Our organizing campaigns
Make your town do what the federal government won't
BORDC has developed two model ordinances for consideration by city councils across the country. These ordinances, which will have the force of law where enacted, allow individual municipalities to do what the federal government will not: protect the fundamental rights and liberties of law-abiding Americans to be free of arbitrary monitoring, surveillance, detention, search, or arrest by local law enforcement authorities.
Demand torture investigations
While the Justice Department pursues a limited investigation, scapegoating junior officials who violated "approved" torture techniques, Physicians for Human Rights has documented a human experimentation program authorized by former officials who remain above the law. Sign our letter defending our nation's legacy from World War II.
After raising your voice online, raise your voice offline by organizing in support of a local declaration seeking transparency and accountability at the federal level, or an investigation of executive branch decisionmakers by your local prosecutor.
Seek transparency into fusion centers
The People's Campaign for the Constitution's legal professionals team is bringing light to fusion centers' activities by filing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests about their work. You can join this effort by submitting FOIA requests to federal, state, and regional fusion centers near you.
Civil liberties updates
Read our blog for more on the latest civil liberties issues.
The People's Blog for the Constitution features daily summaries of breaking news, insightful analysis and occasional original reporting by a team of grassroots bloggers.
Reject human experimentation: Demand accountability
Across the history of the medical profession, no maxim has been more important than that to "do no harm." A recent report by Physicians for Human Rights has revealed that, beyond merely participating in torture—which has long been decried throughout the medical profession, as well as by religious leaders from across the spectrum of faiths—psychologists and other medical professionals working with government officials also engaged in human experimentation.
Please sign our letter to the attorney general today to demand accountability for human experimentation programs.
PATRIOT Act extended to 2011
At the end of February 2010, President Obama signed a one-year extension of PATRIOT Act provisions that were originally set to expire at the end of 2009. The extensions did not include any of the civil liberties or privacy protections negotiated by the Senate and House Judiciary committees last fall.
While the reauthorization of even the expiring provisions was disappointing, the February 2011 expiration of the entire Act—and forthcoming battle over reauthorization—offers a compelling opportunity for grassroots activists to raise awareness about privacy and constitutional rights.
Want to take action on these civil liberties issues? Find your legislators' contact information.
In the News:
7/30, Human Rights First, Eight Year Anniversary of U.S. Torture Memos - Time is Ticking on Accountability
7/30, James Lamond, Huffington Post, Hurting Our Security
7/30, Kara Rowland, Washington Post, ACLU slams Obama's security policies
7/30, Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner and Mary Olivella, Huffington Post, What Would Our Nation's Founders Say? Arizona, Human Rights, Children and Mothers
7/30, Bob Christie, Associated Press, Dozens Arrested in Protests of AZ Immigration Law
7/29, Adam Serwer, American Prospect, Administration Wants To Expand Reach Of National Security Letters
