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ACLU Praises Senate For Standing for Freedom, Rejecting White House Pressure; Calls Cloture Vote a Victory for Civil Liberties
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today applauded the Senate for rejecting a cloture motion to limit debate on legislation to reauthorize the Patriot Act that failed to make substantive changes to that law. The vote came despite increasing pressure from the White House and its allies to adopt the flawed bill. The failure to invoke cloture means efforts to fix the Patriot Act can continue.

ACLU Opposes Faulty "Border Security" Bill, Proposal Would Require Workers to Get Government "Permission Slip"
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today urged the House of Representatives to oppose a border security bill that fails to properly address the issue of illegal immigration, undermines due process and creates a federally mandated "permission slip" for all Americans. This sweeping legislation has not been thoroughly examined by Congress, and yet could be considered as early as today.

ACLU Shocked at Bush Use of National Security Agency for Domestic Spying, Says Move Violates Constitutional Limits and Federal Laws
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today expressed shock about revelations reported in the New York Times that President Bush secretly authorized the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on conversations of Americans and others in the United States. According to the report, this spying occurred without any court order and was focused on telephone and e-mail communications of "hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people inside the United States" with persons abroad. Electronic surveillance law generally prohibits non-consensual eavesdropping in the U.S. without a court order based on probable cause.

ACLU Applauds House Support for McCain Anti-Torture Amendment, But Denounces Proposed Secret Deal to Undermine Rule of Law
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.

House Patriot Act Vote Fails to Protect Innocent Americans and Privacy, ACLU Calls on Senate to Reject Pressure, Stand for the Constitution
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today expressed disappointment with the failure of the House to protect the liberty and freedom of innocent Americans when that body adopted flawed legislation to reauthorize the Patriot Act. The White House and its allies had placed enormous pressure on lawmakers to adopt the proposal that now heads to the Senate.

ACLU Calls for Vote Against Cloture on Patriot Act ‘Compromise’ Agreement, Says Senators Must Stand For Innocent Americans and Bill of Rights
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today called on Senators to reject a compromise agreement on legislation to reauthorize the Patriot Act and urged that body to vote against a motion for cloture. Concerns about the lack of substantive reforms to the anti-terrorism law have come from an unusual set of allies, including former Republican Congressman Bob Barr, the American Conservative Union, librarians and other moderate organizations.

ACLU Condemns Hidden Provision that Would Impede Freedom of Speech; Patriot Act Reauthorization Bill Would Empower Secret Service as Censors
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today denounced a provision contained within legislation created to reauthorize the Patriot Act that would make major changes to the criminal statutes administered by the Secret Service and could seriously damage the free speech rights of all Americans. The controversial provision has not had any Congressional review or hearings.

ACLU Says President’s Patriot Act Push Again Ignores Americans' Concerns about Privacy, Calls on Congress to Resist Pressure and Protect Innocent Americans
WASHINGTON – Following President Bush’s call today for passage of legislation that would reauthorize the Patriot Act without correcting the most egregious parts of that law, the American Civil Liberties Union faulted the White House for failing to address the serious privacy issues that remain unfixed and urged lawmakers to resist White House pressure and reject the flawed reauthorization bill.

ACLU Calls Flawed House Border Security Bill An Assault on Privacy, Says Measure Would Expand Policies That Already Erode Civil Liberties
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today denounced legislation, authored by House Judiciary Chairman James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), aimed at enhancing border security and employment verification, but that would actually undermine the privacy of Americans and would not appropriately address the issue of illegal immigration. The House Judiciary Committee approved that bill today.

Flawed Patriot Act Conference Report Moves Forward; ACLU Calls on Fair-Minded Lawmakers to Stand for Privacy and Freedom
WASHINGTON - A group of Republican lawmakers today signed on to legislation to reauthorize portions of the Patriot Act, without making needed substantive corrections to the anti-terrorism law to protect the privacy of innocent Americans unconnected to suspected foreign terrorists. Bipartisan negotiators from both the House and Senate had been working to craft a compromise agreement that would incorporate better checks and balances into the legislation. The American Civil Liberties Union denounced the move, calling it a failure to protect law-abiding Americans and preserve our Bill of Rights.

ACLU Seeks Clarification from Government on Comments About Innocent Victim of "Extraordinary Rendition"
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 Files Landmark Lawsuit Challenging CIA’s “Extraordinary Rendition” of Innocent Man
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.”

Final 9/11 Commission Report Does Not Call for Patriot Act Search Powers Expansion, ACLU Says Congress Must Take Steps to Better Balance Security and Liberty
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today welcomed the final report of the 9/11 Public Discourse Project, noting that the successor organization to the 9/11 Commission did not call for a further expansion of the Patriot Act. Congress is currently working to pass legislation to reauthorize provisions of that law that are scheduled to "sunset," or expire, at the end of this year.

Justice Department Continues Offensive on National Security Letters, ACLU Says Government Statements Misleading and Inaccurate
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.

Supreme Court Denies Review in FBI Whistleblower Case
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.

ACLU Says White House Usurps Patriot Act Reauthorization Process, Negotiators Neglect Privacy and Civil Liberties Concerns but Add Poison Pills
WASHINGTON - A conference committee tasked to reconcile differences between House and Senate Patriot Act bills ignored bipartisan calls to restore checks and balances on government power and protect privacy and civil liberties, the American Civil Liberties Union said today. The Republican-led conferees also attached several "poison pill" measures to the must-pass legislation, unrelated to the 2001 anti-terrorism law. The House and Senate are expected to vote on the bill this week.

ACLU Calls on Patriot Act Negotiators to Protect Privacy and Freedom, Reject White House Pressure
WASHINGTON - Following a move by the House Wednesday that rebuked the White House's position on the Patriot Act, key members of the House and Senate are meeting today to reconcile differences between Patriot Act reauthorization bills. The American Civil Liberties Union called on the conferees to use the Senate version as their guide and put checks and balances on the controversial law.

Ideological Exclusion - Censorship at the Border

ACLU Urges Congress to Reject Court Stripping Measure; Proposal Denies Detainees the Right to Challenge the Use of Torture
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.

House Rebukes White House, Stands For Protection of Privacy and Freedom, ACLU Commends Congressional Steps to Restore Essential Checks in Patriot Act
WASHINGTON -The U.S. House voted today to reject the Bush Administration's demand that Congress limit its role in overseeing Patriot Act powers and called for legislation that would help fix some of the secret search powers expanded by the act in 2001. The American Civil Liberties Union today applauded the bipartisan push by lawmakers, which specifically calls on Congress to revisit some of the more controversial powers again in four years.