Letters, Petitions, and Court Filings
BORDC regularly signs on to coalition letters and amicus briefs in support of issues related to our mission. Below is an archive of many such letters and briefs.
Coalition letters and petitions
Coalition letters and petitions
2011
OpenTheGovernment.org's statement on improving openness and accountability on “Incorporation by Reference in Federal Regulations,” December 7, 2011
Sikh Coalition letter calling for a TSA racial profiling audit, December 1, 2011
ACLU letter to the Senate opposing the repeal of anti-torture measures, November 22, 2011
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights' letter requesting sponsorship of the End Racial Profiling Act, October 18, 2011
Brennan Center for Justice's letter on the FBI’s Domestic Investigations and Operations Guide, October 5, 2011
ACLU's letter concerning Islamophobic FBI trainings, October 4, 2011
Coalition for a Safe San Francisco's letter opposing racial profiling and the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force, October 3, 2011
Human Rights Watch's letter opposing the indefinite detention of immigrants, September 30, 2011
Electronic Privacy Information Center's letter calling on the FTC to investigate Facebook privacy violations, September 28, 2011
Rights Working Group's letter on wasteful and costly 287(g) and Secure Communities immigration programs, September 23, 2011
National Day Laborer Organizing Network's letter requesting an investigation of the FBI’s Next Generation Identification Initiative and the Secure Communities Program, September 11, 2011
Muslim American Civil Liberties Coalition's letter on NYPD and CIA collaboration, August 25, 2011
Constitution Project's letter concerning nominations to the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, August 25, 2011
ACLU letter opposing data retention provision in H.R. 1981, July 27, 2011
Brennan Center for Justice's letter on changes to the FBI's Domestic Investigations and Operations Guide, July 27, 2011
New York Immigration Coalition's letter to ICE Director Morton on the Secure Communities program, July 20, 2011
ACLU's letters to the House and Senate opposing E-Verify, June 29, 2011
OMB Watch's letter urging Congress to restore funding to the Electronic Government Fund, June 13, 2011
Friends of Privacy USA's letter to Senators Kerry and Lugar urging US to uphold privacy values in EU negotiations, May 17, 2011
Friends of Privacy USA's letter to President Obama urging US to uphold privacy values in EU negotiations, May 17, 2011
Brennan Center for Justice's letter to Attorney General Holder on the Justice Department’s state secrets policy, May 16, 2011
OpenTheGovernment.org's letter supporting the Congressionally Mandated Reports Act, May 10, 2011
Project on Government Oversight's open letter opposing the anti-speech policy in the Intelligence Authorization Bill, April 20, 2011
OpenTheGovernment.org's letters calling for free public access to Congressional Research Reports, April 6, 2011
- Letter to Chairman Lieberman and Ranking Member Collins of the Senate Homeland Security and Government Reform Committee asking that they quickly reintroduce legistlation to authorize and promote the public distribution of reports that are published by the CRS
- Letter to Chairman Issa and Ranking Member Cummings of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee asking that they quickly reintroduce legistlation to authorize and promote the public distribution of reports that are published by the CRS
- Letter urging members of the House and Senate Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee to drop language barring CRS from using any funds to make reports available to the public from future spending bills
ACLU letter opposing Rep. Peter King's hearings on the "radicalization" of the Muslim community and "homegrown terrorism," March 8, 2011
OpenTheGovernment.org's letter to the Library of Congress calling for transparency, February 25, 2011
Electronic Privacy Information Center letter to Reps. Issa (R-CA) and Cummings (D-MD) on FOIA oversight, February 15, 2011
RootsAction's letter encouraging Spain to prosecute torture, February 10, 2011
BORDC's petition calling for increased FBI oversight, January 27, 2011
Electronic Frontier Foundation's open letter on Wikileaks, December 22, 2010
OpenTheGovernment.org's letter thanking NARA for demanding CIA accountability, December 22, 2010
Government Accountability Project's letter calling for Rep. Issa to support whistleblower protections, December 16, 2010
Brennan Center for Justice's letter to Attorney General Holder on the Justice Department’s state secrets policy, December 15, 2010
Government Accountability Project's letter calling for passage of the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act, December 13, 2010
Letter responding to September 24, 2010 FBI raids on activists, November 19, 2010
Make It Safe Coalition's letter calling for federal whistleblower protections, November 18, 2010
Accountability Council's letter on reforms to the National Contact Point for the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, November 5, 2010
Coalition letter supporting the civil rights ordinance introduced in Hartford, CT, November 3, 2010
ACLU's letter supporting broadcast coverage of the Supreme Court, October 28, 2010
OpenTheGovernment.org's letter on the NTSB and FOIA exemptions, October 20, 2010
Rights Working Group's letter on the dangerous merger of the federal immigration enforcement system with state criminal justice systems, September 29, 2010
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights' letter on the End Racial Profiling Act, September 27, 2010
