ACLU Comment on Obama Rescinding Muslim and Arab Special Registration System
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration announced today that it will rescind the special registration system for Muslim and Arab immigrants known as NSEERS.
The dormant National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS) could have been reactivated by President-elect Donald Trump to fulfill his promise to target Muslim immigrants for “extreme vetting.”
Joanne Lin, ACLU senior legislative counsel, had the following statement:
“NSEERS was a completely failed counter-terrorism tool and massive profiling program that didn’t yield a single terrorism conviction in nearly a decade. The ACLU applauds the Obama administration for terminating NSEERS for good. With this action, the U.S. is on the right path to protect Muslim and Arab immigrants from discrimination.”
The NSEERS registration system was put in place by President George W. Bush in the aftermath of 9/11. President Obama discontinued NSEERS in 2011 but left the regulatory framework in place.
More information is here:
Stay informed
Every month, you'll receive regular roundups of the most important civil rights and civil liberties developments. Remember: a well-informed citizenry is the best defense against tyranny.
By completing this form, I agree to receive occasional emails per the terms of the ACLU’s privacy policy.
The latest in Immigrants' Rights
-
Three Years Later, COVID-19 is Still a Threat to People Who Are Incarcerated
-
Florida Sheriff Settles Lawsuit for Unlawfully Profiling and Detaining Florida Resident Born Abroad
-
ACLU Slams Biden’s Plans to Revive the Practice of Detaining Migrant Families
-
Child Labor Investigation Reveals Immigration Policy Changes We Need Now
ACLU's Vision
The American Civil Liberties Union is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States of America.
Learn More About Immigrants' Rights

The fundamental constitutional protections of due process and equal protection embodied in our Constitution and Bill of Rights apply to every person, regardless of immigration status.