American Civil Liberties Union

There has never been a more urgent need to preserve fundamental privacy protections and our system of checks and balances than the need we face today, as illegal government spying, provisions of the Patriot Act and government-sponsored torture programs transcend the bounds of law and our most treasured values in the name of national security.


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Safe and Free : USA PATRIOT Act : Press Releases

ACLU of Michigan Criticizes Attorney General's Plan to Bypass the Public on his Visit to Detroit (08/19/2003)
DETROIT - The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan today criticized Attorney General John Ashcroft's plan to avoid the public and address only law enforcement officials when he comes to Detroit on Thursday on his new national tour to defend the PATRIOT Act and the government's war on terrorism.

ACLU Welcomes Senate Measure to Restore Civil Liberties Lost Post 9/11 (08/01/2003)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union joined with organizations from across the political spectrum in welcoming the introduction last night of a bipartisan bill aimed at correcting some of the most troubling provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act. The ""Protecting the Rights of Individuals Act,"" introduced by Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Ron Wyden (D-OR), would restore many of the civil liberties lost in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks.

Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Restore Civil Liberties Post 9/11; AkCLU and Broad-Based Coalition of Alaskans Applaud the "Protecting the Rights of Individuals" Act (08/01/2003)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska today joined with organizations and Alaskans from across the political spectrum in welcoming the introduction of a bipartisan bill aimed at correcting some of the most troubling provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act.

ACLU Applauds Introduction of Senate Bill to Fix Now Infamous "Section 215" of the USA PATRIOT Act (07/31/2003)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today welcomed the introduction in the Senate of Senate legislation that would roll back one of the most controversial provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act. The bill, the ""Library and Personal Records Privacy Act,"" would take aim at the infamous Section 215 of the Patriot Act, which gives the government virtually unfettered access to personal data.

ACLU of Florida Urges Libraries to Warn Patrons of Government's New Domestic Spying Powers (07/30/2003)
MIAMI - The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today urged librarians statewide to post placards in libraries that warn the public about an invasive provision of the USA PATRIOT Act that expands the FBI's power to spy on ordinary people living in the United States.

ACLU Files First-Ever Challenge to USA PATRIOT Act, Citing Radical Expansion of FBI Powers (07/30/2003)
DETROIT - The American Civil Liberties Union today filed the first legal challenge to the USA PATRIOT Act, taking aim at a section of the controversial law that vastly expands the power of FBI agents to secretly obtain records and personal belongings of innocent people in the United States, including citizens and permanent residents.

Congressional Report Cites Law Enforcement and Intelligence Lapses; ACLU Says 9/11 Failures Result of Mistakes, Not Insufficient Powers (07/24/2003)
WASHINGTON - Saying that it proved that the government's failure to detect the terrorist activities that led to the 9/11 attacks was not a result of insufficient surveillance powers, the American Civil Liberties Union said a new congressional report demonstrates that the government does not need additional new law enforcement powers.

Congress Takes Aim At USA PATRIOT; ACLU Calls Move Giant Win for Civil Liberties (07/23/2003)
WASHINGTON - In response to the first clear -- and overwhelmingly bipartisan -- congressional repudiation of anti-privacy and anti-civil liberties provisions in the USA PATRIOT Act last night, the American Civil Liberties Union today called the move a huge win and urged Congress to follow it with further action to restore Americans' liberties.

Justice Department Report Outlines Rights Violations Under PATRIOT; ACLU Sees Pattern of Abuse by Federal Agencies (07/21/2003)
WASHINGTON - In a mandated semi-annual report to Congress, the Department of Justice's Office of the Inspector General today publicly released a report outlining allegations of civil rights and civil liberties abuses by Justice Department personnel under the USA PATRIOT Act. The American Civil Liberties Union welcomed the report and its findings, but continued to call for vigorous oversight of the implementation and abuses of the government's new powers.

ACLU Demands Truth From Justice Department; New Report Details False Claims About Scope, Impact of PATRIOT Act (07/09/2003)
WASHINGTON -- The American Civil Liberties Union today said that it has found a consistent pattern of factually inaccurate assertions by the Department of Justice in statements to the media and Congress, statements that mischaracterize the scope, potential impact and likely harm of the now-notorious USA PATRIOT Act.

ACLU Urges Vigorous Questioning on 9/11 Detainee Abuse and PATRIOT Act Misuse (06/05/2003)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today urged House lawmakers to demand answers from Attorney General John Ashcroft on recent revelations of the systematic abuse of immigrants held in the months after the 9/11 attacks and the active use of the USA PATRIOT Act's surveillance powers in run-of-the-mill criminal cases.

Vermont Continues the Trend: Becomes Third State to Speak Out Against Federal Abuses Under USA PATRIOT Act (05/29/2003)
MONTPELIER - The Vermont State Legislature yesterday gave final passage to the nation's third statewide resolution calling for the protection of individual liberties in the face of intrusive federal actions taken since 9/11.

ACLU Urges Continued Oversight, Additional Disclosures (10/17/2002)
WASHINGTON - In response to today's release of the Department of Justice's answers to questions submitted by House Judiciary Chairman James Sensennbrenner (R-WI) and Ranking Member John Conyers (D-MI) about the implementation of the USA Patriot Act, the American Civil Liberties Union gave the following statement:

On Sixth Month Anniversary of USA PATRIOT Enactment, ACLU Joins With Groups Urging Preservation of Free Speech (04/25/2002)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today joined with other concerned groups in marking the six-month anniversary of the USA Patriot Act's enactment and urged law and policy makers to resist further measures that would shrink or suppress free speech and other crucial liberties in America.

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