OpenTheGovernment.org's letter on the Congressionally Mandated Reports Act, September 22, 2010
Detention Watch Network's letter calling for President Obama to end the merger of the criminal justice and immigration enforcement systems, August 10, 2010
Bill of Rights Defense Committee Letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee on the 2008 FBI Guidelines, July 27, 2010
National Immigrant Justice Center's letter on the Utah "blacklist," July 27, 2010
BORDC's petition calling for an investigation into human experimentation, June 26, 2010
Center for Democracy and Technology's letter about S. 3480, the Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act, June 24, 2010
Witness Against Torture's letter to DOJ regarding the demonstrations to close Guantánamo Bay detention center on January 21, 2010, June 10, 2010
NYCLU's letter calling on NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly to condemn Arizona's SB1070, June 10, 2010
Asian Law Caucus's letter to SFPD Chief George Gascón calling for further dialogue with the Arab, Muslim, Central and South Asian communities, May 21, 2010
NACDL letter to Attorney General Holder opposing the weakening of Miranda rights, May 17, 2010
Electronic Privacy Information Center letter requesting a meeting with the White House Cybersecurity Coordinator, May 12, 2010
Charity and Security Network letter calling on President Obama to ease charitable giving restrictions, May 12, 2010
Petition to DHS Secretary Napolitano calling for a suspension of the bodyscanner program, April 21, 2010
Submission for the United Nations Universal Periodic Review of the United States, April 20, 2010
Muslim Advocates' letter calling for changes to the FBI's Guidance Regarding the Use of Race by Federal Law Enforcement Agencies, April 15, 2010
ACLU's letter opposing a biometric national ID, April 13, 2010
OpenTheGovernment.org's letter asking for hearings on the unlawful destruction of DOJ emails, March 10, 2010
Defending Dissent Foundation's letter concerning lack of nominations to Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, March 1, 2010
ACLU letter to Secretary of State Clinton on ideological exclusion, February 16, 2010
BORDC's petition calling for Congress to reject the PATRIOT Act in its current form, February 2, 2010
Muslim Public Affairs Council letter opposing racial profiling by the Transportation Security Administration, January 8, 2010
Asian Law Caucus letter condemning the anti-Muslim press conference held by U.S. Representatives, December 2, 2009
Bill of Rights Defense Committee letter to the President calling for transparency on torture, November 24, 2009
ACLU letter expressing concerns about privacy and the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009, November 17, 2009
Center for Democracy and Technology letter urging the President to appoint members of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Board, November 11, 2009
Surveillance Coalition letter expressing concerns over H.R. 3845, the USA Patriot Amendments Act of 2009, October 29, 2009
AfterDowningStreet.org's letter calling for Congress to take action on torture, October 28, 2009
OpenTheGovernment.org letter commending Senator Patrick Leahy for his commitment to the Freedom of Information Act, September 30, 2009
Surveillance Coalition letter asking the Senate Judiciary Committee to support the reforms included in the JUSTICE Act, September 30, 2009
Surveillance Coalition letter in support of the JUSTICE Act, September 23, 2009
SALDEF letter requesting the PASS ID Act be amended to protect the right to wear religious head coverings in ID photographs, September 3, 2009
Rights Working Group letter in support of the HELP Separated Children Act, August 28, 2009
Detention Watch Network letter demanding an end to the 287(g) program, August 25, 2009
National Immigration Forum letter requesting immigration amendments be stripped from 2010 Homeland Security appropriations bill, August 10, 2009
Velvet Revolution letter calling on the attorney general to investigate torture as required by law, August 8, 2009
Lutheran Immigration & Refugee Service's letter in support of S. 1549 and S. 1550, July 30, 2009
BORDC letter requesting changes to the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, July 21, 2009
Open letter in response to the American Psychological Association Board on psychologists' participation in torture, June 29, 2009
ACLU letter expressing disappointment over Obama's decision to fight the release of detainee torture photos, May 21, 2009
Coalition for Patient Privacy's comments on HITECH Breach Notification, May 21, 2009
Surveillance Coalition letter on PATRIOT Act and surveillance oversight, May 21, 2009
Surveillance Coalition letter supporting the State Secrets Protection Act, May 20, 2009
VelvetRevolution.us's call to disbar torture lawyers, May 18, 2009
AfterDowningStreet.org's statement on prosecution of former high officials, April 2009
Defending Dissent Foundation open letter to Maryland General Assembly in support of the Freedom of Association and Assembly Protection Act, March 18, 2009
ACLU letter to Attorney General Eric Holder, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and DHS Secretary Napolitano regarding ideological exclusion, March 18, 2009
OMBWatch/U.S. PIRG letter to EPA Administrator Jackson asking for restoration of the Toxics Release Inventory, February 2009
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service letter in Support of the Immigration Oversight and Fairness Act of 2009, February 26, 2009
