WDET News
- ACLU Denounces New Border Rules
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Dec 10, 2008General - Link to Audio
The American Civil Liberties Union says newly authorized F-B-I guidelines threaten civil rights at the border…especially in Michigan. WDET’s Sarah Cwiek has more…
SOQ
Michigan A-C-L-U Executive Director Kary Moss says the surveillance guidelines give the F-B-I dangerously broad powers at the border. Moss says F-B-I agents no longer need factual evidence…only a hypothetical threat…to engage in what she calls “intrusive surveillance.” The A-C-L-U fears the guidelines open the door to racial and religious profiling of people entering the country. Moss says Michigan may be especially vulnerable…because it’s a border state with a large Arab-American population:
“What we will be looking to see is if there is a pattern of abuse in this state…if there are particular areas of the state where there are problems. Essentially the entire state is defined as the border under the guidelines…so one of the things we will look to see is if in fact law enforcement is using these guidelines as a pretext in fact to violate people’s civil rights.”
A coalition of Arab-American and civil rights groups joined Moss in denouncing the guidelines…saying Arab-Americans and Muslims have been subject to unlawful questioning and property seizures when entering the country. Those groups are joining the A-C-L-U to launch a hotline…for people to report allegations of racial profiling and unreasonable detention at the border. This is Sarah Cwiek…WDET news.