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Homeland Security Officials Wrongly Arrested Peaceful Protesters in Georgia, Charges ACLU (09/22/2005)
ATLANTA, GA -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia today filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of two vegan protesters who were subjected to false imprisonment, false arrest and harassment by officials of the Homeland Security Division of DeKalb County and the DeKalb County Police Department.

ACLU Welcomes Move to Drop Commercial Data from Secure Flight Program, Announcement Comes as Critical Report by Advisory Panel is Expected (09/22/2005)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today welcomed a decision by the Transportation Security Administration not to include private data brokers' reviews of commercial databases in its initial launch of the controversial Secure Flight passenger-screening program. That announcement comes as the Secure Flight working group, an internal advisory panel at the Department of Homeland Security, is expected to release a report critical of the Secure Flight program and of the agency.

ACLU's Client Remains Gagged as Clock Ticks in Patriot Act Debate (09/20/2005)
NEW YORK -- Following an open hearing in front of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York, Judges Sotomayor, Wesley and Brieant granted a stay of U.S. District Court Judge Janet Hall's decision enjoining the government from enforcing an FBI imposed gag. The gag is preventing the American Civil Liberties Union's client, a member of the American Library Association, from participating in the debate about the Patriot Act.

Federal Judge Orders FBI to Lift Patriot Act Gag on Librarian (09/09/2005)
NEW YORK -- A federal judge today ruled that the FBI must lift a gag that is preventing an organization with library records from participating in the Patriot Act debate. The opinion comes in a case brought by the American Civil Liberties Union challenging a provision of the Patriot Act that authorizes the FBI to demand records without judicial review.

New Report Shows Secure Flight Still Undefined and Ineffective, ACLU Says Passenger Screening Program Not Ready for Launch (09/07/2005)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today noted that a report issued by the Justice Department's Office of the Inspector General highlights continued problems with the controversial Secure Flight passenger-screening program. The report examines the inability of the Terrorist Screening Center, which consolidates and checks multiple-agency watchlists, to coordinate its efforts with the Transportation Security Administration: by the government's own accounts, without this coordination the program cannot be effective.

In Legal Papers Unsealed Today, Librarian Speaks of Fear of Imprisonment Over Government Gag in Patriot Act Challenge (09/01/2005)
NEW YORK - In previously sealed legal papers made public today by the American Civil Liberties Union, an unnamed librarian expressed fears of imprisonment if he were to violate a gag order in a challenge to a controversial Patriot Act power used by the FBI to demand library records.

FBI Document Labels Michigan Affirmative Action and Peace Groups as Terrorists (08/29/2005)
NEW YORK -- The American Civil Liberties Union today released an FBI document that designates a Michigan-based peace group and an affirmative action advocacy group as potentially "involved in terrorist activities." The file was obtained through an ongoing nationwide ACLU effort seeking information on the FBI's use of Joint Terrorism Task Forces to engage in political surveillance.

FBI Uses Patriot Act to Demand Information with No Judicial Approval From Organization with Library Records (08/25/2005)
NEW YORK - The American Civil Liberties Union today disclosed that the FBI has used a controversial Patriot Act power to demand records from an organization that possesses ""a wide array of sensitive information about library patrons, including information about the reading materials borrowed by library patrons and about Internet usage by library patrons."" The FBI demand was disclosed in a new lawsuit filed in Connecticut, which remains under a heavy FBI gag order.

Update in ACLU Torture FOIA Lawsuit (08/19/2005)
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.

The ACLU and Robert Greenwald to Tell the Stories Behind the Headlines in New 10-Part Series: The ACLU Freedom Files (08/16/2005)
NEW YORK -- The American Civil Liberties Union and award-winning producer/director Robert Greenwald's Brave New Films today announced an unprecedented new series entitled The ACLU Freedom Files.

Legal Papers Unsealed Today in ACLU Quest for Government's Abu Ghraib Torture Images (08/11/2005)
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.

Chertoff Calls for Airline Procedures That Would Further Violate Privacy; ACLU Says Less Intrusive, More Effective Security Procedures Needed (08/10/2005)
WASHINGTON - Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has called for airline passengers to provide more personal information to the government to gain privacy, according to today's edition of USA Today. The American Civil Liberties Union denounced the move and pointed to the consistently poor reviews of the Transportation Security Administration's Secure Flight passenger screening system by the non-partisan Government Accountability Office.

Sibel Edmonds v. Department of Justice (08/04/2005)
The American Civil Liberties Union has urged the U.S. Supreme Court to review a lower court's dismissal of the case of Sibel Edmonds, a former FBI translator who was fired in retaliation for reporting security breaches and possible espionage within the Bureau.

Former Republican Congressman Bob Barr in Pensacola August 9 to Speak on the Patriot Act (08/02/2005)
PENSACOLA, FL -- Former Republican Congressman Bob Barr, who joined forces with the American Civil Liberties Union and several conservative organizations to urge Congress to fix some of the most extreme provisions of the Patriot Act, will be in Pensacola on August 9 to talk about the urgent need to reform the controversial anti-terror law.

New Documents Show FBI Targeting Peaceful Protesters in Colorado as Potential Terrorists (08/02/2005)
DENVER -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado today released new documents that it says confirm that the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) is inappropriately treating people who engage in peaceful protest as potential terrorists.

Senate Passes Patriot Act Reauthorization Without Floor Debate, ACLU Says Bill Takes Good First Steps, But Patriot Act Remains Flawed (07/29/2005)
WASHINGTON - Following the Senate passage of legislation to reauthorize the Patriot Act -- without floor debate -- the American Civil Liberties Union today called the bill a step in the right direction, but lacking in full protections for the civil liberties and civil rights of all Americans. The measure was adopted by unanimous consent - a procedural move that means no vote was taken, and no debate was held.

Defense Department Files Secret Arguments in Further Attempt to Suppress Abu Ghraib Photos (07/29/2005)
NEW YORK -- The Defense Department has filed heavily redacted papers in a further attempt to suppress photographs and videos that depict the abuse of prisoners held at Abu Ghraib, the American Civil Liberties Union said today. The move is the government's latest effort to block the release of materials requested by the ACLU under the Freedom of Information Act.

Government Releases New Documents Detailing Abuse at Guantánamo Bay (07/27/2005)
NEW YORK -- The American Civil Liberties Union today released files obtained from the Defense Department revealing new details on investigations into abuse at the Guantánamo Bay Detention Center. The files also appear to indicate a rift between personnel at the base over interrogation techniques.

Frist Kills Pentagon Spending Bill to Protect Abusive Interrogations; Top Torture Scandal Figure Gets Confirmation Hearing (07/26/2005)
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.