Coalition for Patient Privacy letter to Senate Majority Leader Reid on patient privacy provisions in the economic stimulus legislation, February 2, 2009
Letter to President Obama and DHS Secretary Napolitano in support of immigration reform, January 16, 2009
Liberty Coalition letter to President-elect Obama on technology and privacy, December 19, 2008
OpenTheGovernment.org letter to Congress demanding bailout transparency, December 8, 2008
Liberty and Security Coalition transition recommendations: Moving Toward a 21st Century Right-to-Know Agenda: Recommendations to President-elect Obama and Congress, November 12, 2008
Letter to Senate supporting the Protect Citizens and Residents from Unlawful Raids and Detention Act, September 26, 2008
Surveillance Coalition letter to Senators Conyers, Leahy, Smith, and Specter on amendment of Attorney General's Guidelines, September 16, 2008
NSA Grassroots Coalition letter opposing the FISA Amendments Act, July 7, 2008
Muslim Advocates letter to Senator Leahy opposing invasive questioning of Americans returning from international travel, June 20, 2008
NSA Grassroots Coalition letter: Opposition to the FISA Legislation Proposed by Senator Bond, June 9, 2008
NSA Grassroots Coalition letter to Reps. Thompson and Harmon: Opposition to NAO Appropriations and Authorization, June 3, 2008
NSA Grassroots Coalition letter to Senators Leahy and Specter in support of the National Security Letters Reform Act, April 22, 2008
NSA Grassroots Coalition letter to Reps. Conyers and Smith in support of the National Security Letters Reform Act, April 15, 2008
NSA Grassroots Coalition letter: Groups Urge Further Investigation of Telecom’s Actions Before Any Vote on Retroactive Immunity, March 12, 2008
NSA Grassroots Coalition letter commending the House for defeating the FISA Amendments Act, March 5, 2008
NSA Grassroots Coalition letter urging the sunset of the Protect America Act, February 27, 2008
Letter to Senators Byrd and Cochran urging them to fund the Office of Government Information Services in the National Archives and Records Administration, February 6, 2008
NSA Grassroots Coalition letter to Senate Majority Leader Reid re: FISA Amendments Act, January 22, 2008
NSA Grassroots Coalition letter: Opposition to the FISA Amendments Act reported by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, December 13, 2007
Letter to Senate Majority Leader Reid on Presidential Records Act Amendments, November 19, 2007
OpenTheGovernment.org letter to Senate on non-disclosure provisions in Farm Bill, November 6, 2007
NSA Grassroots Coalition letter to Senators Leahy and Specter on Intelligence Committee version of the FISA Amendments Act, October 23, 2007
NSA Grassroots Coalition letter to Speaker Pelosi asking for public debate on the FISA Amendments Act, October 4, 2007
NSA Grassroots Coalition letter to Senate Majority Leader Reid asking for public hearings on legislation altering FISA, September 25, 2007
NSA Grassroots Coalition letter to Speaker Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Reid re: Protect America Act, September 4, 2007
Letter to Senators Reid and McConnell endorsing the OPEN Government Act, May 17, 2007
OpenTheGovernment.org letter to Senator Luger in support of the OPEN Government Act, May 2, 2007
NSA Grassroots Coalition letter to Speaker Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Reid re: National Security Letters, April 11, 2007
NSA Grassroots Coalition letter to House Committee on Intelligence re: Intelligence Authorization Bill, March 8, 2007
Leadership Conference on Civil Rights letter to Rep. Allen commending him for his efforts to repeal the REAL ID Act, February 26, 2007
NSA Grassroots Coalition letter to Senate on Military Commissions Act, September 27, 2006
Letter to House supporting NSA Oversight Act, May 2, 2006
Letter to President Bush condemning torture, November 3, 2005
Letter to Senate on state and local police involvement in federal immigration enforcement, July 12, 2005
Coalition for a Fair and Independent Judiciary letter to Senate on Supreme Court vacancy, July 8, 2005
Letter to Senate on REAL ID Act, April 7, 2005
Letter to Senate Committees on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and on the Judiciary re: Chertoff nomination, February 4, 2005
Letter to Senate Committees on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs re: Chertoff nomination, February 1, 2005
Letter to Senate opposing Kyl Amendment to the National Intelligence Reform Act, October 1, 2004
Letter to the Senate urging them to reject any legislation authorizing detention without charge or trial, June 22, 2004
Letter to Reps. Goss and Sensenbrenner opposing the Anti-Terrorism Intelligence Tools Improvement Act, June 15, 2004
Court Filings
Bill of Rights Defense Committee v. District of Columbia Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, FOIA filing in District of Columbia Superior Court, October 29, 2010
Amicus Curiae Briefs
ACLU v. Department of Defense, amicus brief urging an appeals court to overturn its decision allowing the government to keep information about its use of waterboarding secret
Sorrell v. IMS Health, amicus brief arguing for protecting patient privacy from data-mining practices
Ibrahim v. Department of Homeland Security, amicus brief arguing for transparency and due process in the placement of individuals on the no-fly list
KindHearts for Charitable Humanitarian Development v. Henry M. Paulson et al., amicus brief in support of due process rights for charities and nonprofits
Ashcroft v. Iqbal, amicus brief arguing in favor of holding top officials accountable for harm done by policies they oversee