and Telecom Immunity

2008-01-22T12:00:00-05:00

Consumer Rights and Government Accountability Group Letter to the Senate Regarding the FISA Amendments Act of 2007 and Telecom Immunity

2008-01-22T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU: DHS Border Crossing Plans Show Mix of Arrogance and Incompetence

2008-01-22T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – Plans by the Department of Homeland Security to impose new identity-document requirements at the Canadian border in defiance of Congress are the latest example of the department’s characteristic combination of arrogance and incompetence, the American Civil Liberties Union said today.

ACLU Welcomes Proposed State Secrets Fix, Applauds Senator Kennedy for Introduction of Legislation

2008-01-22T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – The Bush Administration may soon have one less tool in its chest to stymie legitimate cases that might expose government misconduct. Today, Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA), introduced legislation aimed at narrowing the scope of the state secrets privilege – a huge step towards opening the courthouse doors to people who have suffered real and legitimate harm by the government. Several important suits, including one involving the extraordinary rendition of a German citizen, Khaled El-Masri, have been successfully blocked by this administration’s use of the state secrets privilege.

Coalition Letter to Senator Reid Regarding the FISA Amendments Act of 2007 and Telecom Immunity

2008-01-22T12:00:00-05:00

Independence is Needed in CIA Investigation

2008-01-16T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – As the House Select Intelligence Committee meets today for a closed-door hearing into the CIA destruction of interrogation videotapes, the American Civil Liberties Union reiterates its call for Attorney General Mukasey to appoint an outside special prosecutor. Two weeks ago, the attorney general launched a criminal investigation into the tapes’ destruction, headed by Deputy U.S. Attorney John Durham. Just yesterday, the House Judiciary Committee also sent a letter to the attorney general requesting a special counsel investigation.

Guantanamo Bay: Six Years and Counting…

2008-01-10T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – Tomorrow, January 11, 2008, marks six years since men and boys from around the world were first shipped off to the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, locked up and often abused by the American government. Since that dark day in recent American history, more than 700 people have been detained without due process and not a single trial has been completed. The American Civil Liberties Union reiterates its call to Congress to shut down the detention facility immediately and restore due process rights for those being held.

ACLU Says FBI Can’t Manage Checkbook

2008-01-10T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – The American Civil Liberties Union responded to a summary report released yesterday by the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (OIG). The report, which details the FBI’s use of confidential case funds, showed that FBI wiretaps – at least one under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act - have been disconnected due to the nonpayment of bills. The ACLU is asking for the full, 87-page report to be released.

ACLU Letter to Attorney General Mukasey Urging the Appointment of Outside Independent Prosecutor

2008-01-07T12:00:00-05:00

On behalf of the American Civil Liberties Union, a non-partisan organization with over half a million members and 53 affiliates throughout the nation, we are writing in regard to your decision to launch a criminal investigation into the destruction of CIA interrogation tapes to be headed by Deputy U.S. Attorney John Durham of Connecticut. While we acknowledge the significance of your decision to both launch the investigation and accept the recusal of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, we urge you to go further. To truly do justice and help restore America’s confidence in the impartiality of the Department of Justice, we urge you to appoint an outside independent prosecutor and to broaden the scope of the inquiry beyond the narrow issue of evidence destruction. It is time for a prosecutor to examine the complete picture of illegal activities by the government in its intelligence and homeland security operations since 9/11, which includes the use of illegal interrogation techniques such as “waterboarding” and others. Given its role in the development of illegal policies relating to torture and abuse, the Department of Justice is utterly conflicted and any decision it renders on prosecutions will necessarily be suspect. Moreover, any decision relating to the destruction of videotapes will necessarily beg the question of the underlying illegal activities.

ACLU Letter to the Senate Urging A "No" Vote on Cloture and "Yes" to Stripping Immunity During the Debate On The FISA Amendments Act of 2007

2007-12-17T12:00:00-05:00

Pivotal Domestic Spying Debate Begins Today, Congress Decides on Warrantless Wiretapping and Telecom Immunity

2007-12-17T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – As the debate over domestic spying begins in the US Senate today, the American Civil Liberties Union urges senators to reject the Bush administration’s spying free-for-all and not provide immunity to telecommunications companies that broke the law over the past six years.

ACLU Slams Wider Spying By NSA, Demands Congress Rein in Spy Powers, Block Telecom Immunity

2007-12-16T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – This week the Senate will consider making vast changes to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and will determine whether telecommunications companies should be held liable for their role in President Bush’s warrantless wiretapping program. The New York Times ran a story today that elaborated on the administration and National Security Agency’s domestic spying partnerships with certain phone companies. The following is a statement from Caroline Fredrickson, director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office.

ACLU Urges Congress Not to Repeat History With FISA

2007-12-13T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – Director of National Intelligence, Michael McConnell, and Attorney General, Michael Mukasey, were scheduled to hold a closed congressional briefing today with legislation aimed at amending the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). The Senate is expected to vote in the coming days on FISA legislation largely shaped by the White House and passed by the Senate Intelligence Committee. The bill includes a provision that would give immunity to telecommunications companies who aided in the administration’s domestic spying. Also today, a bill introduced by Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) that would substitute the government as the plaintiff in cases currently pending against the telecoms was voted down in a meeting of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Specter Substitution is Immunity by Another Name

2007-12-13T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – The American Civil Liberties Union today urged the Senate Judiciary Committee to reject a bill offered by ranking member Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA). Senator Specter’s bill, the FISA Intelligence Surveillance Substitution Act of 2007, would remove the telecommunications companies and insert the federal government as the defendant in cases currently pending over domestic spying. The bill is scheduled to be marked up by the full Senate Judiciary Committee today.

Coalition Letter to the Senate Urging Opposition to the Senate Intelligence Committe's Version of the FISA Amendments Act of 2007

2007-12-13T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Asks Majority Leader Reid to Allow the Senate to Vote for Fourth Amendment Protections, Cheers Senators Who Take a Stand Against Immunity

2007-12-12T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC -- The American Civil Liberties Union is calling on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to allow the Senate to vote for the Judiciary Committee’s FISA bill without letting the Bells off the hook.

New “Fusion Centers” Must Be Open, Carefully Monitored and Subject to Restraints, ACLU Says In New Report

2007-12-12T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – New institutions now emerging in American life – “fusion centers” – are raising many questions about privacy and government openness and must be carefully bounded and monitored to ensure that they remain a legitimate and effective law enforcement tool, according to a new report released today by the American Civil Liberties Union.

ACLU Teleconference on Fusion Centers

2007-12-12T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Calls for Independent Prosecutor to Investigate Destruction of CIA Interrogation Tapes

2007-12-07T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – With the news yesterday that the Central Intelligence Agency destroyed at least two videotapes documenting the brutal interrogations of al-Qaeda suspects, the American Civil Liberties Union calls on Attorney General Mukasey to appoint an independent counsel to investigate, and if appropriate, prosecute any potential criminal activity. One of the tapes, made in 2002, purportedly shows the interrogation of Abu Zubaydah, who U.S. officials have acknowledged was subjected to waterboarding. The CIA destroyed the tapes in November 2005.

ACLU Slams Department of Justice Spy Opinions

2007-12-07T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – Today, following revelations by Senate Intelligence Committee member Senator Sheldon Whitehouse on secret legal opinions regarding the administration's domestic spying program, the American Civil Liberties Union called on Congress to reject excessive surveillance powers for the administration. The opinions, from the Office of Legal Counsel, were written by the request of the administration as it was searching for new law enforcement and intelligence techniques. The Senate is currently weighing its options with legislation aimed at amending the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act - the very law President Bush circumvented with his warrantless wiretapping program. In August, the ACLU filed a motion requesting that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) make public the very rulings that Senator Whitehouse spoke of. In an unprecedented order, the FISC required the U.S. government to respond to the request and a decision from the court is pending.

ACLU Cheers House and Senate Intel Bill Conferees for Including Provision Prohibiting Torture and Abuse

2007-12-06T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – The ACLU was encouraged today that House and Senate conferees included a provision to the 2008 intelligence authorization bill (HR 2082) which would apply the Army Field Manual on Intelligence Interrogations government-wide. The provision, added to the conference report by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), would require all government agencies, including the CIA, to abide by the Army Field Manual – which prohibits torture and abuse tactics against persons held in U.S. custody.

ACLU Letter to the Senate Urging Support of Judiciary Committee Language and Rejection of Telecom Immunity Provisions

2007-12-06T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Says Specter Substitution Misses the Mark in FISA Debate

2007-12-05T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – The American Civil Liberties Union today urged the Senate Judiciary Committee to thoroughly scrutinize a new bill offered by ranking member Senator Specter (R-PA). Senator Specter’s bill, the FISA Intelligence Surveillance Substitution Act of 2007, would remove the telecommunications companies and insert the federal government as the defendant in cases currently pending over domestic spying. The bill will be marked up by the full Judiciary Committee this Thursday.

ACLU Urges Vote On Senate Judiciary FISA Bill and Rejection of Telecom Immunity

2007-12-04T12:00:00-05:00

Statement from Caroline Fredrickson

ACLU Cheers No Telecom Immunity Vote from Judiciary Committee, Lauds Chairman Leahy, Sen. Feingold and Rep. Holt’s Actions

2007-11-15T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – The American Civil Liberties Union is delighted that the Senate Judiciary Committee chose not to address telecom immunity in its version of a bill updating Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). Although the rest of the bill does not pass constitutional muster, the ACLU applauds the Committee for not letting the bells off the hook.

Patriot Act Victim Speaks Out on Spy Bill

2007-11-14T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – Brandon Mayfield, an Oregon attorney falsely linked to terrorism, sent a statement to Congress this month urging the body against legislation that would overhaul the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). Mayfield was subject to unconstitutional surveillance under the Patriot Act and subsequently arrested and held without charge. Mayfield wrote a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee members Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Russell Feingold (D-WI) asking that they consider the effect that the FISA Amendments Act of 2007 would have on innocent Americans.

ACLU Letter in Support of Army Field Manual Provision

2007-11-09T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Says Spy Law Still Needs Work

2007-11-09T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – After proposals to alter portions of a surveillance bill were released by the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday, the American Civil Liberties Union once again urged meaningful constitutional protections be added to the legislation. The FISA Amendments Act seeks to update the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and was written in response to the so-called Protect America Act that was rushed through Congress in August. The bill as drafted by the Senate Intelligence Committee includes immunity for the telecommunications companies for their role in the administration’s domestic spying program. The Judiciary Committee is expecting to take up that provision next week.

ACLU Analysis of Telecom Immunity Provision in S. 2248, the Rockefeller/Administration FISA Bill

2007-11-06T12:00:00-05:00

Full Senate Should Seek What the Judiciary Committee Failed To Obtain

2007-11-06T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – As the Senate Judiciary Committee voted today to approve the nomination of Judge Michael Mukasey for attorney general, the American Civil Liberties Union now calls upon the full Senate to obtain what the committee could not – an admission from the nominee that waterboarding and other extreme interrogation tactics are torture. During the confirmation hearings and in his responses to further questions, Judge Mukasey carefully avoided stating whether waterboarding is torture when authorized by the federal government, as well as refusing to say that it is also illegal for foreign countries to waterboard, beat and shock American citizens.

ACLU Teleconference on Telecom Immunity With Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Brennan Center for Justice

2007-11-05T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Section By Section Analysis of S. 2248, Rockefeller / Bush Administration FISA bill

2007-11-02T12:00:00-05:00

One Pager On S. 2248, The Rockefeller/Bush Administration FISA Bill

2007-11-02T12:00:00-05:00

Judiciary Committee Should Not Advance Mukasey's Nomination Until He Denounces Acts of Torture

2007-11-02T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – The American Civil Liberties Union urges members of the Senate Judiciary Committee to oppose moving forward with the nomination of Judge Michael Mukasey for attorney general unless Mukasey states that waterboarding and other extreme interrogations tactics are torture. Throughout the confirmation hearings and in his responses to the questions of Judiciary Committee members, Judge Mukasey remained unwilling to declare waterboarding as torture when authorized by the federal government. He also refused to say that it is illegal for foreign countries to waterboard, beat and shock American citizens. The ACLU sent a letter to the Judiciary Committee leadership asking them to oppose moving forward without such commitments.

Statement of Brandon Mayfield to Congress Urging Against Changes to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act

2007-11-01T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Warns Congress Not to Legalize Warrantless Wiretapping

2007-10-31T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – As the Senate Judiciary Committee met to hear testimony on the FISA Amendment Act, the American Civil Liberties Union once again voiced its opposition to the proposed legislation and called for strict Fourth Amendment protections. The legislation contains some of the same language as the so-called Protect America Act, including "basket warrants" that give federal agents the power to intercept Americans’ communications without the individual warrants that the Fourth Amendment requires. The FISA Amendment Act also includes a provision that would grant telecommunications companies immunity for their role in the administration’s domestic spying program.

ACLU, MoveOn, People For the American Way and 250,000 Americans tell Congress - “Don’t Let the Bells Off the Hook”

2007-10-31T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – After the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing to consider domestic surveillance legislation, activists sent a clear message to Capitol Hill – don’t let the bells off the hook for domestic spying. The American Civil Liberties Union, MoveOn.org Political Action, People For the American Way and bloggers from Open Left, Salon, Fire Dog Lake and others delivered petitions to Senate and House offices today illustrating Americans’ widespread opposition to granting immunity to telecom companies that may have aided in the violation of Fourth Amendment and privacy rights. Petitions circulated by the groups garnered more than 250,000 signatures from concerned constituents.

ACLU Calls Hand Over of Spy Documents Self-Serving

2007-10-26T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – After months of stonewalling, the White House has offered to release documents regarding its illegal wiretapping to the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee in an effort to ease the way for intelligence legislation it wants passed. The American Civil Liberties Union labeled the release manipulative and self-serving as these documents have been under subpoena for over four months. The administration has held onto the documents until Congress was in a position to aid the White House.

ACLU Applauds Senators’ Stands on Telecom Immunity, Growing List of Senators Won’t Let the Telecoms Off the Hook

2007-10-25T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON -- The American Civil Liberties Union stands behind senators who have pledged to stand up against any FISA gutting legislation that includes letting the telecom companies off the hook for illegal activity. Senators who have pledged to stand against immunity for telecoms are: Senator Joseph Biden (D-CT), Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT), Senator Russell Feingold (D-WI). Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA), and Senator Barack Obama (D-IL). Senator Dodd was the first to announce that he would actively oppose any legislation that included immunity for illegal acts committed by telecommunications companies over the past six years.

ACLU Disappointed in Senate Intel Committee Vote on FISA, Wyden/Feingold Amendments Slightly Improve Bad Bill

2007-10-19T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – The American Civil Liberties Union is mystified that the Senate Select Intelligence Committee would pass a FISA bill, drafted with heavy input from the Bush administration, which does not protect Americans from intrusive domestic spying and creates a path to immunity for telecommunications executives. However, a small improvement was made as Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Senator Russell Feingold (D-WI) were successful in including the addition of a requirement that the government get a warrant when it targets an American abroad (such as a missionary, business person or soldier). Now the bill moves to the Senate Judiciary committee.

House Panel Considers Secure IDs, and ACLU Asks ‘What About Privacy?’

2007-10-18T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – A subcommittee of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee held a hearing today on secure identification technology, and the American Civil Liberties Union urged lawmakers to consider the privacy implications before rushing to embrace new technology. Since 9/11, some Members of Congress have proposed the government mandate identity documents for everyone, including citizens. Congress has passed sound-good legislation without fully considering their impact on Americans’ privacy. The government’s troubled, still behind-schedule Real ID program, which 17 states have rejected, and the notoriously delayed Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, are only two examples of the government’s problems getting identity security off the ground.

Section by Section of the RESTORE Act

2007-10-17T12:00:00-05:00

Senate Judiciary Committee Must Obtain Iron-Clad Commitments from Judge Mukasey before Moving Forward

2007-10-17T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – The American Civil Liberties Union calls on the Senate Judiciary Committee to consider the confirmation process of former U.S. District Court Judge Michael Mukasey for Attorney General as an opportunity to address the longstanding and unresolved issues surrounding the Department of Justice. This is also the time for the committee to thoroughly examine Judge Mukasey’s record from his time on the bench.

ACLU Opposes RESTORE Act, House Bill Does Not Have Sufficient Civil Liberties Protections

2007-10-17T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – The American Civil Liberties Union today announced its opposition to the RESTORE Act, saying the bill gives the government the ability to spy upon Americans without an individual warrant. Since the bill does not require individual warrants before government agents seize material from Americans on American soil, it fails to be constitutional.

