Ask Congress to Bar Military Detention of U.S. Citizens
Due Process Guarantee Act would overturn unconstitutional provisions of NDAA
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 1/18/12) -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is calling on Muslims and other people of conscience to ask their elected representatives to support the Due Process Guarantee Act, which would bar the military from detaining U.S. citizens without charge or trial.
CAIR: 2012 Defense Act 'Detainment Policies Without Due Process' Could Apply to American Citizens
http://tinyurl.com/78upxvv
The act reaffirms that American citizens suspected of terrorism and arrested inside the United States cannot be indefinitely detained by the U.S. military as is authorized by the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that President Obama recently signed into law.
When signing the legislation at the end of December, the president said: "I want to clarify that my administration will not authorize the indefinite military detention without trial of American citizens. Indeed, I believe that doing so would break with our most important traditions and values as a nation."
However, legal experts say the president's signing statement has no legal standing and does not provide any assurance that future administrations will act in a similar manner.
SEE: Obama Signs Defense Bill, with "Reservations"
http://tinyurl.com/75zeu4m
SEE: CAIR Troubled By New Detention Law, Despite President's 'Reservations'
http://tinyurl.com/7dth2xx
As the NDAA passed through Congress, CAIR issued a number of statements and alerts urging a presidential veto if the detention provisions were not removed.
SEE: CAIR Video Alert: Ask President to Veto Detention of U.S. Citizens
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxfiyDTE_Z0
CAIR believes that the Due Process Guarantee Act -- sponsored by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Representatives John Garamendi (D-CA) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM) -- represents a first step in repairing the damage done to the U.S. Constitution by stating explicitly that the government cannot indefinitely detain American citizens or lawful residents inside the United States without charge or trial.
SEE: Due Process Guarantee Act
H.R. 3702
http://tinyurl.com/8xpmu3c
S. 2003
http://tinyurl.com/74bdmoj
"We must clarify U.S. law to state unequivocally that the government cannot indefinitely detain American citizens inside this country without trial or charge. I strongly believe that Constitutional due process requires U.S. citizens apprehended in the U.S. should never be held in indefinite detention. And that is what this new legislation would accomplish," said Sen. Feinstein.
SEE: Senator Feinstein: Prohibit Indefinite Detention of American Citizens Without Trial or Charge
http://tinyurl.com/7ehq59m
Garamendi/Heinrich Bill Clarifies Detention Policy & Protects American Citizens' Due Process Rights
http://tinyurl.com/7hmxngf
"We need to act now and demonstrate to Congress and the president that the American people reject any form of indefinite detention and demand the return of their Fifth Amendment right to due process," said CAIR Government Affairs Coordinator Robert McCaw.
IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUESTED: (As always, be POLITE and RESPECTFUL.)
1. CONTACT your Member of Congress by clicking here. http://www.congress.org/
On the right side of the page, enter your ZIP Code. On the resulting page, click the names of your elected representatives. Click the "contact" tab on the resulting page for your officials' phone numbers.
2. TALKING POINTS:
* As your constituent, I urge you to support and co-sponsor the Due Process Guarantee Act, which clarifies that American citizens apprehended inside the United States cannot be indefinitely detained by the military without charge or trial.
* I am deeply concerned that the National Defense Authorization Act became law with the detention provisions intact.
* I believe that it is not the military's responsibility to police or indefinitely detain American citizens suspected of terrorism, stripping them of their constitutional right to a fair and speedy trial and to hear the charges brought against them.
4. TWEET YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS by clicking here. http://tweetcongress.org/
On the left side of the page, enter your ZIP Code. On the resulting page, click the names of your elected representatives. Sign into your Twitter account, and tweet:
Protect our constitutional rights! Support and co-sponsor the Due Process Guarantee Act #DPGA #CAIR
5. INFORM YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY by forwarding this alert to at least five other people. Tell them you took action and ask them to do the same.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: CAIR Government Affairs Coordinator Robert McCaw, Tel: 202-742-6448, E-Mail: rmccaw@cair.com
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