Fact Sheet: Final Real ID Regulations (1/11/2008)

Compliance Deadlines. States need to do almost nothing to comply with Real ID before 2014 (or 2017 for those over the age of 50).

* DHS will grant an extension until Dec 31, 2009 to any state which requests one.

"For the past six years, our rights have been on the chopping block. If 2007 was the year we didn’t get our freedom back, 2008 will be the year we demand it. Our holiday wish list is simple: We want our Constitution back. It doesn’t even need a ribbon. This New Year, we resolve to hold our leaders accountable. We hope they will resolve to follow the law."

2007: The Year We Didn’t Get Our Freedoms Back

Top 10 ways our government failed us:

Mukasey Must Denounce Torture, Publicly and On the Record
Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance Mukasey’s nomination without getting real answers on the issue of torture and the broader issue of executive authority. In doing so, they missed a real opportunity to make progress on ending torture and reining in a president that believes he is above the law. Now, every senator has a responsibility to act.

Take Action: Tell Your senators Mukasey must commit to enforcing torture and spying laws.

Full Senate Should Seek What the Judiciary Committee Failed To Obtain (11/6/2007)

Senate Should Not Move Forward with an Attorney General Nominee Who Refuses to Classify Waterboarding as Torture

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: media@dcaclu.org

WASHINGTON-- – As the Senate Judiciary Committee voted today to approve the nomination of Judge Michael Mukasey for attorney general, the American Civil Liberties Union now calls upon the full Senate to obtain what the committee could not – an admission from the nominee that waterboarding and other extreme interrogation tactics are torture. During the confirmation hearings and in his responses to further questions, Judge Mukasey carefully avoided stating whether waterboarding is torture when authorized by the federal government, as well as refusing to say that it is also illegal for foreign countries to waterboard, beat and shock American citizens...

Help Us Run the "Congress as Sheep" Ads
Ever since a new Congress got elected last November, we’ve been waiting for it to end the violations of the Constitution and the lawless behavior of the Bush administration. Members of Congress acted, but instead of restoring our freedoms, they actually handed the Bush administration vast new powers to invade our privacy with no meaningful oversight from the courts or Congress...

United Nations Independent Expert on Rights of Migrants Continues U.S. Fact-Finding Mission in Florida

Florida Visit Includes Investigation of Migrant Conditions in Immokalee and Haitian Detention and Deportation Policies
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, May 9, 2007

CONTACTS
Paul Silva, ACLU, (212) 549-2689 or 2666, media@aclu.org
Brandon Hensler, ACLU of Florida, (786) 363-2700

IMMOKALEE, Fla. The American Civil Liberties Union today welcomed the official fact-finding visit to the United States by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants. The ACLU is among several groups and individuals selected to meet with the Special Rapporteur to testify about the conditions of immigrants and migrants living in the United States....

REAL ID REVOLT: RAISE YOUR VOICE
From the Desk of Caroline Fredrickson
Director, ACLU Washington Legislative Office
Dear Friend,
States from Maine to Montana are in revolt against Congress's REAL ID scheme. By adding your voice today, you can help us prevent this 'Real Nightmare' from becoming a reality....