ADC Press Release | Contact: Laila Al-Qatami | 202-244-2990 | media@adc.org.
Washington, DC | April 20, 2006 | Today, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) joins a number of civil rights organizations in submitting an amicus brief (friend of the court brief) in the case of American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) v. National Security Agency (NSA.)
The case relates to the NSA’s illegal domestic spying and wiretapping program(s), under which the agency is able to intercept international telephone and Internet communications, without a court order. ACLU is suing the NSA for violating the US Constitution. ADC is joined by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), United for Peace and Justice, and the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), in the amicus brief.
In the past, ADC has voiced concerns about surveillance practices carried out by the US government, which infringe on the civil rights and liberties of Americans, and sidestep our system of checks and balances. In particular, ADC feels these practices create an environment of apprehension and mistrust for Arab Americans, who may now be afraid to speak to family members in the Middle East because their conversations maybe misunderstood or mistranslated by the NSA, or other federal agencies with access to this information. To read ADC’s letter in the Boston Globe, click here.
Additionally, ADC, along with forty other organizations, sent letters to the Senate Judiciary Committee convening hearings on warrantless domestic wiretapping by the NSA. The letters urged Congress to use their authority to conduct a thorough and comprehensive investigation inquiry into the matter. To read ADC’s letter to Congress, click here.
To read ADC’s Amicus Brief, click here.
NOTE TO EDITORS:
The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) is a civil rights organization committed to defending the rights of people of Arab descent and promoting their rich cultural heritage. ADC, which is non-sectarian and non-partisan, is the largest Arab-American grassroots civil rights organization in the United States. It was founded in 1980 by former United States Senator James Abourezk; has 38 chapters nationwide, and members in all 50 States. ADC is at the forefront in addressing discrimination and bias against Arab Americans wherever it is practiced. ADC also serves as a reliable source for information and education about the Arab and Muslim American community. ADC is an active organizational member of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR).