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ACLU Calls on Congress to Make Meaningful Changes to Patriot Act, Says Privacy and Civil Liberties Still Remain at Risk
WASHINGTON -- The American Civil Liberties Union today urged Congress to make modest, but meaningful changes to restore checks and balances to the Patriot Act as the House extended the deadline for certain provisions of the law to "sunset" or expire. On a voice vote, the House extended the expiration date to March 10, 2006. The Senate is expected to adopt the same measure.

ACLU of Massachusetts Convenes Emergency Town Meeting on Domestic Spying and the Rule of Law
BOSTON -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts will host an Emergency Town Meeting on the Bush Administration’s Domestic Spying Program tonight at Faneuil Hall -- on the eve of the President’s State of the Union address and the proposed vote to confirm Judge Samuel Alito to the United States Supreme Court.

ACLU Rebukes President's Claim That NSA Domestic Spying Program Is Legal, Says Previous Administration Positions Contradict Statements
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
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 Challenges Patriot Act Provision Used to Exclude Prominent Swiss Scholar from the United States
NEW YORK -- The American Civil Liberties Union today filed a lawsuit challenging a provision of the Patriot Act that is being used to deny visas to foreign scholars whose political views the government disfavors. The lawsuit charges that the “ideological exclusion” provision is being used to prevent United States citizens and residents from hearing speech that is protected by the First Amendment.

Bush Continues Aggressive Campaign on Illegal NSA Domestic Spying Program, ACLU Says Operation Still Violates Rule of Law, Must Be Ended
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.

TSA and FBI Ordered to Pay $200,000 to Settle "No Fly" Lawsuit
SAN FRANCISCO -- The federal government today agreed to pay $200,000 in attorneys' fees to the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California to end a Freedom of Information and Privacy Act lawsuit that succeeded in making public, for the first time, hundreds of records about the government's secret "no fly" list used to screen airline passengers after September 11, 2001.

ACLU Demands End to Double Standard for Torture Crimes; Justice Department Admits That Top Torture Prosecutor Has Not Indicted Any Civilians
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 of Florida Urges Government Prosecutors to Dismiss Remaining Charges Against Sami Al-Arian
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 Calls Warrantless NSA Domestic Spying Program Illegal, Says President Ignored Rule of Law; Demands Special Counsel
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
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.

Real ID Legislation a Real Nightmare to Implement, State Officials Report
NEW YORK—Newly uncovered documents reveal that state officials believe that federal legislation called the Real ID Act will require extensive changes to existing practices at motor vehicles departments, will be extremely difficult to implement by the act’s deadline, and will carry heavy expenses.

ACLU Slams DOJ Investigation of NSA Whistleblower, Says Government Must Independently Investigate Violation of Wiretap Laws
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.

Judge Rules Government Can Target American Citizens Returning From Religious Conferences as Terrorists
NEW YORK - In a case brought by the American Civil Liberties Union and the New York Civil Liberties Union, a federal judge in Buffalo, NY ruled today that the federal government can treat innocent American citizens as terrorists when returning to the United States from religious conferences, say the organizations.

ACLU Remains Focused on Fixing the Patriot Act to Protect American Privacy, Regardless of Length of Extension
WASHINGTON -- The American Civil Liberties Union today said that it would continue to fight for common-sense reforms to the Patriot Act in the wake of the move by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) to shorten the extension, passed by unanimous consent in the Senate, from six months to one month. A bipartisan majority in the Senate, with 52 Senators signing a letter calling for an extension earlier this week, supported the six-month extension but the critical issue is not the length of the extension but whether needed checks and balances will be added to the law. The Senate is expected to meet later tonight to consider the new sunset date.

ACLU Welcomes New Senate Compromise on Patriot Act Reauthorization, Calls on Congress to Fully Address Concerns on Privacy and Freedom
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today welcomed an agreement reached by the Senate to continue to discuss some of the Patriot Act’s most controversial provisions that were set to expire at the year’s end. This important temporary extension will give Congress more time to make meaningful changes called for by bipartisan members in both chambers of Congress to protect the privacy and freedoms of innocent Americans.

President Bush, Attorney General Gonzales Continue Patriot Act Offensive; ACLU Says Administration’s Statements Continue to Be Misleading, Inaccurate
WASHINGTON - Following a renewed offensive by President Bush and Attorney General Gonzales on the Patriot Act reauthorization debate, the American Civil Liberties Union today condemned the ongoing inaccurate and misleading statements of the administration and said that the White House’s unwillingness to place better, commonsense safeguards into the law are the cause of the Congressional stalemate.

ACLU Calls on Gonzales to Appoint Special Counsel on NSA Domestic Spying; Investigation of Violations of Law Must Be Independent, Free of Political Pressure
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.

President Bush Continues Offensive on Patriot Act, NSA Spying; ACLU Says Constitution and Rule of Law Must be Respected and Maintained
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today renewed its call on President Bush to respect and preserve both the Constitution and the rule of law as the White House continued its offensive on both the Patriot Act reauthorization and its reaction to recent revelations that the National Security Agency, under direct orders from the president, engages in the warrantless wiretapping of people in the United States.

ACLU Urges House To Reject "Border Security" Bill, Warns of Unintended Consequences For America’s Workers
WASHINGTON - With a vote looming on an ill-considered and short-sighted immigration bill, the American Civil Liberties Union today urged the House of Representatives to oppose legislation that would have a detrimental impact on Americans’ ability to work and would also undermine due process in the immigration system.