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CAIR Action Alert
Action: Tell Congress to End Indefinite Detention
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 5/9/12) -- CAIR is urging all Americans who value civil liberties to ask their elected representatives in Congress to seek removal of problematic language in the latest National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that justifies the indefinite military detention within the United States, without charge or trial, of those suspected of terrorism.
Today, the U.S. House Armed Services Committee begins its consideration of this year's NDAA. On May 22, the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee will also take up the act for consideration.
SEE: Details About NDAA for 2013
The NDAA for 2013 includes a misleading section that safeguards "habeas corpus rights," the right to petition the courts from unlawful detention. However, the real issue with last year's NDAA was not that it took away the right to petition unlawful detention, but that it declared indefinite military detention of Americans as lawful. Maintaining habeas rights will not help detainees challenge illegal detention if their detention has been made legal.
The NDAA for 2013 includes a misleading section that safeguards "habeas corpus rights," the right to petition the courts from unlawful detention. However, the real issue with last year's NDAA was not that it took away the right to petition unlawful detention, but that it declared indefinite military detention of Americans as lawful. Maintaining habeas rights will not help detainees challenge illegal detention if their detention has been made legal.
CAIR and other civil liberties organizations believe that this year's NDAA fails to truthfully address any of the public concerns over indefinite detention and only offers a solution to a problem that does not exist.
Last year, CAIR campaigned for the removal of NDAA sections that authorize the U.S. military to police domestically, make arrests and indefinitely detain persons suspected of terrorism without charge or trial.
CAIR was one of the many civil rights organizations that joined members of Congress in protesting the NDAA's detention powers, stating that they were unconstitutional and an overreach of the president's authority.
"We need to act now and let Congress know that we won't accept any watered-down assurances that our due process rights are secure," said CAIR Government Affairs Coordinator Robert McCaw. "We need to ask for real change that puts an end to the prospect of indefinite detention."
IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUESTED:
To contact your representatives in Congress and ask for real change that puts an end to indefinite detention, CAIR has provided a letter to which you can add a message of your own or simply fill in your name and address and click "Send Message."
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