Selective Document Release Does Not Justify Telecom Immunity, ACLU Says

2007-10-17T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – After months of ignoring congressional subpoenas, yesterday the Bush administration submitted selected documents on domestic spying to the Senate Intelligence Committee. The Senate Judiciary Committee originally requested documents outlining the legal basis for the warrantless eavesdropping program in June and the administration has since refused to cooperate, missing deadline after deadline. Though it is unclear what exact documents were given to the Senate Intelligence Committee, their disclosure was aimed at securing immunity for telecommunications companies for their role in the domestic spying program. The ACLU strongly rejects any attempt at immunizing telecom companies for violating the law and Americans’ privacy rights.

Reporters Shield Bill that Passed the House Compromises on Free Speech, ACLU says

2007-10-17T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – The American Civil Liberties Union today expressed disappointment with the version of the Free Flow of Information Act of 2007 that passed in the House last night, but believes the reporters’ shield legislation is a step in the right direction. H.R. 2102, introduced by Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) and Rick Boucher (D-VA), will lessen the chance that reporters will be arrested or intimidated for their reporting, particularly when using government sources.

National FISA Poll by the Mellman Group; Voters Vigorously Oppose Warrantless Wiretaps, Blanket Warrants and Telecom Amnesty

2007-10-16T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Demands Fourth Amendment Protections, Says FISA Fix Must Include Individual Warrants

2007-10-10T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC - Today, as two key House committees are scheduled to review FISA-related legislation, the American Civil Liberties Union urged lawmakers to keep the Fourth Amendment in FISA and require that the government get individual warrants before monitoring American phone calls and emails. Both the House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees are scheduled to mark up legislation aimed at fixing the controversial Protect America Act, which broadly expanded the government’s ability to spy on Americans. The bill being marked up is the RESTORE Act, which grants the government the use of "basket" warrants (sometimes called "blanket" or "program" warrants). Basket warrants raise major Fourth Amendment concerns as they do not require specific individuals be the targets of suspicion. The ACLU is asking the Committees to amend the RESTORE Act to include individual warrants.

ACLU Response to President Bush’s Request for Telecom Amnesty, Civil Liberties Group Lauds House Committee Vote to Reject Telecom Immunity

2007-10-10T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – The ACLU responded to the president’s call for telecom amnesty in the RESTORE Act and two House Committees' vote to reject the immunity provision in mark-ups of the legislation.

ACLU Statement on RESTORE ACT

2007-10-09T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON -- Today the Democratic leadership unveiled the RESTORE Act. What follows are the ACLU’s comments on that draft.

ACLU Welcomes Representative Holt’s Stand on the Fourth Amendment, Says FISA Legislation Does Not Need to Ignore the Constitution

2007-10-09T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – Today the American Civil Liberties Union welcomed proposed legislation from Representative Rush Holt (D-NJ) that would protect vital constitutional rights. The bill, “The FISA Modernization Bill of 2007,” counters the Democratic leadership’s “RESTORE Act,” also introduced today. Both bills are attempting to fix the disastrous “Protect America Act” that was rushed through Congress in August and rubberstamped the administration’s warrantless wiretapping program. The ACLU believes that Rep. Holt’s bill is constitutional because, unlike the RESTORE Act, it does not include so-called basket warrants for American communications. Blanket warrants do not require individualized suspicion and are tantamount to no warrant at all.

ACLU Applauds Constitutional Stand of Progressive Caucus

2007-10-05T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – The American Civil Liberties Union today lauded a move by the Congressional Progressive Caucus to bring a controversial spy law back in line with the Constitution. The caucus, made up of 72 members of Congress, released eight basic principles that it says must be included in any changes made to the Protect America Act (PAA). The PAA was rushed through Congress this summer and eviscerated the very law it was supposed to update - the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).

ACLU Encouraged By Steps to Investigate Telecoms’ Role in Spying

2007-10-03T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – The American Civil Liberties Union today applauded efforts by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce to investigate the role of phone companies and internet service providers in the administration’s warrantless wiretapping program. Telecommunications companies were long suspected to have been intimately involved and have been vigorously lobbying Capitol Hill for immunity for their actions since the program was disclosed in 2005. Most recently, they have pushed to have amnesty included in the reauthorization of the Protect America Act, the legislation rushed through Congress this summer that greatly expanded the government’s ability to spy on Americans.

ACLU Urges Senate to Move Ahead With Contempt Charges, Rejects Claims of Executive Privilege

2007-10-02T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – Today, the American Civil Liberties Union called on Congress to move forward with contempt proceedings against White House officials who refused to cooperate with legitimate subpoenas issued under congressional authority. The ACLU also released a memo to assist Congress in understanding the limits of executive privilege and the authorities it has to compel compliance with the subpoenas issued by the Senate Judiciary Committee on the National Security Agency’s warrantless wiretapping program. The ACLU’s memo concludes that the documents requested are not covered under the privilege and should be released immediately. The administration has already missed two deadlines set by the committee.

ACLU Blueprint for FISA, ACLU Urges Congress to Restore Judicial Review

2007-09-25T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – The ACLU released a blueprint for the ongoing legislative battle over the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act today. Director of the Washington Legislative Office Caroline Fredrickson said, “If lawmakers feel compelled to permanently amend FISA, Congress must ensure the legislation restores judicial review and protects the privacy rights of innocent Americans.”

ACLU Sues Over Exclusion of South African Democracy Scholar from U.S.

2007-09-25T12:00:00-05:00

BOSTON – The Departments of State and Homeland Security are illegally blocking South African scholar Adam Habib from entering the U.S. under circumstances that suggest it is because of his political views, according to a lawsuit filed today by the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Massachusetts. Censorship at the border prevents U.S. citizens and residents from hearing speech that is protected by the First Amendment, the ACLU charges.

Complaint - Habib v. Chertoff and Rice

2007-09-25T12:00:00-05:00

Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief in American Sociological Association, American Association of University, Professors, American-Arab Antidiscrimination Committee, Boston Coalition for Palestinian Rights, and Adam Habib v. Michael Chertoff, in his official capacity as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Condoleezza Rice, in her official capacity as Secretary of State.

ACLU Welcomes Proposed NSL Fix in Senate

2007-09-25T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – The American Civil Liberties Union today praised legislation that would fix the contentious National Security Letter (NSL) statute. The legislation, named the National Security Letter Reform Act of 2007, was introduced by Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI) and John Sununu (R-NH). In the House, Representatives Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and Jeff Flake (R-AZ) have introduced their own NSL fix, H.R. 3189, also called the National Security Letters Reform Act of 2007.

Sign-On Letter to Majority Leader Harry Reid Insisting On Public Debate of FISA Legislation Before Passage

2007-09-25T12:00:00-05:00

Military Commissions Appellate Court Reinstates Unfair Tribunals for Guantánamo Detainees

2007-09-25T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – A military appeals court last night reinstated charges against Canadian citizen and Guantánamo detainee Omar Khadr. The decision by the newly formed court reversed a June ruling by a military judge which found that the tribunal system created by Congress to prosecute certain prisoners held at Guantánamo lacked authority to try detainees not previously determined to be “unlawful enemy combatants.” Monday’s decision found that the commissions themselves can designate a suspect an “unlawful enemy combatant.” Khadr was 15 years old when he was captured.

NYCLU Praises Expansion of Immigrant Access to Driver’s Licenses

2007-09-21T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK -- The New York Civil Liberties Union, along with immigrants' rights and labor organizations, applauds Governor Eliot Spitzer’s decision to broaden immigrant access to driver’s licenses. Under guidelines announced today, New Yorkers can obtain a driver’s license without regard to their immigration status.

The ACLU Urges Congress to Be Skeptical of Administration Claims on FISA

2007-09-20T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell and President George W. Bush have launched their version of a charm offensive to try to get controversial wiretapping legislation passed. Caroline Fredrickson, director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office said, “As part of the PR effort to gut the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, the Bush administration has pulled out every scare tactic in the book including exaggeration and outright fibbing. This goes hand-in-hand with the usual fear-mongering, all designed to get Congress to vote to suspend the Fourth Amendment rights of Americans.”

ACLU Material Support Statement for the Record for the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law

2007-09-20T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Cheers DOD Amendment Restoring Habeas Corpus Due Process Rights

2007-09-19T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – The American Civil Liberties Union applauds today’s Senate vote of 56 to 43 on a procedural motion related to an amendment to the defense authorization bill that would restore habeas corpus rights. It is now clear that with a majority of senators voting for the amendment, habeas restoration is not only needed, but also desired by the Senate. To restore Habeas Corpus for those detained by the United States (S.AMDT. 2022), offered by Senators Specter (R-PA), Leahy (D-VT) and Dodd (D-CT), would restore the constitutional due process right of habeas corpus that was stripped away by the Military Commissions Act of 2006 (MCA).

ACLU Says Congress Should Demand Four Part Pledge Before Confirming Bush Attorney General Nominee

2007-09-17T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON, DC - The American Civil Liberties Union urges the Senate to extract a pledge from attorney general nominee Michael B. Mukasey, or any nominee, unless he or she pledges under oath to meet the four demands listed below.

ACLU Sets New "Surveillance Society Clock" At Six Minutes Before Midnight

2007-09-17T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – The American Civil Liberties Union today announced the launch of a new "Surveillance Society Clock" to symbolize the reality that we are fast approaching a genuine surveillance society in the United States. The clock is set at six minutes before the "midnight" of a dark end to privacy. Also being released is a new report summarizing the state of privacy today and the video of a new piece about surveillance by spoken-word artists Steve Connell & Sekou (tha misfit).

Habeas Corpus Talking Points

2007-09-14T12:00:00-05:00

Proposed Legislation Regarding MCA Chart

2007-09-14T12:00:00-05:00

Background on Habeas Corpus

2007-09-14T12:00:00-05:00

In the final hours before adjourning in 2006, Congress passed and the president signed the Military Commissions Act (MCA). In doing so they cast aside the Constitution and the principle of habeas corpus, which protects against unlawful and indefinite imprisonment.

Habeas Corpus FAQs

2007-09-14T12:00:00-05:00

Conservative Voices Regarding Habeas Corpus

2007-09-14T12:00:00-05:00

The ACLU Celebrates Constitution Day by Urging Congress Not to Fail Freedom

2007-09-14T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – The American Civil Liberties Union is urging Congress to fix the outrageous Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act legislation that opened the doors to warrantless government spying on Americans. The ACLU’s national field director Jeani Murray said, “Constitution Day just took on a whole new meaning: because the Constitution needs to be repaired.” Murray explained that before leaving for their August recess, Congress caved in to the administration’s demand for more out-of-control authority to spy on Americans.

Five Things You Can Do

2007-09-14T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Condemns Phone Companies’ Role in FBI Datamining, Reaffirms No Amnesty for Telecoms

2007-09-09T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – The American Civil Liberties Union today condemned reports that telecommunications companies datamined their customers' records at the request of the FBI. The requests, first reported by the New York Times, asked phone companies to identify the “communities of interest” of customers being scrutinized by the FBI and were brought to light in documents obtained by a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation. The FBI has since ceased the demands.

ACLU Applauds House Judiciary Action to Restore Habeas Corpus

2007-09-06T12:00:00-05:00

Subcommittee marks up bill restoring habeas rights to Guantanamo detainees

ACLU Urges House to Fix FISA Legislation, Warns Against Amnesty for Telecom Companies

2007-09-05T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC - Today the American Civil Liberties Union urged House Judiciary Committee members to address recent changes to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). The inaccurately- named "Protect America Act" caused public outcry when it was rushed through Congress before the August recess. The legislation overhauled the surveillance law, reversing its original intent by stripping its privacy protections and judicial review.

Written Testimony of Caroline Fredrickson, Director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office, Submitted to the House Judiciary Committee for a Hearing on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act

2007-09-05T12:00:00-05:00

Why a Surveillance Society Clock?

2007-09-04T12:00:00-05:00

Coalition Sign-On Letter to Democratic Congressional Leaders Outlining Basic Privacy Principles Needed in the Wake of Changes to FISA

2007-09-04T12:00:00-05:00

The Realities of DNI McConnell's Falsities

2007-08-29T12:00:00-05:00

On Wednesday, August 22nd, Director of National Intelligence, Mike McConnell, gave an interview to the El Paso Times in which he made several misleading claims about the recent alterations made to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). The “Protect America Act” (or, more aptly, the “Police America Act”) put sweeping new changes to FISA in place that essentially gutted the law. Below, the ACLU sets the record straight.

ACLU Analysis of the Protect America Act

2007-08-29T12:00:00-05:00

How The Protect America Act Will Affect Business

2007-08-29T12:00:00-05:00

On August 4, 2007 Congress changed the nature of the relationship American citizens have with their government. The Fourth Amendment was written to guarantee the right of the people “to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures,” or put more simply, the right to be left alone absent probable cause and a warrant issued by a neutral magistrate. But now our government can seize the private international communications of all Americans and search them for “foreign intelligence information” without any suspicion that anyone has done anything wrong.

ACLU Teleconference on FISA and the Protect America Act

2007-08-29T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – The American Civil Liberties Union held a conference call briefing on Wednesday, August 29th to discuss recent alterations made to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).

ACLU Calls On Congress to Hold Administration in Contempt, Calls Latest Missed Spy Deadline Outrageous

2007-08-20T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC –Today, after the White House missed its second deadline to respond to congressional subpoenas for information on the National Security Agency’s warrantless wiretapping program, the American Civil Liberties Union called on Congress to hold the Bush administration accountable. The new compliance date was set by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) after both the House and Senate passed the administration’s sweeping changes to the very law it circumvented with the domestic spying program – the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). The ACLU is asking Senator Leahy and the Committee to vote to hold the White House in contempt upon Congress’ return in September.

ACLU Letter to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales Requesting A Meeting on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act

2007-08-13T12:00:00-05:00

Motion of the ACLU for Release of Court Records

2007-08-08T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Asks Secret Intelligence Court to Release Orders That Led to "Emergency" Wiretapping Legislation

2007-08-08T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - In the first effort of its kind, the American Civil Liberties Union will today file legal papers with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) requesting that it disclose recent legal opinions discussing the scope of the government's authority to engage in secret wiretapping of Americans.

ACLU Encouraged By New Spy Deadline

2007-08-08T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC - The American Civil Liberties Union was encouraged today by a new deadline set by the Senate Judiciary Committee for documents it subpoenaed from the White House. In a letter to White House Counsel Fred Fielding, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) asked that internal documents relating to the administration’s warrantless wiretapping program be turned over to the committee by August 20. The White House asked for an extension, one day before the original July 18 deadline, claiming it would not have been able to “come close to completing” a document review. In the meantime, both the House and the Senate passed sweeping legislation to expand the very law the administration circumvented with its domestic spying - the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). The legislation, pushed through Congress at the behest of the White House and subject to a six-month sunset provision, essentially authorized the very program that Senator Leahy and the committee are seeking information about.

ACLU Condemns Administration Circumvention of Spy Judge

2007-08-02T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – Following reports that a judge overruled the Bush Administration’s wiretapping procedures, the American Civil Liberties Union today slammed the White House for attempting to rush new domestic spying legislation through Congress this week. The alleged ruling by a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court judge against a “basket warrant” led the administration to begin fiercely lobbying Congress to make sweeping changes to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) before Congress recesses.

ACLU Letter to Congressional Leadership Strongly Urging Its Resistance to FISA Changes

2007-07-31T12:00:00-05:00

The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act: Myths and Facts

2007-07-31T12:00:00-05:00

The administration is asking for greater authority to wiretap without warrants in a proposal being floated to House and Senate Intelligence Committees today. President Bush wants Congress to make significant changes to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that would allow expanded warrantless spying.

ACLU Warns Congress Against Rushing Spy Law Changes

2007-07-31T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC - The American Civil Liberties Union today warned Congress to resist the Bush administration’s attempts to rush problematic spying changes through the House and Senate before the congressional recess begins next week. The administration has reinvigorated its attempts to "modernize" the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), and is leaning on Congress to pass legislation before lawmakers finish investigating the illegal warrantless wiretapping program.

Letter Urging Congressional Leadership Not To Gut Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA)

2007-07-31T12:00:00-05:00

President Bush Asking for More Power to Wiretap Americans, Gutting of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act

2007-07-28T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC - The American Civil Liberties Union is responding to President George W. Bush’s call for the gutting of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court.

ACLU Urges Senate to Hold Attorney General Accountable for False Testimony

2007-07-24T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC - Today, the American Civil Liberties Union urged the Senate Judiciary Committee once again to demand that the attorney general answer its questions thoroughly and honestly. In his third appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee this year, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales faces tough questions about a litany of issues including the firings of US attorneys, the FBI’s use of datamining and the abuse of National Security Letters (NSLs). In previous testimony, Mr. Gonzales frequently left questions unanswered and, in 2005, misled a Senate committee about his knowledge of civil liberties violations connected with misuse of NSLs.

ACLU Calls for Independent Oversight of FBI

2007-07-13T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - Today the American Civil Liberties Union expressed its skepticism following the Department of Justice’s announcement of two new internal oversight offices. The department is creating an Oversight Section for its National Security Division and a bureau-wide Office of Integrity and Compliance for the FBI. The Justice Department says the additions are aimed at enforcing adherence to agency guidelines and protecting civil liberties.

ACLU Urges Congress to Create Real Immigration Reform, Not Reliance on Unworkable Real ID Poison Pill

2007-06-28T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC - The American Civil Liberties Union Washington Legislative Office today responded to the defeat of the Senate immigration bill by saying the legislation was unworkable and reduced every U.S. resident’s due process, judicial review and privacy rights. The bill was stalled last night when an amendment on Real ID passed, shooting down the so-called “clay pigeon” package of amendments and throwing a wrench in the entire bill. Senators voted against advancing the legislation this morning, which effectively killed the bill.

ACLU Commends Spying Subpoenas

2007-06-27T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union lauded Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) today after he issued the first round of subpoenas regarding the Senate Judiciary Committee’s investigation into the administration’s domestic spying program. Today Senator Leahy issued subpoenas to the White House and the office of Vice President Dick Cheney. Last week the committee voted to authorize the use of subpoenas to obtain documents related to the National Security Agency’s warrantless wiretapping program. The ACLU launched a webpage in reaction to the vote, which will track the administration’s compliance with the subpoenas.

ACLU to Keep Tabs on Spying Investigation

2007-06-25T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC - In reaction to a Senate Judiciary Committee vote on subpoenas, the American Civil Liberties Union launched a website today that will scrutinize the investigation process. Last Thursday, the committee voted to authorize the use of subpoenas to obtain documents related to the National Security Agency’s warrantless wiretapping program. The ACLU website, Subpoena Watch, will list items and testimony that the organization feels must be obtained and will monitor the progress of the committee’s work.

ACLU Commends Congressional Subpoenas for Spy Documents

2007-06-21T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – Since the disclosure of the National Security Agency’s domestic surveillance program in December of 2005, few facts about the origins of the program have come to light. Today the American Civil Liberties Union applauded the Senate Judiciary Committee for scheduling a vote to authorize subpoenas for documents on the legal underpinnings of the President’s wiretapping programs.

ACLU Letter Urging Opposition of the Nomination of John A. Rizzo to General Counsel of the CIA

2007-06-19T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU to Honor Connecticut Librarians & John Doe During Seattle Conference

2007-06-15T12:00:00-05:00

SEATTLE – In a ceremony tonight, the American Civil Liberties Union will present the Roger Baldwin Medal of Liberty awards to four Connecticut librarians and the president of a New York Internet Service Provider (ISP) who stood up against the Patriot Act and refused to violate the privacy of their patrons and clients.

Historic Rally and Day of Action Expected to Draw Thousands from Across the Country

2007-06-13T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON, DC – Thousands of Americans are storming Capitol Hill to participate in a ‘Day of Action to Restore Law and Justice’ to rally and then call on Congress to restore habeas corpus, fix the Military Commissions Act, end torture and rendition and restore our constitutional rights. Activists from all fifty states will gather at Upper Senate Park on June 26, 2007 and deliver tens of thousands of signatures to Congress, urging the restoration of our rights.

ACLU Hears Administration’s Plan for Spying Law, Says Congress Cannot Legislate Without Investigating

2007-06-12T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC - In a meeting today with the office of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), the American Civil Liberties Union rebuffed attempts to “modernize” the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). The ACLU and other privacy groups and academics met with the DNI at the invitation of the DNI to discuss the broad changes that the Bush Administration and Department of Justice are seeking to make to FISA.

ACLU Applauds Senate Judiciary Committee Action Restoring Habeas Corpus Due Process Rights

2007-06-07T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union applauds the Senate Judiciary Committee’s action to restore the crucial writ of habeas corpus. Today, the committee meets to mark up pending legislation, including S. 185 - a bill to restore habeas corpus for those detained by the United States. The habeas bill is expected to pass out of committee today and head to the Senate floor within the month.

Testimony of Jameel Jaffer, Director of the ACLU National Security Project, Before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties at a Hearing on Warrantless Wiretapping

2007-06-07T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Asks Congress to Use Subpoena Powers for Spy Documents: Calls for an End to Warrantless Wiretapping

2007-06-07T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – The American Civil Liberties Union testified today before a Congressional panel about the National Security Agency’s warrantless wiretapping program. The hearing – the first held on the NSA program in the 110th Congress – was held by the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties. Since the disclosure of the NSA’s program in December of 2005, the ACLU has been actively seeking answers both in the courts and Congress.

Biography of Plaintiff Binyam Mohamed

2007-05-30T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Marks Fifth Anniversary of Ashcroft Surveillance Guidelines; Report Calls for Guidelines to be Changed to Prevent FBI Abuse

2007-05-29T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC - The American Civil Liberties Union today marked the fifth anniversary of the FBI’s 2002 revised Guidelines on General Crimes, Racketeering Enterprise and Terrorism Enterprise Investigation with a new report, "History Repeated: The Dangers of Domestic Spying by Federal Law Enforcement."

ACLU Welcomes Guantanamo Closure Bill

2007-05-23T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The ACLU today welcomed Senator Tom Harkin's (D-IA) introduction of the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility Closure Act of 2007, a bill that would close the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The bill cuts off funds for everything except sending charged or sentenced detainees to Fort Leavenworth and transferring the remaining detainees to their home countries or other countries that will not torture or abuse them. The bill would effectively end the practice of indefinite detention without charge or due process for detainees who have been held for as long as five years without charge and without knowing the reason for their detention. It will also provide an incentive for the government to finally charge those detainees the government believes are guilty of crimes against the United States.

ACLU Encourages Congress to Restore the Constitution at Senate Judiciary Hearing on Habeas

2007-05-22T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON, DC - The ACLU said today’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, “Restoring Habeas Corpus: Protecting American Values and the Great Writ,” is a big step in the right direction and shows a commitment by Congress to restore Constitutional rights, including habeas rights, during this session.

ACLU Demands Disclosure of Legal Documents on NSA Wiretapping, Cautions Senate Committee Against Telecom Inoculation for Domestic Spying

2007-05-16T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC - The American Civil Liberties Union today urged that Congress subpoena all of the Justice Department documents relating to the NSA warrantless wiretapping program and the new FISA court-approved program in light of the testimony yesterday that Deputy Attorney General James Comey made at a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Deputy AG’s Testimony Critical of Illegal Spying Program Renews ACLU's Calls for Congressional Scrutiny of DOJ

2007-05-15T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON, DC - Former Deputy Attorney General James B. Comey today admitted before the Senate Judiciary Committee that he and former Attorney General John Ashcroft had grave concerns over the National Security Agency’s illegal warrantless wiretapping program. Ashcroft, who refused to approve the program because he believed it to be unconstitutional, resisted coercion from then-White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales and White House Chief of Staff Andy Card to sign onto it while sick in a hospital bed. Comey considered resigning over the spying program, as did Ashcroft, FBI Director Robert Mueller and other Justice Department officials.

ACLU Calls White House Censoring of PCLOB a Farce

2007-05-15T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC - The American Civil Liberties Union today ridiculed White House censoring of a report submitted by the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board to exclude previously released information. The White House made more than 200 redactions to the public report, sometimes deleting entire sections. These edits resulted in former White House Counsel Lanny J. Davis’s resignation.

ACLU Victory in House Intelligence Authorization, House Affirms No Domestic Eavesdropping Without Warrant

2007-05-11T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON, DC -The American Civil Liberties Union today cheered an amendment to the House Intelligence Reauthorization Bill that would prevent illegal domestic wiretapping by the government. The amendment, by Representatives Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Jeff Flake (R-AZ), will reaffirm the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) as the only legal means of collecting electronic intelligence surveillance. The amendment was passed late last night by a vote of 245-178.

Coalition Letter to Senate Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on the Administration's May 1st Testimony on FISA

2007-05-09T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Warns Congress Against Broadening FISA Power

2007-05-01T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union called today’s FISA hearing held by the Senate Select Intelligence Committee a setback to the rule of law. The committee met to discuss and hear testimony from administration officials about proposed “modernization” to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act submitted by Department of Justice and intelligence community officials.

ACLU Statement to the Senate Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Regarding FISA "Modernization"

2007-05-01T12:00:00-05:00

TALON’s End Doesn’t Stop Pentagon From Spying on Americans

2007-04-25T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON, DC - The ACLU applauds Pentagon intelligence chief James Clapper’s decision yesterday to halt the Defense Department’s TALON spying program, but believes that Congress must exercise oversight and hold hearings to determine the extent of this and similar programs.

ACLU Says FBI Guidelines Will Make Little Difference, Congress Must Impose Meaningful Oversight and Fix NSL Statute

2007-04-18T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC - Today the American Civil Liberties Union and other privacy groups met with FBI representatives to discuss new guidelines for internal controls concerning National Security Letters. The Inspector General of the Department of Justice recently issued a report on the FBI’s abuse of National Security Letters that detailed significant abuses of the FBI’s NSL powers. The FBI scheduled the meeting to inform civil rights and privacy experts and to alleviate fears about internal guidelines.

ACLU Letter to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Strongly Discouraging the "Modernization" of FISA

2007-04-16T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU: Congress Must Reject Administration’s Call for FISA’s ‘Modernization’

2007-04-13T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - Justice Department and intelligence community officials today submitted a bill to Congress asking for changes to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The American Civil Liberties Union urged lawmakers to reject this new attempt to erode the Fourth Amendment and its protections.

Testimony of ACLU Client and National Security Letter Recipient George Christian at a Hearing of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution

2007-04-11T12:00:00-05:00

Librarian Who Challenged NSLs Urges Congress to Fix Patriot Act

2007-04-11T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - George Christian, Executive Director of Library Connection and a client in the American Civil Liberties Union’s National Security Letter challenge case, today urged the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution to fix the Patriot Act provision.

ACLU: Congress Must Close Guantanamo Bay Detention Center

2007-04-09T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union continues the fight to close Guantanamo Bay, especially in light of today's New York Times revelation of the long-term hunger strike that has broken out there.

ACLU, JACL and ADC Alarmed that Census Violated Privacy in World War II, Urges Congress to Ensure Similar Actions Are Not Happening Now

2007-03-30T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - Following reports in USA Today that the Census Bureau gave American surveillance agencies information on persons of Japanese Ancestry during World War II, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) and the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) urged Congress to investigate and ensure that such practices do not occur today.

House Armed Services Committee Examines Military Commissions Act, ACLU Urges Congress to Restore Due Process

2007-03-29T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - As the House Armed Services Committee met to consider the Military Commissions Act, the American Civil Liberties Union urged lawmakers to restore habeas corpus and other due process protections eliminated by that law. The hearing comes during the same week that the first commissions under the new law began in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

ACLU Urges Senators to Hold FBI Responsible; Says Concerns About National Security Letter Abuses Remain

2007-03-27T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - As the Senate Judiciary Committee held an oversight hearing on the FBI, the American Civil Liberties Union today urged lawmakers to hold the agency’s feet to the fire, citing concerns over recent revelations that the FBI abused National Security Letter authority expanded by the Patriot Act.

Congress Begins Oversight Hearings on FBI NSL Abuses; ACLU Urges Lawmakers to Demand Truth, Fix Patriot Act

2007-03-20T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - As the House Judiciary Committee convened an oversight hearing today on the Justice Department Inspector General’s audit that found the FBI has abused and misused its National Security Letter authority, the American Civil Liberties Union urged lawmakers to demand truth and accountability from the administration. The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to hold a similar hearing on Wednesday.

National Security Letters by the Numbers

2007-03-19T12:00:00-05:00

12 Questions Congress Needs to Ask the Administration About the FBI's Abuse of National Security Letters

2007-03-19T12:00:00-05:00

5 Myths About the Bush Administration's Use of National Security Letters

2007-03-19T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Roadmap of Justice Department Inspector General’s Review of the FBI’s Use of National Security Letters

2007-03-19T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Urges Key House Panel To Grill FCC on NSA Spying, NSL Abuses; Says Commission Has Duty to Protect American’s Privacy

2007-03-14T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today urged the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet to force the Federal Communications Commission to hold telecommunication companies accountable for their role in facilitating the National Security Agency’s warrantless surveillance and the use of National Security Letters.

Military Commissions Act of 2006: Document Resources

2007-03-13T12:00:00-05:00

News, blog entries, legal documents and more on the Military Commissions Act of 2006.

Testimony of Gregory T. Nojeim, Associate Director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office, Before the United States Commission on Civil Rights At A Hearing on Domestic Wiretapping

2007-03-09T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Calls for Repeal of Expanded Patriot Act Powers in Response to Government Report on Abuses, Says Attorney General and FBI Are Part of the Problem and Can’t Be Trusted to Curb Abuses of Power

2007-03-09T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today called on Congress to repeal a provision of the Patriot Act granting the FBI expanded powers to demand sensitive personal information without judicial supervision through the use of so-called National Security Letters.

Nadler-Harman Bills Would Restore Rule of Law and Due Process, ACLU Welcomes Measures, Urges Congress to Act Swiftly

2007-03-08T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today welcomed two separate bills introduced by Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and Congresswoman Jane Harman (D-CA) that would restore Constitutional rights including due process for detainees held at Guantanamo Bay. The "Habeas Corpus Restoration Act of 2007" and "Restoring the Constitution Act of 2007" would fix many of the problems contained in the Military Commissions Act passed by Congress last year.

ACLU Teleconference on the Military Commissions Act and the Restoring the Constitution Act

2007-03-06T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Letter to the House of Representatives Urging Cosponsorship of The Torture Outsourcing Prevention Act

2007-03-05T12:00:00-05:00

Sign on Letter to Senator Leahy and Senator Specter Opposing Proposed Amendment S. 236 Which Criminalizes Disclosure of Communications Intelligence Collection and Processing Methods

2007-02-27T12:00:00-05:00

TEN STEPS TO RESTORE THE UNITED STATES’ MORAL AUTHORITY

2007-02-22T12:00:00-05:00

Over the last several years, the moral authority of the United States has been undermined by the federal government’s unprecedented and illegal assertion of authority to subject detainees to abusive interrogations, indefinite detention without charge – often in secret locations – and rendition to torture. The last Congress and the Supreme Court took some important steps to right these wrongs (with the passage of the McCain amendment and the Supreme Court’s rulings in the cases of Rasul and Hamdan). But much remains to be done to restore America’s reputation as a champion of human rights and the rule of law.

Statement of Caroline Fredrickson, Director, ACLU Washington Legislative Office, on the Freedom of Information Act Before the House Government Reform and Oversight Subcommittee on Information Policy, Census, and National Archives

2007-02-14T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU’s Top Lobbyist Urges Congress to Protect Freedom of Information Act, Says Government Transparency Vital to American Democracy

2007-02-14T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - Caroline Fredrickson, Director of the American Civil Liberties Union Washington Legislative Office, today appeared before a key House panel to discuss the Freedom of Information Act. Since the enactment of FOIA in 1966, the ACLU has used that crucial law to shed light on the government’s actions and abuses.

Bush Administration Fails to Sign Accord on Secret Detentions; ACLU Says Programs Must be Shut Down Permanently

2007-02-07T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - Responding to the Bush administration's decision not to sign an international accord regarding secret detentions and forced disappearances, the American Civil Liberties Union today expressed disappointment and urged Congress to examine the government's policies and practices that would have conflicted with the agreement -- and to shut down permanently all secret detention programs and facilities and end the practice of illegal kidnapping.

ACLU Praises New Senate Subcommittee On Human Rights, Welcomes Congressional Oversight of Torture, Rendition

2007-02-05T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – The American Civil Liberties Union today applauded the debut of the new Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law. Chaired by Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), the subcommittee has jurisdiction over all human rights laws and policies and will focus on issues such as genocide, human trafficking, war crimes, torture and arbitrary detention.

