Erosion of Liberty Since September 11

Sept. 20, 2001: Department of Justice (DOJ) allows detention without charges in the event of “emergency or other extraordinary circumstance.”
Sept. 21, 2001: Chief Immigration Judge allows deportation hearings to be closed to public.
Sept. 24, 2001: President Bush declares National Emergency; orders executive agencies to stem the flow of money supporting terrorist organizations throughout the world.
Oct. 26, 2001: Congress passes and the
president signs USA Patriot Act, vastly expanding government power to monitor, target, and apprehend immigrants and US citizens.
Nov. 9, 2001: Attorney General (AG) directs FBI to interview 5,000 Arab/Muslim men.
Nov. 13, 2001: President issues Executive Order authorizing military tribunals to try non-citizens allegedly involved in international terrorism.
Nov. 16, 2001: DOJ refuses to release names and locations of 9/11 detainees (now estimated at more than 1,200, almost all Arab and Muslim men).
Dec. 4, 2001: AG testifies at Senate hearings that those who question and resist his policies are “aiding and abetting terrorism.”
Jan. 25, 2002: DOJ announces Alien Absconder Apprehension Initiative, which will first target 6,000 men from “al Qaeda-harboring countries” for apprehension.
Feb. 26, 2002: DOJ reports on interviews of 5,000 Arab/Muslim men: 2,261 were inter-viewed; less than 20 were taken into custody; 3 were charged with crimes unrelated to 9/11. No evidence was found to link any to terrorism.
March 19, 2002: DOJ announces interviews of another 3,000 Arab/Muslim men.
April 2002: INS conducts raids on airports throughout the US. 366 immigrants are arrested.
June 26, 2002: President declares US citizens Jose Padilla and Yassar Hamdi “Enemy Combat-ants” but refuses to release actual order. No criminal charges filed against either. President says they can be held indefinitely without access to attorney or federal courts.
July 26, 2002: AG issues rule that requires cer-tain immigrants to provide a change of address to the INS within 10 days. Failure to do so is a criminal violation and can trigger deportation.
Aug. 12, 2002: AG orders non-citizens from 25 Arab and/or Muslim countries to be fingerprinted and photographed.
Sept. 2002: More than 200 college administrators are asked by the federal government to provide information on their Middle Eastern students.

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Compiled by Ann Benson, directing attorney, Washington Defenders' Immigration Project.

See associated article: Speaking for Justice by Pramila Jayapal