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ACLU Calls on Hayden to Honor the Bill of Rights and Follow Federal Law, Says New CIA Director’s NSA Past Could Taint Agency’s Future (05/26/2006)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today expressed concern as the Senate confirmed General Michael Hayden as the new Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. General Hayden was most recently Deputy Director of National Intelligence and was the Director of the National Security Agency when the illegal surveillance programs were initiated.

ACLU Files Lawsuit in California Court Demanding End to Privacy Violations by AT&T and Verizon (05/26/2006)
SAN FRANCISCO - The California affiliates of the American Civil Liberties Union today filed two lawsuits in state court requesting injunctions against telecommunications giants AT&T and Verizon to prevent them from illegally providing the National Security Agency with the personal phone records of millions of California customers.

Secretary Rumsfeld Attempts to Shirk Responsibility for U.S. Torture Policies, Say ACLU and Human Rights First (05/25/2006)
NEW YORK -- The American Civil Liberties Union and Human Rights First today announced their response to arguments by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and three other defendants that they are immune from a lawsuit holding them accountable for torture and abuse of civilians detained by the U.S. military in Iraq and Afghanistan.

ACLU Launches Nationwide Action Against NSA Snooping on Americans’ Phone Calls (05/24/2006)
NEW YORK -- Responding to reports that phone companies are turning over private details about Americans’ telephone calls to the National Security Agency, the American Civil Liberties Union today launched a nationwide initiative to end illegal government spying.

Ruling in ACLU Cases, Federal Judge Says Patriot Act “Gag” Provision is Undemocratic (05/24/2006)
NEW YORK -- A federal appeals court ruled yesterday on two constitutional challenges filed by the ACLU to the Patriot Act’s National Security Letter (NSL) provision, saying in one of the cases that a district court should consider the constitutionality of the provision in light of recent amendments made by Congress.

ACLU Disappointed By Committee Vote of Support for General Hayden, Says Nominee Failed to Respect Rule of Law (05/23/2006)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today expressed its alarm over the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence vote to confirm General Michael V. Hayden as the next Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. The committee voted 12 to 3 to name the former Director of the National Security Agency to the highest position at the CIA.

Author Studs Terkel, Other Prominent Chicagoans Join in Challenge to AT&T Sharing of Telephone Records with the National Security Agency (05/22/2006)
CHICAGO – Celebrated Chicago author Studs Terkel and prominent leaders in the medical, legal, political and faith communities today filed a federal lawsuit charging that telephone giant AT&T violated their privacy by secretly sharing the telephone records of millions of Americans with the National Security Agency. The secret program was revealed in a May 11, 2006 article in USA Today.

Responding to Complaint Filed in Maine, Verizon Refuses to Deny Participation in the NSA Spying Program (05/19/2006)
PORTLAND, ME -- In a 44-page response to the Maine Public Utilities Commission today, Verizon refused to confirm or deny cooperation in the illegal National Security Agency program, arguing that the Public Utilities Commission lacks the authority to investigate whether Verizon has provided NSA access to its customer records and its switching machines in Maine.

Day in Court Denied for Victim of CIA Kidnapping and Rendition, Khaled El-Masri (05/19/2006)
NEW YORK -- The American Civil Liberties Union announced today that it will continue to pursue a fair hearing for Khaled El-Masri, a victim of the CIA policy of illegal abduction and detention known as extraordinary rendition. The ACLU said that the government is abusing the state secrets privilege to cover up its kidnapping and torture of an innocent man.

ACLU Applauds Call to Hold U.S. Accountable for Torture and Abuse (05/19/2006)
NEW YORK -- The American Civil Liberties Union today welcomed the recommendations of the U.N. Committee Against Torture which called for an end to U.S. policies that condone torture and abuse. The recommendations come at the conclusion of a three-week session during which the U.N. body of 10 independent experts on torture scrutinized a periodic report by the U.S. government and found it sorely lacking.

