Century Foundation Policy Discussion: Civil Rights and National Security: Must We Choose?

11/18/2002

From: Christy Hicks of The Century Foundation, 212-452-7723

News Advisory:

What: Civil Rights and National Security: Must We Choose? A Breakfast Policy Discussion

When: Tuesday, November 19, 2002 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Where: The Century Foundation, 41 E. 70th Street, New York

Participants: Stephen J. Schulhofer, Professor of Law, New York University and author of the new Century Foundation report, The Enemy Within: Intelligence Gathering, Law Enforcement, and Civil Liberties in the Wake of September 11

Donna Lieberman, Executive Director, New York Civil Liberties Union

Mary Jo White, Partner, Debevoise & Plimpton, former United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York

RSVP: Laurie Ahlrich, ahlrich@tcf.org or 212-452-7722

In this report, Stephen J. Schulhofer details how, since September 11, valuable individual freedoms have been eroded in the name of fighting the war on terrorism. He examines how the executive branch has assumed powers to act unilaterally, bypassing checks from the judicial and legislative branches.

Schulhofer makes the surprising claim that not only do these actions far exceed civil liberties limitations historically imposed during times of national emergency, but that they have little or no prospect of a useful law enforcement payoff. In some cases, they may be hindering homeland security efforts. And he points out that much of this has happened without much scrutiny from the legislators, the public, or the press. Panelists, including White, will respond to Schulhofer's report and discuss how best to effectively prevent domestic terrorism while safeguarding essential democratic freedoms in the United States. Portions of The Enemy Within can be found on The Century Foundation's website at www.tcf.org, or The Century Foundation's Project on Homeland Security website at www.homelandsec.org

------ The Century Foundation is a research foundation that undertakes timely, critical, and analytical studies of major economic, political, and social institutions and issues. Nonprofit and nonpartisan, TCF was founded in 1919 and endowed by Edward A. Filene.