Court Must Protect Americans from President’s Unchecked Spying, ACLU Argues

2007-01-31T12:00:00-05:00

CINCINNATI - At a federal appeals court hearing today, the American Civil Liberties Union will argue that the president broke the law by authorizing the National Security Agency to engage in warrantless surveillance of Americans. The ACLU is urging the appeals court to uphold a lower court order that would prevent the NSA from resuming the illegal program.

Audio: Clients and Attorneys Discuss the ACLU v. NSA Case

2007-01-30T12:00:00-05:00

Mail FOIA Requests

2007-01-22T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Calls on Lawmakers to Demand Accountability from Gonzales, Seeks Torture Memos and Answers on Increased Surveillance

2007-01-18T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - As Attorney General Alberto Gonzales appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee today, the American Civil Liberties Union called on panel members to hold the administration's feet to the fire for its approval of torture policies and warrantless surveillance. This will be Gonzales' first appearance before the committee under the new leadership of Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT).

Letter from Attorney General Gonzales to the Senate Judiciary Committee Regarding the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court's Authorization of the President's Wiretapping Program

2007-01-17T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Raises Objections Over Expanded Military and CIA Domestic Spying

2007-01-14T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today expressed serious concerns about the use of "National Security Letters" by the Department of Defense and the CIA to collect the financial records of American citizens and called on Congress to launch an immediate investigation.

New ACLU Ads Call on 110th Congress to Restore Lost American Freedoms

2007-01-04T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - Beginning Thursday, January 4, a new print advertisement will run in targeted congressional districts, calling on the 110th Congress to restore the constitutional freedoms lost in recent years.

U.S. Citizen Asks Federal Court to Insure Safe Passage For His Family Back from Canada

2006-12-21T12:00:00-05:00

CHICAGO - The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois today asked a federal judge to help ensure a safe, uneventful trip across the U.S.-Canadian border for a suburban Chicago father and U.S. citizen when he, his wife and young children travel next week.

ACLU of West Virginia Praises Government Reinstatement of Iranian Couple

2006-12-18T12:00:00-05:00

MORGANTOWN, WV - The American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia today announced that is has reached an agreement with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to reinstate an Iranian Muslim couple who had been unjustly terminated from their positions at NIOSH for undefined “security” reasons. Aliakbar and Shahla Afshari will receive back pay and benefits as well as damages to compensate them for the loss of income, humiliation, and emotional distress they suffered as a result of the terminations.

ACLU Seeks Information on Government Ratings of Travelers

2006-12-13T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request seeking information about the Department of Homeland Security’s Automated Targeting System (ATS) terror-ranking program and renewed its call to Congress for the program to be shut down.

DHS Acknowledges That Terror Ranking Program Is Already in Effect, ACLU Says Program Violates Congressional Spending Ban and Public Notice Requirements

2006-12-07T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - In a notice scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on Friday, the Department of Homeland Security acknowledges that its controversial Automated Targeting System terror-ranking program is already in operation - despite a congressional ban on such ranking systems and despite the fact that Congress and the public were never properly notified. In response, the American Civil Liberties Union today called on Congress to put a halt to this program and look into why it was created without public notice.

ACLU's Top Lobbyist Urges Privacy Board To Act to Protect Civil Liberties

2006-12-05T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – The American Civil Liberties Union’s top lobbyist, Caroline Fredrickson, appeared today at the first public hearing of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board to urge the board to conduct aggressive investigation and oversight over the administration’s dismantling of the civil liberties of all Americans.

Testimony of ACLU Washington Legislative Office Director, Caroline Fredrickson, Before the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board

2006-12-05T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Letter to the Senate Strongly Urging Senators to Block the Construction of a Courthouse on Guantanamo Bay

2006-12-05T12:00:00-05:00

Opinion of the Article 29 Working Party on the Processing of Personal Data by SWIFT

2006-12-04T12:00:00-05:00

Comments of the American Civil Liberties Union to the Department of Homeland Security Regarding the Proposed Automated Targeting System

2006-12-01T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Calls on DHS to Withdraw Plan For Tagging Americans With 40-Year “Risk Assessments”

2006-12-01T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – The American Civil Liberties Union today condemned an unprecedented new program for generating terrorist ratings on tens of millions of travelers, including American citizens, maintaining those ratings for 40 years, and making them available throughout the government.

Victim of CIA Kidnapping and Abuse Seeks Acknowledgement, Explanation and Apology: Remarks of Anthony D. Romero, Executive Director, ACLU

2006-11-29T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The outrages of the Bush Administration have been many, and the abuses of power are stacked high.

ACLU Letter to Senator Joseph Lieberman Regarding the Detention of Muslim Religious Leaders on November 20, 2006 At the Minneapolis Airport

2006-11-28T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Letter to Representative Bennie Thompson Regarding the Detention of Muslim Religious Leaders on November 20, 2006 At the Minneapolis Airport

2006-11-28T12:00:00-05:00

FBI Drops Another Patriot Act Demand But Keeps Gag on Internet Service Provider

2006-11-22T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK - After more than two years in a legal battle with the American Civil Liberties Union, the FBI has abandoned a Patriot Act demand for the subscriber records of a small Internet Service Provider. The ACLU welcomed the decision but criticized the FBI for refusing to lift a gag order that prevents the provider from disclosing its identity.

Statement - Association of the Bar of the City of New York, Beverly Hills Bar Association, Boston Bar Association, Los Angeles County Bar Association and the Bar Association of San Francisco

2006-11-21T12:00:00-05:00

Association of the Bar of the City of New York, Beverly Hills Bar Association, Boston Bar Association, Los Angeles County Bar Association and the Bar Association of San Francisco have filed a friend-of-the-court brief filed in the NSA warrantless wiretapping appeal.

Statement - Derek Shaffer

2006-11-21T12:00:00-05:00

Derek Shaffer, Executive Director of the Stanford Constitutional Law Center, signed onto Friend-of-the-court brief filed in NSA warrantless wiretapping appeal.

ACLU v. NSA - ACLU Appeal Brief

2006-11-13T12:00:00-05:00

Nationwide, Voters Stand Up for Civil Liberties and Freedom

2006-11-08T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - Yesterday voters nationwide rejected candidates who failed to uphold civil liberties and rejected ballot initiatives that undermine fundamental freedoms of all Americans.

ACLU Calls on Bush Administration to Stop the Abuse of Power

2006-10-16T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON -- During a gathering of more than 1,500 civil libertarians, the American Civil Liberties Union today continued its charge to end the Bush administration’s unprecedented abuse of power. Citing a variety of examples, the organization fielded high-charged panels of experts all united in calling for the return to fundamental Constitutional principles and the rule of law.

ACLU Comparison Chart of NSA Legislation

2006-09-29T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Memo to Interested Persons Outlining Problems With S. 3931, the "Terrorist Surveillance Act of 2006"

2006-09-28T12:00:00-05:00

Coaltion Letter to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Urging Opposition to H.R. 5835, the Electronic Surveillance Modernization Act

2006-09-28T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Letter to the Senate Strongly Opposing S. 3931, the "Terrorist Surveillance Act of 2006"

2006-09-28T12:00:00-05:00

The Terrorist Surveillance Act of 2006 combines the worst parts of S.2453 -- the warrentaless wiretapping bill that Senator Specter negotiated with Vice President Cheney -- with its House counterpart, H.R.5825, proposed by Congressman Wilson. It would ratify the president's claimed authority to sweep up Americans' communications without proof to any court that the Americans surveilled are ainding al Qaeda.

Coalition Letter to the House or Representatives Strongly Urging Rejection of the Military Commissions Act of 2006 Compromise

2006-09-27T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Letter to Senate Strongly Urging Opposition to S. 2389, THE "PROTECTING CONSUMER PHONE RECORDS ACT"

2006-09-27T12:00:00-05:00

Coalition Letter to the House or Representatives Strongly Urging Rejection of the Military Commissions Act of 2006 Compromise

2006-09-27T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Letter to the Senate Strongly Urging Opposition to S. 3930, the Military Commissions Act of 2006

2006-09-25T12:00:00-05:00

House Panel Flip-Flops on Military Commission Bill, ACLU Says Proposal Undermines Due Process, Geneva Conventions

2006-09-20T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today condemned the House Judiciary Committee as that panel approved the White House’s proposal on military commissions after an earlier vote to reject it. Earlier, the committee failed, on a vote of 17-20, to approve H.R. 6054, with Representatives Jeff Flake (R-NM), Bob Inglis (R-SC) and Louie Gohmert (R-TX) voting with the Democratic members. The committee then moved to report the proposal with an unfavorable recommendation. However, the committee later revisited the issue, and on a vote of 20-19, approved the bill favorably.

ACLU Letter to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Regarding the Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H.R. 5825

2006-09-20T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU, JACL Urge Senate Panel to Reject Detention Without Charge, Says Approval Would Violate Constitution, American Values

2006-09-14T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - As the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security met today to consider differences between American and British anti-terrorism laws, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) urged lawmakers to reject any proposal to give the government the power to detain individuals indefinitely without charge, citing serious civil liberties concerns.

ACLU Letter to the Senate Subcommittee Opposing U.K. Style Detention Without Charge

2006-09-13T12:00:00-05:00

Coalition Letter to the Senate Opposing Bush Military Commissions Bill

2006-09-11T12:00:00-05:00

Coalition Letter to the House of Representatives Opposing Bush Military Commissions Bill

2006-09-11T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU: Bush Guts Geneva Conventions Enforcement and Undermines Due Process

2006-09-06T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today expressed opposition to the president’s proposal to try detainees and to amend the War Crimes Act to gut enforceability of the Geneva Conventions. In addition, the Department of Defense released an updated Army Field Manual on Interrogations that diminishes protections against abuse. At the same time, the president has also directed at least 14 prisoners held at CIA secret "black sites" to be transferred to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and tried there.

ACLU Seeks Information on Government Spying on Baltimore Peace Groups

2006-08-30T12:00:00-05:00

BALTIMORE -- Following reports that Baltimore peace groups have been targets of illegal spying, the American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland today filed public information requests with federal and state authorities. The ACLU said it is concerned that the disturbing national trend of government surveillance of political and religious groups may also be happening here in the "Free State."

ACLU of Washington Defends Free Speech Rights of Lt. Ehren Watada

2006-08-22T12:00:00-05:00

TACOMA, WA -- In a military justice case that has drawn wide attention, the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington is backing the free speech rights of a soldier facing court martial for refusing to serve in the war in Iraq. The ACLU today submitted a friend-of-the-court brief contending that Lt. Ehren Watada should not be punished for his public statements expressing legal and moral objections to the war in Iraq.

ACLU Letter to the Senate Armed Forces Committee Urging Strong Questioning of Attorney General Gonzales and Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England Regarding Detainees

2006-07-31T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Decries Government Crackdown on Whistleblowers, Calls Transparency Vital to American Democracy

2006-07-28T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today strongly objected to the government’s attempts to crack down on brave whistleblowers who come forward to report on illegal or unconstitutional activity in government agencies. On Wednesday, Russell Tice, a whistleblower and former National Security Agency intelligence analyst was served with a federal grand jury subpoena to “testify and answer questions concerning possible violations of federal criminal law.”

ACLU Letter to the House Permanent Select Committee On Intelligence Opposing HR 5825, the NSA WISH List Bill

2006-07-27T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Letter to Senator Specter Expressing Opposition to the Latest version of S. 2453, the National Security Surveillance Act of 2006

2006-07-26T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU of Michigan Says Phone Companies Broke the Law, Urges Public Service Commission to Investigate

2006-07-26T12:00:00-05:00

DETROIT -- Responding to reports that phone companies are turning over private details about Americans' telephone calls to the National Security Agency, the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan today filed a complaint with the Michigan Public Service Commission against telecommunications giants AT&T and Verizon.

Fact Sheet: Why BellSouth Stockholders Should Be Cautious

2006-07-21T12:00:00-05:00

Considerations for BellSouth shareholders with regard to the AT&T merger and the NSA spying controversy

ACLU Letter to Congressman Hoekstra and Congresswoman Harman Regarding the “Modernization of FISA” in the Wake of the NSA’s Warrantless Surveillance Programs and the Reauthorization of the USA PATRIOT Act

2006-07-17T12:00:00-05:00

Witness: Jessica Gonzales - Victim of Police Negligence

2006-07-14T12:00:00-05:00

Witness: Father Roy Bourgeois - Victim of FBI Spying

2006-07-14T12:00:00-05:00

Witness: Khaled El-Masri - Victim of Extraordinary Rendition

2006-07-14T12:00:00-05:00

Lawmakers Confirm NSA Spying Program

2006-06-30T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - USA Today reported today that fully 19 members of Congress have confirmed that the National Security Agency has built a massive database of American phone records for the purpose of monitoring American calling patterns. USA Today is also reporting that five of those lawmakers have confirmed that AT&T has participated in the program and stated that BellSouth did not. Three lawmakers stated that Verizon did not participate in the program but its subsidiary, MCI, did.

ACLU Condemns House Resolution Approving SWIFT Program

2006-06-29T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – The American Civil Liberties Union today urged the House of Representatives to vote against a resolution that would support the Administration’s program to collect financial information obtained by the SWIFT financial clearinghouse. The House resolution also condemns the news media’s disclosure of that program.

Supreme Court Says Guantánamo Bay Military Commissions Are Unconstitutional; ACLU Calls Decision a Victory for the "Rule of Law"

2006-06-29T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK -- In a sharp rebuke to the Bush administration, the United States Supreme Court today ruled that the military commissions system established by President Bush to try detainees at Guantánamo Bay is unfair and illegal. The American Civil Liberties Union, which filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the case, applauded the decision.

Senate Panel Examines President’s Use of "Signing Statements"; ACLU Welcomes Probe into Administration’s Abuse of Power

2006-06-27T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today welcomed the Senate Judiciary Committee’s examination of President Bush’s use of presidential "signing statements," noting that such statements are a tool the president uses to subvert his duty to uphold U.S. law. Since taking office, President Bush has issued such signing statements affecting more than 750 laws, often claiming a supposed right to not enforce laws passed by Congress that he thinks limit his asserted unlimited powers.

Government Drops Demand for Library Records

2006-06-26T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK - The American Civil Liberties Union today declared victory in their legal battle with the FBI over a Connecticut library group's right to keep patron records private. After dropping their vehement defense of the gag provision accompanying the request, the FBI has now abandoned the demand all together.

House Judiciary Committee Adopts Request for Illegal NSA Spying Documents; ACLU Welcomes Unexpected Move, Calls for Thorough Congressional Oversight

2006-06-21T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON -- The American Civil Liberties Union today applauded the House Judiciary Committee as that panel unexpectedly adopted a "resolution of inquiry" to formally seek any and all documents held by the president and attorney general relating to warrantless requests made by the National Security Agency and other Federal agencies to telephone service providers regarding the records of their customers’ calls.

ACLU Urges Court to Reject State Secrets Claim in NSA Case

2006-06-21T12:00:00-05:00

DETROIT -- The federal government should not be allowed to avoid judicial review of the National Security Agency's illegal spying program by invoking the state secrets privilege, argued the American Civil Liberties Union in legal papers released today.

FAQ - The Covenant on Civil & Political Rights (ICCPR)

2006-06-20T12:00:00-05:00

Dimming the Beacon of Freedom U.S. Violations of the International Covenant on Civil & Political Rights - Executive Summary

2006-06-20T12:00:00-05:00

Dimming the Beacon of Freedom: U.S. Violations of the International Covenant on Civil & Political Rights

2006-06-20T12:00:00-05:00

A Shadow Report by the American Civil Liberties Union prepared for the United Nations Human Rights Committee on the occasion of its review of The United States of America’s Second and Third Periodic Report to the Committee on Human Rights

ACLU Urges House to Rein In Illegal NSA Spying Program, Bipartisan Proposal Would Require Administration Respect the Rule of Law

2006-06-20T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today urged the House of Representatives to support a bipartisan amendment to the Defense Appropriations Act for FY 2007 that would cut off funding for warrantless wiretapping conducted by the National Security Agency. The measure is sponsored by Representatives Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Jay Inslee (D-WA), Bob Inglis (R-SC) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD).

ACLU Letter to the House of Representatives Urging Support of an Amendment to the Defense Appropriations Act for FY 2007 (H.R. 5631) That Would Cut Off Funding to the NSA's Illegal Wiretapping Program

2006-06-20T12:00:00-05:00

Senate Judiciary Committee To Blindly Consider NSA Legislation, Fails to Challenge White House Claims of Unlimited Executive Power

2006-06-08T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – As the Senate Judiciary Committee prepared to consider legislation today that would effectively approve the warrantless spying on Americans by the National Security Agency, the American Civil Liberties Union expressed its strong disapproval that lawmakers appear ready to accept unprecedented and unconstitutional claims of presidential powers. On Tuesday, Chairman Arlen Specter (R-PA) declined to order a hearing with leaders from telecommunications firms to investigate their involvement with the illegal program.

