The U.S. Law & Security Program

Almost immediately after the events of September 11, 2001, the Lawyers Committee began working to ensure that civil liberties and human rights were not unnecessarily compromised in the rush of fear and anger that followed the attacks. As the magnitude of this work became clear, we designed a permanent U.S. Law and Security Program to focus on five areas of U.S. law and policy: the use of security-related detention outside U.S. criminal and international law; the expansion of intelligence gathering efforts and their effect on personal privacy; the treatment of immigrants and non-citizens in the United States; the public availability of information about U.S. government policies; and the impact changes in U.S. policy have on the protection of human rights around the world.

As the Lawyers Committee has documented in a series of reports over the past two years, dramatic changes in U.S. law and policy in these areas have eroded rights and liberties in the United States, and set a negative example that many governments around the world have been eager to emulate. At the same time, counterterrorism and security experts have raised serious questions about these policies’ effectiveness in improving security here at home.

Today, more than two years after the September 11 attacks, it is no longer possible to view these changes as aberrant parts of a short-term response. The goal of our U.S. Law and Security Program is to challenge these changes, and more broadly, to promote a greater understanding of and respect for human rights in U.S. national security policy, through a combination of policy-relevant research, analysis, and advocacy. Drawing on the insights of experts in law and security from across the political spectrum, we are committed to promoting a U.S. security policy that operates within the rule of law.

Section includes Asylum Seekers and Refugees Post 9-11 Detainees Hate Crimes, Discrimination and Harassment Our New Federalism Broad Based Concern About Local Law Enforcement of Federal Immigration Laws Special Registration - Background				Section includes “Enemy Combatants” Jose Padilla and Yaser Hamdi Zacarias Moussaoui and Richard Reid Guantanamo Detainees Torture Military Commissions Listen to 6/25 Press       Briefing
Section includes USA PATRIOT II USA PATRIOT Act The Freedom of Information Act The Federal Advisory Committee Act Whistleblower Protection				Section includes Total Information Awareness (TIA) Access to Library and Business Records Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Spying by Local Police Terrorist Identification Database
Michael Posner on the erosion of civil liberties since 9/11 (3 minutes) Download Real Player» LCHR Testimony on Safeguarding American Civil Liberties Before Congressional Hearing (5/21/03)