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ACLU Demands End to Double Standard for Torture Crimes; Justice Department Admits That Top Torture Prosecutor Has Not Indicted Any Civilians (01/24/2006)
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 Calls Warrantless NSA Domestic Spying Program Illegal, Says President Ignored Rule of Law; Demands Special Counsel (01/20/2006)
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 (01/19/2006)
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.

ACLU Sues to Stop Illegal Spying on Americans, Saying President Is Not Above the Law (01/17/2006)
NEW YORK – Saying that the Bush administration’s illegal spying on Americans must end, the American Civil Liberties Union today filed a first-of-its-kind lawsuit against the National Security Agency seeking to stop a secret electronic surveillance program that has been in place since shortly after September 11, 2001.

ACLU Calls on Americans to Tell the White House to Stop Illegal Spying (01/16/2006)
NEW YORK - The American Civil Liberties Union today ran a full-page advertisement in the Washington Post criticizing the president for authorizing the National Security Agency to engage in illegal surveillance of Americans.

Real ID Legislation a Real Nightmare to Implement, State Officials Report (01/12/2006)
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.

In New Ad, ACLU Steps Up Call for Investigation of President’s Spying Order (01/05/2006)
NEW YORK -- As President George W. Bush continues to push for Patriot Act renewal, the American Civil Liberties Union ran a full-page advertisement in the New York Times today criticizing the president for authorizing the National Security Agency to engage in illegal surveillance of Americans.

ACLU Slams DOJ Investigation of NSA Whistleblower, Says Government Must Independently Investigate Violation of Wiretap Laws (12/30/2005)
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.

In New National Ad, ACLU Calls for Investigation Into President’s Illegal Surveillance of U.S. Citizens (12/29/2005)
NEW YORK – In a full-page advertisement in today's New York Times, the American Civil Liberties Union intensified its call for a special counsel to be appointed to determine whether President George W. Bush violated federal wiretapping laws by authorizing illegal surveillance.

ACLU Remains Focused on Fixing the Patriot Act to Protect American Privacy, Regardless of Length of Extension (12/22/2005)
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.

Judge Rules Government Can Target American Citizens Returning From Religious Conferences as Terrorists (12/22/2005)
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 California Affiliates Seek Information About Government Spying (12/21/2005)
SAN DIEGO -- Only a day after widespread reports that the FBI is monitoring and infiltrating political organizations, the three California affiliates of the American Civil Liberties Union are seeking information about the intelligence gathering efforts of law enforcement agencies in the state. The Public Records Act request is being sent to Attorney General Bill Lockyer and focuses on the California Anti-Terrorism Information Center (CATIC) and information that it may have received from the FBI.

ACLU Welcomes New Senate Compromise on Patriot Act Reauthorization, Calls on Congress to Fully Address Concerns on Privacy and Freedom (12/21/2005)
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 (12/21/2005)
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 (12/21/2005)
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.

ACLU Demands Records About Warrantless Spying by National Security Agency (12/20/2005)
NEW YORK - The American Civil Liberties Union today submitted records requests under the Freedom of Information Act to the National Security Agency (NSA), the Department of Justice and the Central Intelligence Agency for information about the NSA's program of warrantless spying on Americans, which was authorized by President Bush.

New Documents Show FBI Targeting Environmental and Animal Rights Groups Activities as ‘Domestic Terrorism’ (12/20/2005)
NEW YORK -- According to new documents released today by the American Civil Liberties Union, the FBI is using counterterrorism resources to monitor and infiltrate domestic political organizations that criticize business interests and government policies, despite a lack of evidence that the groups are engaging in or supporting violent action.

President Bush Continues Offensive on Patriot Act, NSA Spying; ACLU Says Constitution and Rule of Law Must be Respected and Maintained (12/19/2005)
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 Demands Investigation of U.S. Military Surveillance of Peaceful Protesters in Rhode Island (12/16/2005)
PROVIDENCE, RI -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island charged today that U.S. military officials have illegally engaged in monitoring peaceful protest activities of local anti-war demonstrators, and called for an immediate investigation.

ACLU Praises Senate For Standing for Freedom, Rejecting White House Pressure; Calls Cloture Vote a Victory for Civil Liberties (12/16/2005)
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.