ACLU To FCC: Review of AT&T-BellSouth Merger Must Look At NSA Spying

2006-06-06T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK -- The American Civil Liberties Union said today that it has filed formal comments reminding the Federal Communications Commission of allegations that AT&T and BellSouth illegally provided customer information to the National Security Agency, and pointing out that under existing law the FCC cannot permit the pending merger between those two companies to proceed without investigating the merit of those allegations.

ACLU Comments to the FCC on AT&T-BellSouth Merger Calling for Investigation of NSA Data-Sharing Allegations

2006-06-06T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Urges Federal Court to End NSA Spying Program

2006-06-06T12:00:00-05:00

DETROIT -- In legal papers filed in federal court, the American Civil Liberties Union said the Bush administration’s warrantless wiretapping program runs roughshod over the constitutional rights of U.S. residents and impedes the work of journalists and attorneys.

Declaration of Leonard M. Niehoff

2006-06-05T12:00:00-05:00

Plaintiffs' Reply in Support of Motion for Partial Summary Judgment

2006-06-05T12:00:00-05:00

Limited Communication for Terrorist Inmates

2006-06-02T12:00:00-05:00

On April 3, 2006, the Bureau of Prisons proposed a new regulation imposing severe restrictions on the ability of persons in Bureau custody to communicate with the outside world. Although the regulation is titled “Limited Communication for Terrorist Inmates,” the regulation can be applied to persons who have not been convicted, or even charged, with any act of terrorism, or indeed with any crime at all.

Doe v. Gonzales: Fighting the FBI's Demand for Library Records - Statement of George Christian

2006-05-30T12:00:00-05:00

Librarians Speak Out for First Time After Being Gagged by Patriot Act

2006-05-30T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK -- Four Connecticut librarians who were gagged by the FBI spoke publicly for the first time today at an American Civil Liberties Union news conference about their months-long battle against Patriot Act demands for patrons' library records.

Doe v. Gonzales: Fighting the FBI's Demand for Library Records - Statement of Barbara Bailey

2006-05-30T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Applauds Chairman Sensenbrenner Hearing on Capitol Hill Search, Says Other Bush Administration Conduct Must Be Examined

2006-05-30T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today applauded House Judiciary Committee Chairman F. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) for holding a hearing to examine the constitutionality of the recent search of the Capitola Hill office of Congressman William Jefferson (D-LA) by federal agents, and renewed its call for the committee to hold hearings on other searches and conduct of the Bush administration that ignore the rule of law.

Print Ad: If You've Used a Telephone in the Last Five Years

2006-05-24T12:00:00-05:00

Responding to reports that phone companies are turning over private details about Americans’ telephone calls to the National Security Agency, the ACLU launched a nationwide initiative to end illegal government spying.

ACLU Disappointed By Committee Vote of Support for General Hayden, Says Nominee Failed to Respect Rule of Law

2006-05-23T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today expressed its alarm over the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence vote to confirm General Michael V. Hayden as the next Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. The committee voted 12 to 3 to name the former Director of the National Security Agency to the highest position at the CIA.

ACLU Letter to Congresswoman Jane Harman Supporting Her Bill, H.R. 5371, the “Lawful Intelligence and Surveillance of Terrorists in an Emergency by NSA Act” H.R. 5371, the “Lawful Intelligence and Surveillance of Terrorists in an Emergency by NSA Act”

2006-05-17T12:00:00-05:00

Coalition Letter to Senator Specter Expressing Strong Concerns Regarding His Legislation, S. 2453 (“National Security Surveillance Act of 2006”)

2006-05-17T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Letter to the Senate Regarding Strong Opposition to the Substitute Version of S. 2453, the “National Security Surveillance Act of 2006”

2006-05-16T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Says Specter’s NSA Legislation Would Pardon President’s Illegal Actions; Group Calls for Inspector General Investigation

2006-05-16T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today strongly condemned a new proposal drafted by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter (R-PA) that embraces the president’s claims of inherent power to secretly wiretap Americans without meaningful checks. Also today, the organization renewed its request to the Justice Department’s Inspector General to open an investigation into the involvement of the department in the warrantless spying on Americans by the National Security Agency.

ACLU Letter to the Inspector General Renewing Request for an Investigation Into the Department of Justice's Involvement in the National Security Agency's Domestic Spying Program

2006-05-15T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Condemns NSA's Massive Database of Americans’ Phone Call Records, Demands Full, Thorough Congressional Investigation

2006-05-11T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – In a story released today in USA Today it was revealed that the NSA has been collecting call information about millions of American residents and businesses served by Verizon, AT&T and BellSouth. One industry insider referred to it as the “largest database ever assembled in the world.” The American Civil Liberties Union strongly condemned the Bush administration’s most egregious abuse of power to date.

ACLU Statement to the U.N. Committee Against Torture

2006-05-04T12:00:00-05:00

Statement by the American Civil LIberties Union to the 36th Session of the U.N. Committee Against Torture Regarding the U.S. Government Compliance with the Convention Against Torture

U.S. Fails to Uphold Torture Treaty Abroad and at Home

2006-05-04T12:00:00-05:00

GENEVA -- The U.S. government is in clear and unequivocal violation of its obligations under the Convention Against Torture, the American Civil Liberties Union charged today at the opening session of the U.N. Committee Against Torture in Geneva. According to the ACLU, these violations were widespread and occurred both within the U.S. and abroad. The U.N. Committee Against Torture will review U.S. compliance with the treaty which it ratified in 1994.

ACLU Leaders Meet with White House Privacy and Civil Liberties Board, Call for Board to Exercise Strong, Independent Role

2006-04-27T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - Key leaders from the American Civil Liberties Union today met with the White House Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board in order to encourage that panel to conduct aggressive investigation and oversight over several matters of pivotal importance to the civil liberties of all Americans.

Memorandum of Understanding Between the Departments of Health and Human Services and Homeland Security

2006-04-25T12:00:00-05:00

Organizations and People Supporting the NSA Lawsuit

2006-04-20T12:00:00-05:00

Business and Civil Rights Leaders Support ACLU Challenge to NSA Warrantless Wiretapping

2006-04-20T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK - The American Civil Liberties Union today announced the filing of two friend-of-the-court briefs supporting its lawsuit challenging the National Security Agency’s illegal domestic spying program. One brief was submitted on behalf of six prominent leaders of the nation’s business community and the other by five leading civil rights organizations.

With Patriot Act Debate Over, Government Drops Fight to Gag Librarians From Discussing Objections to Controversial Law

2006-04-12T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – Less than six weeks after the reauthorization of the Patriot Act, the government has given up its legal battle over a gag order on Connecticut librarians affected by a controversial provision of the law, which will allow them to speak publicly for the first time about their objections to secret FBI demands for patrons’ library and e-mail records, the American Civil Liberties Union announced today.

Doe v. Gonzales Letter Brief

2006-04-12T12:00:00-05:00

Doe v. Gonzales Letter Brief

ACLU Letter and Memo to the Senate Judiciary Committee Outlining Major Concerns With S.2453, the "National Security Surveillance Act of 2006"

2006-04-06T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Urges United Nations to Investigate CIA's "Extraordinary Rendition" Policy

2006-03-30T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties Union today formally called on a United Nations human rights investigative body, the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, to conduct a full investigation into the United States' "extraordinary rendition" program.

Letter to Chairman of UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances

2006-03-30T12:00:00-05:00

Letter to Chairman of UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances

Senate Judiciary Committee Continues Hearings into Illegal NSA Spying Program, ACLU Urges Lawmakers to Get Facts Before Acting

2006-03-28T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - As the Senate Judiciary Committee met today to hold its third hearing into the warrantless surveillance of Americans by the National Security Agency (NSA) authorized by President Bush, the American Civil Liberties Union urged lawmakers to hold a fair and comprehensive investigation of the facts about the program before considering any legislation regarding the illegal operation.

ACLU Urges Supreme Court to Declare Guantánamo Bay Military Commissions Illegal

2006-03-28T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – Describing the military commissions at Guantánamo Bay as unfair and unlawful, the American Civil Liberties Union urged the Supreme Court to halt their use in a friend-of-the-court brief filed in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld (05-184), which is being argued today.

ACLU Rebukes Department of Justice Continued Stonewalling on Wiretapping Questions, Says Accountability and Transparency Needed

2006-03-24T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON -- The American Civil Liberties Union today condemned the continued refusal of the Justice Department to answer basic questions about the National Security Agency’s warrantless program to wiretap Americans. The Department today sent over its answers to questions about the illegal program from the majority and minority members of the House Judiciary Committee.

Brief of Amicus Curiae in Support of the Petition for Certiorari in Qassim et al v. Bush

2006-03-23T12:00:00-05:00

DeWine Proposal on NSA Spying Would Ratify Illegal Activity, ACLU Says; Legislation Would Weaken Oversight, Punish Whistleblowers

2006-03-16T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today strongly rebuked legislation introduced by Senator Mike DeWine (R-OH) to ratify the warrantless surveillance of Americans by the National Security Agency. The "Terrorist Surveillance Act of 2006" would give congressional approval to the illegal program, despite the fact that a fair and comprehensive investigation of the operation has still not occurred.

ACLU Letter to the Senate Expressing Strong Opposition to the “Terrorist Surveillance Act of 2006,” Authorizing Warrantless Surveillance By the National Security Agency

2006-03-16T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Applauds Lawmakers for Examining Government Transparency, Sunshine Week Hearing Shows Overclassification Harms Democracy

2006-03-14T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – The American Civil Liberties Union today applauded a key House panel for examining the issue of document overclassification. The hearing comes during Sunshine Week, a public education effort coordinated by journalists stressing openness in government. This is the third hearing in a series on overclassification initially sparked by the Central Intelligence Agency and Defense Intelligence Agency programs that are reclassifying and removing documents from the National Archives.

Closing Abu Ghraib Won’t End Abuse, ACLU Chief Says

2006-03-09T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK -- Saying that abuse of detainees by U.S. forces stems from policy decisions made by senior military and civilian officials, the American Civil Liberties Union today said the closure of Abu Ghraib prison will not end widespread and systemic abuse.

ACLU Asks Federal Court to Block Illegal Spying Program, Citing “Concrete Harm” to Americans

2006-03-09T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – Saying that the Bush administration’s warrantless wiretapping of Americans is flatly illegal and unconstitutional, the American Civil Liberties Union today asked a federal court in Detroit to block the program immediately.

Justice Department Issues Review of Civil Liberties Abuses, ACLU Says Patriot Act Still Remains Shrouded in Secrecy

2006-03-08T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - In a semi-annual report to Congress mandated by the Patriot Act, the Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General today released a report outlining allegations of civil rights and civil liberties abuses by department personnel in a broad range of areas, including mistreatment of federal prisoners, misuse of surveillance powers, mistreatment of protesters at the 2004 political conventions, and misuse of the material witness statute.

ACLU Condemns Secret White House Deal on Warrantless NSA Spying Program, Says Proposal Would Legitimize and Condone Illegal Activities

2006-03-08T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today condemned an agreement announced by Republicans on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence to support legislation to ratify the Bush administration’s warrantless National Security Agency program to spy on Americans, saying it would effect a whitewash of the program before getting the full facts about it. The specific details of this partisan deal, which was apparently struck between Vice President Dick Cheney and Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS) joined by Senators Chuck Hagel (R-NE), Olympia J. Snowe (R-ME), Mike DeWine (R-OH) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC), remain unclear.

Justice Department Continues to Stonewall on NSA Spying Program

2006-03-08T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK -- In response to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, the Justice Department today released documents on the National Security Agency’s warrantless surveillance program. The ACLU said the documents, which include copies of articles, are a rehash of previously released information, and charged the Justice Department with stonewalling on its obligation to comply with a federal court order.

ACLU Says Cosmetic Changes to the Patriot Act Hollow, Measures Approved by the House Fail to Protect American Liberty and Privacy

2006-03-07T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - As the House of Representatives approved a final set of amendments to the fundamentally flawed bill to reauthorize the expiring provisions of the Patriot Act, the American Civil Liberties Union expressed disappointment that the small package of amendments failed to protect the liberty and privacy of ordinary Americans. These amendments and the reauthorization bill passed the Senate last week without the changes needed to ensure these extraordinary powers are focused on suspected foreign terrorists and not innocent people. The House approved the flawed conference report last December.

Legal Update: ACLU and Human Rights First Respond to Secretary Rumsfeld's Claims of Immunity from Prosecution Over Torture and Abuse of Detainees

2006-03-06T12:00:00-05:00

Gonzales Responses on Warrantless NSA Spying Program Lacking, ACLU Says; Attorney General Failed to Address Fundamental Concerns from Lawmakers

2006-03-01T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - Attorney General Alberto Gonzales responded yesterday to inquiries from members of the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding the legality of the warrantless surveillance of Americans by the National Security Agency, as authorized by President Bush. The American Civil Liberties Union today called the attorney general’s answers unsatisfactory, noting that they fail to address the fundamental questions surrounding the constitutionality of the illegal program.

ACLU Interested Persons Memo on the Conference Report Agreement on H.R. 3199, the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005

2006-03-01T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Welcomes Senate Oversight Hearing on NSA Warrantless Eavesdropping; Legal Experts To Express Concerns About Constitutionality of Program

2006-02-28T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - As the Senate Judiciary Committee held its second oversight hearing on the Bush administration’s warrantless surveillance of Americans by the National Security Agency, the American Civil Liberties Union welcomed the move as a necessary step to help restore the rule of law. That panel heard from legal experts about the unconstitutionality of the illegal program of spying on Americans.

ACLU Urges House and Senate to Fix Patriot Act Reauthorization, Says Modest Changes to Protect Constitution Must Be Included Before Passage

2006-02-28T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today urged both the House of Representatives and the Senate to adopt modest, but necessary changes before voting on reauthorization of the controversial Patriot Act. The Senate is expected to vote on legislation to reauthorize the 2001 anti-terrorism law on Wednesday; the House is expected to vote on an amendment to their reauthorization bill this week.

ACLU Letter to Congress Urging a "No" Vote On S. 2271, amendments to the Patriot Act Improvement and Reauthorization Act

2006-02-28T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Rebukes White House Rejection of Special Counsel on Warrantless NSA Spying; Says Rhetoric of Legality Contradicts Refusal to Support Full Investigation

2006-02-27T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today condemned the White House’s refusal to appoint a special counsel to investigate the warrantless surveillance of Americans conducted by the National Security Agency under the direct approval of President Bush. The ACLU had asked Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to appoint a special counsel last December, a call that was echoed today by several House Democrats.

Faces of Surveillance - Targets of Illegal Spying

2006-02-27T12:00:00-05:00

A collection of statements from Americans targeted and illegally spied on by government agencies.

New Poll Shows Americans Reject NSA Warrantless Surveillance Program; Majority Recognize Importance of Checks and Balances Against Abuses of Power

2006-02-24T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - A new poll commissioned by the American Civil Liberties Union and released publicly today shows that a majority of American voters oppose the Bush administration’s warrantless surveillance of Americans by the National Security Agency. The poll also shows a strong belief in the need for the executive branch to be subject to the checks and balances of the courts and Congress.

Presidential Powers, NSA Spying, and the War on Terrorism: Americans’ Attitudes on Recent Events

2006-02-24T12:00:00-05:00

This poll was conducted by the Washington-based firm Belden, Russonello & Stewart, and measures voters’ attitudes toward the warrantless surveillance of Americans by the National Security Agency.

New Documents Provide Further Evidence That Senior Officials Approved Abuse of Prisoners at Guantánamo

2006-02-23T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties Union today released newly obtained documents showing that senior Defense Department officials approved aggressive interrogation techniques that Federal Bureau of Investigation agents deemed abusive, ineffective and unlawful.

