National Security/War on Terror

Illegal government spying, indefinite detention without charge or trial and government-sponsored torture programs after 9/11 transcended the bounds of law and our most treasured values in the name of national security. The ACLU is working to restore individual freedoms, due process rights, and our system of checks and balances.

National Security

Illegal government spying, indefinite detention without charge or trial and government-sponsored torture programs after 9/11 transcended the bounds of law and our most treasured values in the name of national security. The ACLU is working to restore individual freedoms, due process rights, and our system of checks and balances.

The Latest

Press Release
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ACLU-D.C. Files Lawsuit on Behalf of Demonstrator Injured by Military Helicopter Used to Intimidate Racial Justice Protesters

The ACLU-D.C. filed a complaint on behalf of Dzhuliya Dashtamirova, a 25-year-old woman who suffered injuries caused by low-flying military helicopters that assaulted racial justice protestors on June 1, 2020, in downtown D.C.
Issue Areas: Freedom of Speech and Association, National Security/War on Terror, Police Practices and Police Misconduct
Press Release
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ACLU-DC Files Complaint on Behalf of Demonstrator Injured By Military Helicopters Used to Intimidate Racial Justice Demonstrators

The complaint, filed under the Federal Tort Claims Act on behalf of Dzhuliya Dashtamirova, a 23-year old woman who suffered injuries as a result of the maneuver, asserts the National Guard’s actions that evening was an assault.
Issue Areas: Freedom of Speech and Association, Police Practices and Police Misconduct, National Security/War on Terror
Press Release
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ACLU Challenges Military Detention of American Suspected of Fighting for ISIS

The U.S. citizen has been held by the military since approximately September 14, reportedly in Iraq. The ACLU filed petition on his behalf asking the Pentagon to grant him access to attorneys so he may challenge his detention.
Issue Areas: National Security/War on Terror, Due Process/Procedural Rights
Court Cases: Doe v. Mattis - Challenge to Detention of U.S. Citizen in Iraq Without Legal Process
Know Your Rights
Police

What to Do When Encountering Law Enforcement at Airports

Know your rights if you encounter law enforcement at the airport or at the border.
Court Case
Feb 26, 2024

CONNELL V. CIA – MISUSE OF THE “GLOMAR” RESPONSE

Court Case
Jun 21, 2022

ACLU V. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY - FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT CASE REGARDING NEW PROGRAM TO COMBAT DOMESTIC VIOLENT EXTREMISM

The government has long infringed on Americans’ fundamental rights and liberties under the guise of national security. We want to know DHS’s plan to safeguard civil liberties, civil rights, and privacy, or whether it even has one.
Court Case
Apr 08, 2022

ACLU V. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE – FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT CASE REGARDING AUTHORITY TO SEIZE AFGHAN FUNDS

Court Case
Oct 01, 2020

Dashtamirova v. United States

The ACLU-DC filed a formal complaint on behalf of a protestor who was injured by the National Guard’s use of low-flying helicopters to intimidate racial justice demonstrators.