An Agenda to Restore
Civil Liberties
Since the terrible attacks
of September 11, we have seen a steady assault on fundamental liberties that
has served only to make us less free, and not more secure. After September 11,
2001, unfair enforcement of immigration and related laws has caused great
hardship in immigrant and ethnic minority communities. After the passage of the
Patriot Act and the secret detentions of hundreds of Arabs and
Muslims with no connection to terrorism, a wide range of civil
liberties and civil rights organizations came together as part of a growing
national movement to develop proposals to address some of these concerns.
The groups have agreed on
an Agenda to
Restore Civil Liberties. The agenda calls for respect for the First
Amendment and basic due process; rights for those jailed by the government;
ending the targeting of immigrants instead of terrorists; and protecting
privacy and ensuring constitutional limits on secret surveillance.
Strengthening
Written by CNSS, the Center
for American Progress, and the Center for
Democracy and Technology, Strengthening
America by Defending Our Liberties: An Agenda for Reform is an
examination of the Bush administration’s domestic response to terrorism,
its impact, and a plan to enhance our security by defending civil liberties,
building on the Agenda mentioned above.