Brief of Amicus Curiae in Qassim et al v. Bush

2006-02-23T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Hosts Presidents’ Day National Town Hall on Abuse of Power, Legal and Security Experts Discuss Warrantless Eavesdropping Program

2006-02-20T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today hosted a National Town Hall meeting on Presidents’ Day to discuss the controversy surrounding the Bush administration’s warrantless surveillance of Americans by the National Security Agency. The panelists addressed questions about the legality and constitutionality of the controversial program at a public forum held at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

Transcript of the ACLU's Town Hall Meeting, Freedom at Risk: Spying, Secrecy, and Presidential Power

2006-02-20T12:00:00-05:00

The American Civil Liberties Union hosted a National Town Hall meeting on President’s Day, Monday, February 20, 2006, to discuss the recent controversy surrounding the Bush administration’s warrantless surveillance by the National Security Agency.

ACLU Welcomes Roberts' New Call For Oversight on Illegal NSA Program to Spy on Americans, Says Congress Still Needs to Fully and Openly Investigate Before Any Changes

2006-02-18T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today welcomed an announcement from Senate Intelligence Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS) that he now believes that the president's domestic spying program must be subject to an independent judicial check. His announcement comes on the heels of a public backlash against word of an attempted backroom deal between Roberts and the White House to exempt the illegal spying by the National Security Agency from the federal statute that requires judicial review. That law, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), was passed to protect Americans' fundamental Fourth Amendment right to privacy. Senator Roberts has now indicated that he thinks the surveillance must be placed under the review of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. Congress must ensure that any proposals to amend FISA protect Americans' rights under the Fourth Amendment and continue to provide a role for thorough legislative oversight.

Justice Department Must Release Documents on NSA Spying Program, Judge Rules

2006-02-16T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK - The American Civil Liberties Union today welcomed a federal court order directing the Justice Department to turn over documents on the National Security Agency's warrantless surveillance program within 20 days, or to provide a list of specific documents it is withholding. U.S. District Judge Henry Kennedy's order comes in a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit which the ACLU joined earlier this month.

ACLU Urges Senate to Demand Information on Illegal NSA Spying Program, As Federal Court Orders Justice Department to Turn Over Documents

2006-02-16T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today urged the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence to formally request documents from the White House and Department of Justice regarding the warrantless National Security Agency domestic spying program. This follows two resolutions that came before the House Judiciary Committee yesterday that also called for information about the illegal wiretapping program.

Statement - Caitlin Childs, Target of Illegal Spying

2006-02-16T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Rebukes Backdoor Plans to Legalize Warrantless NSA Spying Program, As Judge Rules Justice Department Must Turn Over Documents

2006-02-16T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today strongly condemned an apparent backroom deal between Senate Intelligence Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS) and the White House to try to change domestic surveillance laws to permit the warrantless surveillance of Americans conducted by the National Security Agency.

ACLU Urges House to Adopt Request for Illegal NSA Spying Documents

2006-02-15T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON -- The American Civil Liberties Union today urged the House Judiciary Committee to adopt several resolutions that would formally request any and all documents relating to the illegal National Security Agency domestic spying program authorized by President Bush.

ACLU Letter to Congress Strongly Urging A "No" Vote On Final Passage of the Conference Report Agreement Reauthorizing the USA PATRIOT Act

2006-02-15T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Says National Security Whistleblower Protections Lacking, Calls For Corrections to Critical Shortcomings in Current Law

2006-02-14T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - Citing growing concerns over court decisions that have weakened laws designed to protect whistleblowers, the American Civil Liberties Union today called on Congress to enact stronger protections for whistleblowers, especially those in the national security arena. Legislation that would take steps to correct some shortcomings in whistleblower law - but without critical protections for national security whistleblowers - was the subject of a hearing held by a panel of the House Government Reform Committee.

Statement - Konstanty Hordynski, Target of Illegal Spying

2006-02-14T12:00:00-05:00

Senate Intelligence Committee Holds Closed Hearing on Warrantless NSA Program; As Reports Indicate that Illegally Obtained Information Was Used to Obtain Warrants

2006-02-09T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON -- The American Civil Liberties Union expressed disappointment at the closed-door hearing held today by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on the warrantless spying by the National Security Agency. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and General Michael Hayden, the deputy director of national intelligence, are expected to testify. The hearing coincides with revelations that the head of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) was warned that information illegally obtained by NSA may have been used to obtain wiretap warrants.

ACLU Urges House Committee to Act on Torture and Extraordinary Rendition, Says Adoption of Resolutions of Inquiry A Necessary Step

2006-02-08T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON -- The American Civil Liberties Union today urged the House International Relations Committee to adopt three resolutions of inquiry directing the Bush administration to provide all documents on the development and implementation of its torture and extraordinary rendition policies. The committee is expected to meet this afternoon.

Conservative and Republican Voices Against President Bush’s NSA Spying Program

2006-02-08T12:00:00-05:00

Attorney General Gonzales Refuses to Answer Questions From Senators, Fails to Address Concerns Surrounding Illegal NSA Spying on Americans

2006-02-06T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON -- Appearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee today, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales failed to answer direct, yet simple questions from senators surrounding the warrantless surveillance of Americans by the National Security Agency. The American Civil Liberties Union condemned that lack of transparency, noting that part of the role of the executive is to provide the legislative branch with ample information for proper oversight.

Print Ad: We could have sworn... .

2006-02-06T12:00:00-05:00

As part of its campaign, the ACLU ran a series of seven hard-hitting ads that put the White House on the defensive. Full-page advertisements, like the one to the right, appeared in The New York Times and half a dozen major daily newspapers, with the headline: "We could have sworn... .”

Top Ten Myths About the Illegal NSA Spying Program

2006-02-03T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Fact Sheet lays out the top ten distortions and lies used by the Bush Administration to justify the illegal NSA spying, and the legal realities every American should know.

Summary of Top Ten Myths About the Illegal NSA Spying Program

2006-02-03T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Fact Sheet lays out the top ten distortions and lies used by the Bush Administration to justify the illegal NSA spying, and the legal realities every American should know.

ACLU Says President Ignored State of Civil Liberties in Address; Bush Failed to Answer Questions on Patriot Act, NSA Spying

2006-02-01T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today strongly rebuked President Bush for failing to adequately address serious civil liberties concerns about his administration's actions since 9/11 in his State of the Union address delivered Tuesday. Specifically, the president failed to answer questions raised - from all points of the political spectrum - on his warrantless domestic spying program conducted by the National Security Agency and the over intrusive powers in the Patriot Act.

News in the Illegal Domestic Spying Cases

2006-01-31T12:00:00-05:00

Coalition Letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Strongly Urging An Investigation Into the NSA's Domestic Sureveillance

2006-01-30T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Rebukes President's Claim That NSA Domestic Spying Program Is Legal, Says Previous Administration Positions Contradict Statements

2006-01-26T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today strongly rebuked President Bush’s claims that the National Security Agency's warrantless wiretap program he authorized is legal and adequately protects civil liberties, and renewed its call for a full and independent investigation of the program.

ACLU of Massachusetts Applauds Librarian for Standing Up to Warrantless Seizure of Library Computers

2006-01-25T12:00:00-05:00

BOSTON - The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts today applauded the Mayor of Newton and its library director for requiring law enforcement authorities to comply with the basic requirements of the Fourth Amendment before seizing public library computers and the information they contain.

ACLU Says Ohio's Anti-Terror Tip Program May Increase Profiling, Violate Privacy

2006-01-25T12:00:00-05:00

COLUMBUS, OH -- The American Civil Liberties Union today expressed deep concerns with the Ohio Department of Public Safety's new initiative, "See Something, Say Something," which encourages residents to call a toll free line if they witness something they believe is "suspicious."

Bush Continues Aggressive Campaign on Illegal NSA Domestic Spying Program, ACLU Says Operation Still Violates Rule of Law, Must Be Ended

2006-01-25T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - President Bush is expected to speak today at the National Security Agency in Fort Meade, Maryland, to defend his continuing approval of that agency’s warrantless wiretap program. The American Civil Liberties Union has denounced that operation because it continues to violate both the letter and spirit of the law, and renewed its call for comprehensive and open Congressional hearings and for Attorney General Gonzales to appoint a special counsel to begin an independent investigation of the program.

ACLU Demands End to Double Standard for Torture Crimes; Justice Department Admits That Top Torture Prosecutor Has Not Indicted Any Civilians

2006-01-24T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - In a letter sent to Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) made public today, the Justice Department disclosed that 19 referrals have been made to the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia regarding allegations of civilians who have engaged in torture and abuse, but that no civilians have been indicted. The only referral that was made to another U.S. Attorney resulted in an indictment. The American Civil Liberties Union called for an end to the double standard for torture and abuse crimes; while lower ranks of the military are being convicted for crimes in which they worked alongside CIA agents or other civilians, it appears that agents and contractors of the CIA are being held to a lower standard.

ACLU Letter to DOJ and US Attorney Calling for the Dismissal of Remaining Charges Against Dr. Sami Al-Arian

2006-01-23T12:00:00-05:00

MIAMI -- Saying that a decision to re-try Dr. Sami Al-Arian following the recent acquittal of all serious charges lodged against him “would appear to be pointless and vindictive,” the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today called on the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida to dismiss the remaining charges against Dr. Al-Arian and bring the case to a close.

ACLU of Florida Urges Government Prosecutors to Dismiss Remaining Charges Against Sami Al-Arian

2006-01-23T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Calls Warrantless NSA Domestic Spying Program Illegal, Says President Ignored Rule of Law; Demands Special Counsel

2006-01-20T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - At a briefing held by House Democrats today, the American Civil Liberties Union criticized the National Security Agency's warrantless wiretap program directed by President Bush as an illegal operation that violates both the letter and spirit of the law. The briefing was held because the Republican House leadership has yet to schedule any public oversight hearings on the unlawful domestic spying program.

ACLU Rebukes Justice Department Spin on Warrantless NSA Spying Program, Renews Call for Attorney General Gonzales to Appoint a Special Counsel

2006-01-19T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today strongly rebuked analysis provided by the Justice Department that argues that there is a legal basis for the warrantless domestic surveillance conducted by the National Security Agency as authorized by President Bush.

ACLU Sues to Stop Illegal Spying on Americans, Saying President Is Not Above the Law

2006-01-17T12:00:00-05:00

In an effort to end the Bush administration's illegal spying on Americans, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against the National Security Agency, Jan. 17, 2006. The NSA is a secret electronic surveillance program that has been in place since shortly after the U.S. terrorist attacks.

Print Ad: Wiretapping Innocent Americans Is an Abuse of Government Power

2006-01-16T12:00:00-05:00

The ACLU ran a full-page advertisement in the Washington Post criticizing the president for authorizing the National Security Agency to engage in illegal surveillance of Americans. The ad invokes Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the civil rights pioneer who was an innocent victim of illegal government wiretapping and draws the correlation between abuse of government power and illegal warrantless wiretapping authorized by President Bush.

Print Ad: Mr. President, the America We Believe in Is Not Your America

2006-01-16T12:00:00-05:00

As part of its campaign, the ACLU ran a series of seven hard-hitting ads that put the White House on the defensive. Full-page advertisements appeared in The New York Times and half a dozen major daily newspapers, with the headline: "Mr. President, the America We Believe in Is Not Your America”

Legal Experts Letter to Congress on NSA Domestic Spying Program

2006-01-09T12:00:00-05:00

Print Ad: Why Did We Bother Debating the Patriot Act?

2006-01-05T12:00:00-05:00

As President George W. Bush continued to push for Patriot Act renewal, the ACLU ran a full-page advertisement in the New York Times criticizing the president for authorizing the National Security Agency to engage in illegal surveillance of Americans.

Congressional Research Service Memo: Presidential Authority to Conduct Warrantless Electronic Surveillance to Gather Foreign Intelligence Information

2006-01-05T12:00:00-05:00

In New Ad, ACLU Steps Up Call for Investigation of President’s Spying Order

2006-01-05T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK -- As President George W. Bush continues to push for Patriot Act renewal, the American Civil Liberties Union ran a full-page advertisement in the New York Times today criticizing the president for authorizing the National Security Agency to engage in illegal surveillance of Americans.

ACLU Slams DOJ Investigation of NSA Whistleblower, Says Government Must Independently Investigate Violation of Wiretap Laws

2005-12-30T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK - The American Civil Liberties Union today sharply criticized a Justice Department investigation into the disclosure of an illegal National Security Agency domestic eavesdropping operation approved by President George W. Bush.

Print Ad: The President Lied to the American People and Broke the Law

2005-12-29T12:00:00-05:00

In a full-page advertisement in the New York Times , the ACLU intensified its call for a special counsel to be appointed to determine whether President George W. Bush violated federal wiretapping laws by authorizing illegal surveillance.

Print Ad: No President Is Above the Law

2005-12-22T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Letter to Attorney General Gonzales Requesting the Appointment of Outside Special Counsel for the Investigation and Prosecution of Violations, or Conspiracy to Violate, Criminal Laws Against Warrantless Wiretapping of American Persons

2005-12-21T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Calls on Gonzales to Appoint Special Counsel on NSA Domestic Spying; Investigation of Violations of Law Must Be Independent, Free of Political Pressure

2005-12-21T12:00:00-05:00

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.

ACLU Letter to Congress Urging Protections Against Torture

2005-12-21T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Letter to Congress Strongly Oversight Hearings In Response to NSA Spying On American Citizens

2005-12-16T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Demands Investigation of U.S. Military Surveillance of Peaceful Protesters in Rhode Island

2005-12-16T12:00:00-05:00

PROVIDENCE, RI -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island charged today that U.S. military officials have illegally engaged in monitoring peaceful protest activities of local anti-war demonstrators, and called for an immediate investigation.

ACLU Letter to Congress Urging Opposition to Gutting of McCain Amendment

2005-12-14T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Applauds House Support for McCain Anti-Torture Amendment, But Denounces Proposed Secret Deal to Undermine Rule of Law

2005-12-14T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The House of Representatives today supported an anti-torture amendment to the Defense Department spending bill to restore the rule of law in military interrogations, despite calls from the White House that the president would veto such a measure. The American Civil Liberties Union applauded lawmakers, but also denounced reports that a proposed back-room deal between key lawmakers and the White House will lead to a dilution of that very amendment.

ACLU Letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Regarding Khaled El-Masri

2005-12-08T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice regarding Khaled El-Masri.

ACLU Seeks Clarification from Government on Comments About Innocent Victim of "Extraordinary Rendition"

2005-12-08T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK -- The American Civil Liberties Union today sent letters to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff seeking confirmation that Khalid El-Masri, an innocent German citizen victimized by the CIA’s policy of "extraordinary rendition," is eligible to enter the United States. El-Masri was denied entry into the U.S. at Hartsfield International Airport in Atlanta on Saturday, December 3, 2005 without explanation.

ACLU Letter to the Department of Homeland Security and the Secretary of State regarding Khaled El-Masri

2005-12-08T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Letter to the Department of Homeland Security and the Secretary of State regarding Khalid El-Masri.

Extraordinary Rendition - Off-Site Links

2005-12-06T12:00:00-05:00

Fact Sheet: Extraordinary Rendition

2005-12-06T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Files Landmark Lawsuit Challenging CIA’s “Extraordinary Rendition” of Innocent Man

2005-12-06T12:00:00-05:00

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.”

Justice Department Continues Offensive on National Security Letters, ACLU Says Government Statements Misleading and Inaccurate

2005-12-02T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today rebuked efforts by the Justice Department to downplay the increased use of National Security Letters (NSLs), which give law enforcement access to sensitive records without judicial approval. The reach of NSLs was broadened by the Patriot Act and their use has increased a hundredfold since 2001.

ACLU Memo to Interested Persons Regarding Myths About Patriot Act Surveillance from the Administration

2005-12-02T12:00:00-05:00

Supreme Court Denies Review in FBI Whistleblower Case

2005-11-28T12:00:00-05:00

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.

Department of Justice Letter Rebutting November 6, 2005 Washington Post Article on National Security Letters

2005-11-23T12:00:00-05:00

Secret Surveillance Court That Reviews Patriot Act Surveillance Considers Rule Changes to Better Protect Privacy and Civil Liberties

2005-11-17T12:00:00-05:00

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 Report Regarding the Implementation of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment by the United States (CAT)

2005-11-15T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Urges Congress to Reject Court Stripping Measure; Proposal Denies Detainees the Right to Challenge the Use of Torture

2005-11-10T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today urged senators to reject an amendment, offered by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) that would make the McCain anti-torture amendment nearly impossible to enforce at Guantanamo Bay. The Graham amendment would strip all courts, including the Supreme Court, of jurisdiction to consider habeas corpus petitions or any other action challenging any aspect of the detention of foreign detainees held at Guantanamo Bay, except for the narrow question of whether status review boards follow their own rules.