ACLU Calls on Senators to Vigorously Question General Hayden, Says Controversial CIA Nominee Raises Serious Civil Liberties Concerns (05/18/2006)
WASHINGTON – The American Civil Liberties Union today urged the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence to thoroughly question General Michael V. Hayden at his confirmation hearing to be the new Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Hayden was the Director of the National Security Agency when that agency began a warrantless program to spy on Americans and data-mine their phone records, and has been one of the chief advocates for this illegal monitoring of Americans’ communications.

ACLU Urges Congress to Reject Attempts to Legitimize Illegal NSA Activities, Welcomes Harman-Conyers Bill to Restore the Rule of Law (05/17/2006)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today renewed its call on lawmakers to reject any attempts to legitimize the warrantless wiretapping operation by the National Security Agency and insist on a full and through investigation into the program. The organization also welcomed a bill co-authored by Representatives Jane Harman (D-CA), ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and John Conyers (D-MI), ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, that would reinforce existing law requiring checks and balances on surveillance of Americans in this country.

NYCLU Will Assist with FBI Investigation into NYPD's Arrests of Convention Protesters (05/17/2006)
NEW YORK - The FBI has asked the New York Civil Liberties Union to assist in a criminal civil rights investigation into the New York City Police Department's arrest of protesters during the Republican National Convention.

White House Belatedly Recognizes Congress’s Right to Oversee NSA; ACLU Says Real Checks and Balances Must Follow (05/17/2006)
WASHINGTON -- The American Civil Liberties Union today urged lawmakers not to be appeased by the White House's decision on Tuesday to finally provide both the House and Senate intelligence committees, as required by law, with classified briefings on the warrantless wiretapping and data-mining of Americans conducted by the National Security Agency (NSA), saying the move was only a first step toward restoring meaningful checks and balances.

ACLU Says Specter’s NSA Legislation Would Pardon President’s Illegal Actions; Group Calls for Inspector General Investigation (05/16/2006)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today strongly condemned a new proposal drafted by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter (R-PA) that embraces the president’s claims of inherent power to secretly wiretap Americans without meaningful checks. Also today, the organization renewed its request to the Justice Department’s Inspector General to open an investigation into the involvement of the department in the warrantless spying on Americans by the National Security Agency.

ACLU of Southern California and Religious Groups Seek Answers About Government Spying on Mosques (05/15/2006)
LOS ANGELES – In an effort to calm the fears of worshipers, the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California today filed a Freedom of Information Act request seeking answers from the FBI about suspected monitoring of religious institutions.

ACLU Seeks Justice For Khaled El-Masri, Victim of CIA Policy of Extraordinary Rendition (05/12/2006)
ALEXANDRIA, VA -- The American Civil Liberties Union argued its case on the illegal abduction and detention of Khalid El-Masri today before a federal court in Alexandria. The ACLU said El-Masri is an innocent German citizen who was victimized by the CIA's policy of "extraordinary rendition." In today's hearing the CIA argued that the case must be dismissed because of the danger that 'state secrets' may be exposed.

NSA Spying Complaint filed with Maine Public Utility (05/12/2006)
The Maine Civil Liberties Union, acting as intervenors in a Commission complaint filed by James Cowie with the Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) demanding an investigation into whether the Verizon telecommunications company has allowed the NSA to spy on its customers in Maine.

ACLU Applauds Europeans for Investigating Rendition and Torture Claims, Effort Called a Model for U.S. (05/11/2006)
NEW YORK - The American Civil Liberties Union met today with delegates from the European Parliament to discuss the initial results of their investigation to determine whether "the CIA or other US agents ... have carried out abductions, 'extraordinary rendition', detention at secret sites, detention incommunicado or torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment of prisoners on the territory of the European Union" in violation of numerous European and International laws.

ACLU Condemns NSA's Massive Database of Americans’ Phone Call Records, Demands Full, Thorough Congressional Investigation (05/11/2006)
WASHINGTON – In a story released today in USA Today it was revealed that the NSA has been collecting call information about millions of American residents and businesses served by Verizon, AT&T and BellSouth. One industry insider referred to it as the “largest database ever assembled in the world.” The American Civil Liberties Union strongly condemned the Bush administration’s most egregious abuse of power to date.