Tell Your Member of Congress to Stop Torture

2005-10-30T12:00:00-05:00

Brevard Sheriff's Office Revamps Surveillance Policies Following ACLU Recommendations

2005-10-19T12:00:00-05:00

MELBOURNE, FL - The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida Brevard Chapter announced today that, based on ACLU recommendations, the Brevard County Sheriff's Office has revised its police surveillance policies to ban officers from monitoring constitutionally protected First Amendment activities, including the right to peacefully protest government policies.

Controversial Justice Department Nominee Withdraws From Consideration; ACLU Says Torture and Abuse Questions Remain Unanswered

2005-10-07T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON -Timothy E. Flanigan, the controversial nominee to be deputy attorney general, withdrew his name from consideration today, just days after the Senate adopted the McCain anti-torture amendment to the Defense Department spending bill. Flanigan was one of the architects of policies that led to the detainee abuses, and the American Civil Liberties Union said that his decision should not distract Congress from fully investigating those interrogation policies.

ACLU Supports Anti-Torture Amendment by McCain, Republicans, President's Veto Would Block Restoration of Rule of Law

2005-10-05T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - In anticipation of tonight's Senate approval of an anti-torture amendment to the Defense Department spending bill by Senator John McCain (R-AZ), the American Civil Liberties Union applauded McCain's push for reform and urged the administration to drop its veto threat. The legislation has strong bipartisan support, but the president has said he would veto the entire defense bill if it is included.

Tell Your Senators to Stop the Vote Promoting a Top Torture Official

2005-10-03T12:00:00-05:00

Key Player in Torture Scandal Nominated to No. 2 Post at Justice Department; ACLU Expresses Deep Concern With Embattled Appointee

2005-09-28T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today expressed deep concern that Timothy Flanigan, who served as deputy to then White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales, is being considered by the Senate Judiciary Committee to be deputy attorney general. The committee is scheduled to vote on his confirmation Thursday morning.

Update in ACLU Torture FOIA Lawsuit

2005-08-19T12:00:00-05:00

Following a two-hour closed hearing in New York on August 15, a federal judge ordered the government to reveal blacked-out portions of its legal papers arguing against the release of images depicting abuse of detainees at Abu Ghraib.

Legal Papers Unsealed Today in ACLU Quest for Government's Abu Ghraib Torture Images

2005-08-11T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK -- In legal papers unsealed today, the American Civil Liberties Union urged a federal court to order the release of photographs and videos that depict the abuse and torture of prisoners in U.S. custody at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. The ACLU also asked the court to reject the government's attempt to file some of its legal arguments in secret.

ACLU Letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee Regarding the Nomination of Timothy Flanigan for Deputy Attorney General

2005-07-26T12:00:00-05:00

Frist Kills Pentagon Spending Bill to Protect Abusive Interrogations; Top Torture Scandal Figure Gets Confirmation Hearing

2005-07-26T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today expressed deep concern that-on the same day as the Senate majority leader canceled a vote on the entire Pentagon spending bill because of an amendment that would have banned cruel, degrading and inhuman treatment-a top figure in the ongoing torture scandal is being promoted to the number two post at the Justice Department.

ACLU Interested Persons Memo on FBI documents concerning detainee abuse at Guantanamo Bay

2005-07-12T12:00:00-05:00

Demand An Independent Counsel for Torture Abuses and Release of Relevant Documents

2005-07-12T12:00:00-05:00

Why FBI Intelligence Subpoenas Threaten Civil Liberties

2005-06-28T12:00:00-05:00

U.S.: Scores of Muslim Men Jailed Without Charge

2005-06-27T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK -- Operating behind a wall of secrecy, the U.S. Department of Justice thrust scores of Muslim men living in the United States into a Kafkaesque world of indefinite detention without charge and baseless accusations of terrorist links, Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union said in a report released today.

Human Rights Abuses Under the Material Witness Law Since Sept. 11, 2001

2005-06-27T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Sues Department of Homeland Security to End Repeated Detention of U.S. Citizen Triggered by ""Unfortunate Misidentification""

2005-06-27T12:00:00-05:00

CHICAGO -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois today asked a federal district court to order the Department of Homeland Security to remedy policies that resulted in a U.S. citizen being detained in a nearly six-hour ordeal at the United States-Canada border as a result of being misidentified.

Myths and Realities About the Patriot Act

2005-06-22T12:00:00-05:00

Administration Considers Promotions for Generals in Torture Scandal; ACLU Urges Senators to Seek Appointment of an Outside Special Counsel

2005-06-21T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - While the administration continues to attack a single provocative remark by Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL), Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is reportedly considering promotions for senior generals tied to the torture scandal. In response, the American Civil Liberties Union today sent a letter to Senators reiterating its call for the appointment of a special counsel to investigate torture policies. High-ranking government officials should not be rewarded for putting themselves above the rule of law and the Constitution, the letter says.

ACLU Denounces Senator Roberts' Patriot Act Expansion Bill, Says Constitutional Rights Need to Be Protected, Not Further Eroded

2005-06-17T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON -Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) formerly introduced legislation today designed to reauthorize - and expand - the Patriot Act. The American Civil Liberties Union today denounced the proposal, and called upon lawmakers to bring the act in line with the Constitution by restoring proper checks and balances.

ACLU of Northern California FOIA Request for Lodi

2005-06-16T12:00:00-05:00

Civil Rights Groups File Freedom of Information Act Request in Wake of Reports of FBI Harassment of Muslims in Lodi, CA

2005-06-16T12:00:00-05:00

SACRAMENTO -- Prompted by reports from the Council on American-Islamic Relations of Sacramento Valley and the Muslim community, the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California and local civil rights groups today filed a Freedom of Information Act request seeking FBI records of the procedures and policies used during the questioning and detention of dozens of Muslims in the Central Valley town of Lodi.

ACLU Complaint in Nash v. City and County of Denver

2005-06-15T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Applauds House Stance Against Intrusive Patriot Act Power; Bipartisan Majority Adopts "Freedom to Read" Amendment

2005-06-15T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today applauded the House of Representatives for adopting the "Freedom to Read" proposal - offered by Rep. Bernie Sanders (I-VT). It denies funding for FBI access to library and bookstore records under section 215 of the Patriot Act. A bipartisan majority (238-187) approved the measure as an amendment to a Department of Justice funding measure.

ACLU Letter to the United States House of Representatives Urging Support of Amendments Restoring Checks and Balances to USA PATRIOT Act Powers

2005-06-15T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Letter to Representative Coble Supplementing Timothy H. Edgar's April 19, 2005 Testimony on the USA PATRIOT Act

2005-06-15T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Sues Denver Police for Records of Internal Investigations Related to ""Spy Files"" Controversy

2005-06-14T12:00:00-05:00

DENVER -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado today filed a lawsuit against the Denver Police Department seeking disclosure of the records of internal investigations that were prompted by the Spy Files controversy in 2002 and 2003.

ACLU Says President Continuing Patriot Act "Charm Offensive," But Hasn't Silenced Bipartisan Calls for Reform

2005-06-10T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - President Bush spoke today at the National Counterterrorism Center as part of the administration's renewed "charm offensive" on the Patriot Act. The American Civil Liberties Union called the president's remarks both misguided and deceitful. Key parts of the Patriot Act are set to "sunset" or expire at the end of the year, and the administration is pushing for reauthorization, and expansion, of the anti-terrorism law.

ACLU Says President Bush Misled Public on Patriot Act; Urges Congress to Bring Law In Line with the Constitution

2005-06-09T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union called the president's address today on the Patriot Act to law enforcement personnel in Columbus, Ohio both misguided and disingenuous. Key parts of that law are set to "sunset" or expire at the end of the year, and the administration is pushing to not only reauthorize the act, but to expand it.

House Judiciary Committee Holds Final Patriot Act Oversight Hearing; ACLU Prepares to Increase Pressure on Lawmakers for Reform

2005-06-08T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The House Judiciary Committee met today to hold its final oversight hearing on the Patriot Act, wrapping up weeks of testimony from both conservatives and liberals that changes are needed to restore checks and balances. The American Civil Liberties Union called on lawmakers to reject the administration's push to expand the controversial law, and instead bring it in line with the Constitution.

ACLU Disappointed with Patriot Act Expansion Bill Approved in Secret; Says "Administrative Subpoenas" Create End-Run Round Constitution

2005-06-07T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - Following reports that the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence today approved - behind closed doors - legislation designed to reauthorize and expand the Patriot Act, the American Civil Liberties Union expressed its disappointment with the secretive process and the end result that tramples on the Constitution.

Senate Panel Considering Patriot Act Expansion Bill in Secret; ACLU Says Fixes, Not Expansions, Are Needed

2005-06-07T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence is meeting today behind closed doors to conclude secret deliberations on legislation designed to reauthorize - and expand - the Patriot Act. The American Civil Liberties Union denounced the secretive process, and said lawmakers should be reforming, not expanding, the most extreme parts of the Patriot Act. The proposed bill would make the Patriot Act's most controversial provisions permanent, and further expand it by allowing FBI agents to issue their own search orders with no court approval.

ACLU Memo to Interested Persons Offering a Section By Section Analysis of the SAFE ACT of 2005

2005-06-07T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Criticizes Pennsylvania Eco-Terrorism Legislation as Part of Government's Crackdown on Political Dissent

2005-06-06T12:00:00-05:00

PHILADELPHIA -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania today criticized eco-terrorism legislation that is before the state General Assembly, calling it a threat to the First Amendment rights of all Pennsylvanians who wish to express their views on matters of public policy.

Federal Court Orders Government to Turn Over Videos and Photos Showing Detainee Abuse

2005-06-02T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK -- A federal judge has ordered the Defense Department to turn over dozens of photographs and four movies depicting detainee abuse at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq as part of an ongoing lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union.

Iranian American ""Know Your Rights"" Campaign Launched By National Organizations

2005-06-02T12:00:00-05:00

LOS ANGELES -- At a breakfast briefing this morning the American Civil Liberties Union and leaders of the Iranian American community launched a ""Know Your Rights"" Campaign designed to address community-specific concerns.

Senate Intelligence Committee Considers Patriot Act Expansion Bill in Secret; ACLU Calls for Open and Public Dialogue

2005-05-26T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union denounced today's closed-door votes by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence of legislation designed to reauthorize - and expand - the Patriot Act. Included in the committee's deliberations are proposals to make the Patriot Act's most controversial provisions permanent, and to expand it by allowing FBI agents issue their own search orders with no advance court approval.

Patriot Act Provision Lets Government Grab Personal Records Secretly; ACLU Testifies Before House That Law Needs Checks and Balances

2005-05-26T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The "national security letter" provision of the Patriot Act goes too far in letting the government secretly gather confidential records and gagging those ordered to turn them over, the American Civil Liberties Union said in testimony before a key panel of lawmakers Thursday.

Testimony of Acting Director Gregory T. Nojeim and National Security Policy Counsel Timothy H. Edgar At An Oversight Hearing on Sections 505 and 804 of the USA PATRIOT Act

2005-05-26T12:00:00-05:00

Senate Intelligence Committee Examines Controversial Patriot Act Expansion Bill; Closed Door Vote to Be Held This Week

2005-05-24T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence met today to consider legislation that would reauthorize - and expand - the Patriot Act. The American Civil Liberties Union denounced attempts to expand, rather than critically review and reform, the controversial provisions set to expire at the end of the year. A proposal to make the law's most controversial provisions permanent, and to expand it by allowing FBI agents issue their own search orders with no advance court approval, will likely be voted on in secret Thursday.

Coalition Letter to Senators Roberts and Rockefeller Opposing Administrative Subpoenas

2005-05-23T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Urges Lawmakers to Enact "Common Sense" Fixes to Patriot Act In Appearance Before the House Intelligence Committee

2005-05-19T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union appeared today before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence in a public oversight hearing on the Patriot Act and renewed its call for changes to bring the 2001 anti-terrorism measure in line with the Constitution.

Documents Obtained by ACLU Expose FBI and Police Targeting of Political Groups

2005-05-18T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON -- The American Civil Liberties Union charged today that the FBI and local police are engaging in intimidation based on political association and are improperly investigating law-abiding human rights and advocacy groups, according to documents obtained through a series of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. ACLU affiliates today filed FOIA requests seeking similar documents in ten states.

ACLU Memo to Interested Persons Regarding Analysis of Senate Intelligence Committee Patriot Act Reauthorization Bill

2005-05-18T12:00:00-05:00

Senate Committee to Review Controversial Patriot Act Legislation in Secret; Draft Legislation Hidden from Public

2005-05-17T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The Senate Intelligence Committee announced today that it is rushing forward with a markup of Patriot Act reauthorization legislation Thursday, but that the session will be behind closed doors

ACLU Applauds Colorado's Call to Be Safe and Free; Nationwide Patriot Act Resolution Movement Still Gaining Momentum

2005-05-17T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON -- The American Civil Liberties Union today applauded the state of Colorado for passing a bipartisan resolution calling on Congress to bring the controversial Patriot Act in line with the Constitution. Colorado becomes the seventh state, and joins at least 382 other communities that have passed such resolutions. A similar resolution recently passed the Idaho state legislature.

ACLU Letter to Representative Markey Urging Passage of the Torture Outsourcing Prevention Act

2005-05-16T12:00:00-05:00

Humanitarian Law Project Amicus Brief

2005-05-16T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Urges Court to Reject Interpretation of Terrorism Funding Law that Hinders Work of Humanitarian Groups

2005-05-16T12:00:00-05:00

SAN FRANCISCO -- A law broadened by the Patriot Act exposes legitimate humanitarian organizations to severe criminal penalties simply for doing their jobs, the American Civil Liberties Union said today. The ACLU filed a legal brief Friday in support of a challenge to the law.

ACLU Questions Scope of ""Intelligence Fusion Center"" in Massachusetts

2005-05-11T12:00:00-05:00

BOSTON -- Responding to Governor Mitt Romney's unveiling of the state's first ""intelligence fusion center,"" the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts today issued a formal request to Secretary of Public Safety Edward A. Flynn for documents describing the purpose, structure, and funding of the center.

ACLU Testimony on Material Support for Terrorism Laws: Section 805 of the Patriot Act and Section 6603 of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 Before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security

2005-05-10T12:00:00-05:00

Testimony of ACLU Associate Director and Chief Legislative Cousel, Gregory T. Nojeim, and National Security Policy Counsel, Timothy H. Edgar, At The Oversight Hearing on Sections 206 and 215 of the USA PATRIOT ACT on April 28, 2005

2005-04-28T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU of Southern California Sues DHS Secretary Chertoff Over Free Speech Rights for Federal Air Marshals

2005-04-21T12:00:00-05:00

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.

Homeland Security Violates Civil Rights of Muslim American Citizens

2005-04-20T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK -- The New York Civil Liberties Union, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Council on American-Islamic Relations in simultaneous news conferences in Buffalo and Brooklyn today announced a lawsuit charging that the Department of Homeland Security singled out and violated the rights of American citizens who were returning from a religious conference in Toronto. The lawsuit was filed to challenge the DHS's policy of detaining, interrogating, fingerprinting and photographing American citizens who are Muslim, solely because they attended an Islamic conference.

Emergency Motion to Open Oral Argument in Edmonds v. Department of Justice

2005-04-20T12:00:00-05:00

Testimony of ACLU National Security Policy Counsel Timothy H. Edgar Before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security on the USA PATRIOT Act: Effect of Sections 203 (b) and (d) on Information Sharing

2005-04-19T12:00:00-05:00

Testimony of Associate Director Gregory Nojeim and Legislative Council Timothy Edgar at the Hearing on the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 Before the Select Committee on Intelligence of the United States Senate

2005-04-19T12:00:00-05:00

House Hearing Follows Revelation of Patriot Act Flaws and Uses, ACLU Says Disclosure Represents Likely "Tip of the Iceberg"

2005-04-06T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - Following yesterday's Senate hearing on the Patriot Act that provided ample evidence that it was passed with undue haste, the American Civil Liberties Union today called upon the House Judiciary Committee to probe deeper into the implementation - and possible abuses of - the controversial 2001 anti-terrorism law. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is testifying before that panel in an oversight hearing today.

Bipartisan Legislation Would Fix Worst Parts of Patriot Act While Maintaining Key Law Enforcement Powers

2005-04-05T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - New bipartisan legislation that will be introduced tomorrow would bring some of the most extreme provisions of the Patriot Act back in line with the Constitution, the American Civil Liberties Union said. The bill would restore checks and balances on federal domestic spying powers and narrow several controversial Patriot Act provisions.

Patriot Act Oversight Hearing Highlights Flaws, Increasing Use Of Special Search, Surveillance Powers

2005-04-05T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - Today's oversight hearing on the USA Patriot Act, the 2001 law that removed checks on the government's ability to collect information on innocent Americans, provided ample evidence that the Patriot Act was passed with undue haste and has been flawed in its implementation, the American Civil Liberties Union said.

As First Patriot Act 'Sunsets' Hearings Convene, Justice Department Muddies Debate With Disingenuous Claim

2005-04-05T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - As the Senate gaveled in the first hearing on the expiring portions of the Patriot Act today, the American Civil Liberties Union accused the Justice Department of falsely arguing that a judge did not hold a section of the Patriot Act unconstitutional last year.

Patriot Act Abuses and Misuses Abound, ACLU Says; Disclosure Comes Before Congress Begins Review of Controversial Law

2005-04-04T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - A day before Congress begins its oversight of the controversial Patriot Act, the American Civil Liberties Union today responded to an inquiry by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) about abuses of the Patriot Act, saying that the Patriot Act has been abused and misused repeatedly by the government since its enactment.

Montana Resolution Bars State Participation in Patriot Act Measures; Legislature Urges Congress to Restore Checks and Balances in Law

2005-04-04T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today applauded Montana for passing the strongest state-level resolution in the country against the Patriot Act. The bipartisan resolution calls on Congress to bring the controversial anti-terrorism legislation in line with the Constitution, and prohibits state agencies from participating in abusive federal security measures.

Global Lens Focused on U.S. Torture and Detention Policies

2005-04-04T12:00:00-05:00

GENEVA - The American Civil Liberties Union today called for immediate action by the U.N. Commission on Human Rights to address the abuse and torture of prisoners by the United States in Afghanistan, Iraq, and at other U.S.-controlled detention centers.

ACLU Says Disclosure on "Sneak and Peek" Warrants Raises Many Questions; Release of Information Comes Before Congress Starts Patriot Act Hearings

2005-04-04T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The Justice Department's limited release of numbers this evening raises as many questions as it answers. We encourage Congress, as it begins its review of the Patriot Act this week, to ask the Justice Department to fully explain and expand on the partial picture that it painted this evening.

Written Statement on Torture and Detention

2005-04-01T12:00:00-05:00

Army Memo Released By ACLU Suggests Perjury In Lt. Gen. Sanchez Sworn Testimony on Torture

2005-03-31T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today sent a letter to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales asking him to open an investigation into possible perjury by Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, the theater commander at the outset of the Iraq War. The ACLU said that a memo sent by Lt. Gen Sanchez flatly contradicts sworn testimony given by him before the Senate Armed Services Committee, in which he denied authorizing highly coercive interrogation methods.

Army's Own Documents Acknowledge Evidence That Soldiers Used Torture

2005-03-25T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK - The American Civil Liberties Union today charged that the government is attempting to bury the torture scandal involving the U.S. military by failing to comply with a court order requiring release of documents to the ACLU. The documents the government does release are being issued in advance to the media in ways calculated to minimize coverage and public access, the ACLU said.

ACLU Joins Conservatives to Restore Freedoms Lost Under Patriot Act; "Patriots to Restore Checks and Balances" Hopes to Shape National Dialogue

2005-03-22T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON -The American Civil Liberties Union said today that it has joined forces with the several conservative organizations to fix the most extreme provisions of the Patriot Act, some of which are scheduled to "sunset," or expire, at the end of the year. Former Congressman Bob Barr, a Republican from Georgia, will chair the new group, "Patriots to Restore Checks and Balances," which includes Americans for Tax Reform, the American Conservative Union and others.

Wolfowitz, an Architect of U.S. Torture Policies, Nominated to Lead World Bank; ACLU Notes Move is Latest to Reward Officials Implicated in Abuse of Detainees

2005-03-18T12:00:00-05:00

Wolfowitz, an Architect of U.S. Torture Policies, Nominated to Lead World Bank; ACLU Notes Move is Latest to Reward Officials Implicated in Abuse of Detainees

ACLU Sues Federal Agents for Illegal Arrest and Detention of Iraqi Refugee

2005-03-17T12:00:00-05:00

GREAT FALLS, MT--The American Civil Liberties Union of Washington, the American Civil Liberties Union of Montana, and the ACLU Immigrants' Rights Project today sued two federal agents for unlawfully stopping, interrogating, arresting, imprisoning, and seeking to deport an Iraqi refugee who was legally admitted to the United States and had broken no laws. As a result of his illegal detention, the man lost his job and suffered serious humiliation and emotional distress.

ACLU Seeks Records on Use of Patriot Act to Deny U.S. Entry to Prominent Foreign Scholars

2005-03-16T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK -- Citing a serious and growing threat to academic freedom, the American Civil Liberties Union today filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for records concerning the government's practice of excluding scholars and other prominent individuals from the U.S. because of their political views.

ACLU Joins Bipartisan Allies in Calling for More Open Government; Much-Needed Measure Would Strengthen Freedom of Information Act

2005-03-15T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - Citing a growing concern over efforts by the government to over-classify and shield information from the public, the American Civil Liberties Union today urged a Senate committee to enact a bipartisan proposal designed to increase the transparency of the government by strengthening the Freedom of Information Act.

ACLU Calls on Gonzales to Engage in Open Dialogue on Patriot Act; Rhetoric of Administration Fails to Match Policies, Actions

2005-03-07T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - With certain provisions of the Patriot Act set to expire at the end of this year unless Congress renews them, the administration is putting on the charm offensive. Today Attorney General Alberto Gonzales continued the public relations campaign started by former Attorney General John Ashcroft and President Bush. Their spin, however, hasn't calmed the millions of Americans who are concerned that our basic rights have been compromised in the name of national security.

ACLU and Human Rights First Sue Defense Secretary Rumsfeld Over U.S. Torture Policies

2005-03-01T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld bears direct responsibility for the torture and abuse of detainees in U.S. military custody, the American Civil Liberties Union and Human Rights First charged today in the first federal court lawsuit to name a top U.S. official in the ongoing torture scandal in Iraq and Afghanistan that has tarnished America's reputation.

Fact Sheet: Legal Claims in Ali et al., v. Rumsfeld

2005-03-01T12:00:00-05:00

New ACLU Legislative Counsel To Focus on Privacy Issues in Post 9/11 America

2005-02-28T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - Timothy D. Sparapani today joined the Washington Legislative Office as Legislative Counsel on Privacy Issues. Sparapani will be a key member of the ACLU's "Safe and Free" team and will work closely with the ACLU's Technology & Liberty Project.

Detainee Coerced Into Dropping Charges of Abuse Before Release

2005-02-18T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK--The American Civil Liberties Union today released files obtained from the Army revealing previously undisclosed allegations of abuse by U.S. soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Among the documents are reports that a detainee who was beaten and seriously injured was forced to drop his claims in order to be released from custody.

ACLU Lauds Introduction of Cornyn-Leahy 'OPEN Government Act,' Much-Needed Measure Would Increase Transparency, Access to Records

2005-02-16T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today applauded the introduction of a measure, sponsored by Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT), designed to increase the transparency of the government by strengthening the Freedom of Information Act.

Senate Approves Michael Chertoff as New Homeland Security Secretary; ACLU Calls for Special Counsel to Investigate Torture Policies

2005-02-15T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON -- The Senate today confirmed Michael Chertoff -- the force behind the detention of hundreds of Arab, South Asian and Muslim men after 9/11 -- to be the new Secretary of Homeland Security . Chertoff played a role crafting the Bush Administration's torture policies when he was with the Department of Justice, and the American Civil Liberties Union said his appointment highlights the need for an outside special counsel to investigate the scandal.

Outside Special Counsel Needed to Investigate Torture Abuses by Civilians, ACLU Says in First Letter to Attorney General Gonzales

2005-02-15T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - Recently released government documents and Congressional hearings have made clear that high-ranking officials are too close to the detainee torture scandal to pursue an independent investigation, so a special counsel must be appointed to investigate and, if warranted, prosecute civilians for their actions, the American Civil Liberties Union said in a letter sent to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales today.

ACLU Calls for Full Discourse on Controversial Patriot Act Powers; President's Support of Automatic Renewal Fails American's Freedoms

2005-02-14T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - Appearing before the Department of Justice, President Bush has yet again called on Congress to renew the Patriot Act. While 10 percent of that act is set to sunset at the end of this year, we should be mindful that Congress specifically designed those controversial provisions to expire so that cooler heads could examine, review, and-- if warranted-- amend and renew them.

ACLU of Massachusetts Applauds Boston Police Commissioner's Opposition to the CLEAR Act

2005-02-14T12:00:00-05:00

BOSTON -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts today praised Boston Police Commissioner Kathleen M. O'Toole for opposing the Clear Law Enforcement for Criminal Alien Removal (CLEAR) Act, an act expected to be taken up again this term by Congress that would pressure local and state law enforcement officers to enforce federal immigration laws.

Demand An Independent Counsel for Torture Abuses and Release of Relevant Documents

2005-02-07T12:00:00-05:00

Homeland Security Nominee Approved by Senate Committee; ACLU Calls for Special Counsel to Investigate Torture Policies

2005-02-07T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee today approved, by voice vote, the nomination of Michael Chertoff -- the force behind the detention of hundreds of Arab, South Asian and Muslim men after 9/11 -- to serve as the secretary of Homeland Security. The full Senate is expected to vote on his nomination later this week.

Sign-on Letter Urging Referral of Chertoff's Nomination To The Judiciary Committee

2005-02-04T12:00:00-05:00

Letter to Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs expressing concern regarding the nomination of Michael Chertoff to the position of Secretary of Homeland Security.

ACLU Calls on Attorney General Gonzales to Show Commitment to Justice, Appoint Special Counsel on Torture Abuses to Uncover Truth

2005-02-03T12:00:00-05:00

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.

Court Orders CIA to Comply With Request For Torture Records

2005-02-02T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK-A federal judge today rejected an attempt by the Central Intelligence Agency to indefinitely delay the processing and release of critical documents pertaining to the torture or abuse of detainees held by the United States government. The ruling relates to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed more than a year ago by the American Civil Liberties Union and other organizations.

Chertoff Shows No Remorse for Round-up of Arab, Muslim and South Asian Men; Dodges Tough Questions From Senators on Torture

2005-02-02T12:00:00-05:00

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.

Urge the Senate to Thoroughly Vet Second Bush Nominee Implicated in Torture Controversy

2005-02-01T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Examines Chertoff's Troubling Civil Liberties Record; Nominee Had Key Role In Controversial Post- 9/11 Policies

2005-01-31T12:00:00-05:00

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.

ACLU Calls on Gonzales to Appoint Special Counsel on Torture Abuses; Full Criminal Investigation of Civilian Officials Must Be Free of Political Pressure

2005-01-30T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today called upon senators to insist - prior to voting on the nomination of Alberto Gonzales as attorney general - that he commit to 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.

Letter to Senate Urging Alberto Gonzales To Appoint Outside Special Counsel

2005-01-28T12:00:00-05:00

Letter demanding Gonzales appoint outside special counsel for torture investigation/prosecution of civilians.

"Top Ten List" of Torture-Related Documents

2005-01-25T12:00:00-05:00

Inspector General's Report Concludes FBI Translator Fired for Reporting Misconduct

2005-01-14T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON-An unclassified summary of the Justice Department's Inspector General report into the termination of FBI translator Sibel Edmonds released today concludes that Edmonds was fired for reporting serious security breaches and misconduct in the agency's translation program.

Lisa Graves, a Leahy Senior Adviser, Joins ACLU Washington Office; New Lobbyist Joins an Increasingly Bipartisan Effort to Protect Freedom

2005-01-13T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - Lisa Graves, Chief Nominations Counsel to Senator Patrick Leahy-- the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee-- is joining the Washington Legislative Office of the American Civil Liberties Union to help lead the organization's bipartisan work on the Patriot Act and broader government actions since 9/11 that threaten civil liberties.

ACLU Calls Gonzales Testimony Vague, Evasive; Nominee Offers No Apologies, Admits No Responsibility for Detainee Abuse

2005-01-06T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today called Attorney General nominee Alberto Gonzales' confirmation hearing testimony vague, evasive, and said that it ultimately raises more questions than answers about the Bush administration's role in formulating legal policies surrounding the abuse of prisoners in American custody.

ACLU Says New Torture Memo Should Not Excuse Gonzales From Tough Senate Questioning

2004-12-31T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON -- Today's revised Justice Department memorandum rejecting the use of torture by US government officials is certainly an improvement over the government's previous policies, but the new memo only serves to highlight just how wrong the Bush administration's past policies were. Unfortunately, the damage has been done -- both to the rights of detainees and to America's standing in eyes of the world community. The Bush administration will have to do a lot more to remedy and address the widespread torture and abuse that has gone on in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

U.S. Marines Engaged in Mock Executions of Iraqi Juveniles and Other Forms of Abuse, Documents Obtained by ACLU Reveal

2004-12-14T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK - U.S. Navy documents released today by the American Civil Liberties Union reveal that abuse and even torture of detainees by U.S. Marines in Iraq was widespread. One Navy criminal investigator sent an e-mail in June 2004 describing his Iraq caseload ""exploding"" with ""high visibility cases.""

ACLU Welcomes Senator's Inquiry on Detainee Abuses

2004-12-10T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today welcomed a letter sent yesterday by Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld expressing "deep concern" on the treatment of detainees being held by the United States government in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Oregon Joins Nationwide ACLU Effort to Expose Illegal FBI Spying on Political and Religious Groups

2004-12-02T12:00:00-05:00

PORTLAND, OR - Citing evidence that the FBI and local police are illegally spying on political, environmental and faith-based groups elsewhere in the country, the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon today filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with the Portland Division of the FBI that is designed to uncover whether political and religious spying is also occurring here in Oregon.

ACLU of Michigan Joins Nationwide Effort to Expose FBI Spying on Law-Abiding Political and Religious Groups

2004-12-02T12:00:00-05:00

DETROIT - Suspecting that law enforcement is spying on political and faith-based groups, the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan today filed Freedom of Information Act requests to the FBI and Michigan State Police to uncover who is being investigated and why. The requests are being made on behalf of Michigan peace and student activist groups, civil rights organizations, a Muslim charity and individuals who speak out against U.S. policies.

ACLU Launches Nationwide Effort to Expose Illegal FBI Spying on Political and Religious Groups

2004-12-02T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - Citing evidence that the FBI and local police are illegally spying on political, environmental and faith-based groups, the American Civil Liberties Union and its affiliates today filed multiple Freedom of Information Act requests around the country to uncover who is being investigated and why.

Prominent Chicago Area Organizations and Social Justice Activists Ask FBI to Make ""Spy Files"" Public

2004-12-02T12:00:00-05:00

CHICAGO - Citing a need for public accountability and to guard against the wholesale surveillance of religious and political organizations, a diverse group of Chicago-area associations and individuals sharing a commitment to social justice and community service today filed federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) asking that agency to release surveillance files about those groups and individuals that were opened and maintained by FBI agents. The organizations and individuals reflect a broad coalition, including the local affiliates of legal organizations, groups committed to serving the Muslim and Arab population in the Chicago region, and local peace and justice coalitions.

Citing Evidence of FBI Political Spying, ACLU of Colorado Seeks Government Files on Behalf of 16 Groups and 10 Individuals

2004-12-02T12:00:00-05:00

DENVER -- At a news conference today, the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado presented documentary evidence that the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force (""JTTF""), contrary to its public statements, has been collecting information about the peaceful protest activities of Colorado residents and the constitutionally protected activities of law-abiding advocacy groups.

ACLU of New Jersey Announces Lawsuit Seeking Secret State Information on "Potential Threat Elements"

2004-12-02T12:00:00-05:00

NEWARK, NJ -- The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey today filed a lawsuit challenging the New Jersey Attorney General's refusal to disclose information about individuals and organizations designated as "potential threat elements" (PTEs), including the criteria used by the state to make such determinations.

ACLU Launches Nationwide Effort to Expose Illegal FBI Spying on Political and Religious Groups

2004-12-02T12:00:00-05:00

DES MOINES -- Citing evidence that the FBI and local police are illegally spying on political, environmental and faith-based groups, the American Civil Liberties Union and its affiliates in Iowa and other states today filed multiple Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests around the country to uncover who is being investigated and why.

ACLU and Privacy International Secure Flight Comments (Docket No. TSA-2004-19160)

2004-10-25T12:00:00-05:00