Civil Liberties

Two tall greyscale rectangles cast dark shadows representing the Twin Towers. Text reads, “How Perpetual War Has Changed Us: Reflections on the 20th Anniversary of 9/11”

In the “War on Terror,” What Did Rights Organizations Get Wrong?

A leading human rights lawyer raises provocative questions about track record of U.S. human rights organizations. An essay in advance of a live event on Thursday night to discuss…

Sep. 7, 2021 Jameel Jaffer

The Path Not Taken: Reimagining the Post-9/11 World

What would the world today look like if the US had responded to the 9/11 attacks with criminal law instead of through the lens of war?

Sep. 7, 2021 Rebecca Hamilton

A man sits in front of a store with a sign on the windows reading, “Black Wall Street Corner Store and More” in the Greenwood neighborhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on May 31, 2021.

Why “Buy Black” Is Not Enough: The Devastating Legacy of the Tulsa Race Massacre

The Massacre destroyed not only Black generational wealth but also the political and civil power that is tied to economic success.

Sep. 1, 2021 Warigia Bowman

A prisoner paces in a gated indoor area before evening prayers at the "Gitmo" maximum security detention center on October 22, 2016 at the U.S. Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

What the U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan Could Mean for Guantanamo Detainees and the Due Process Clause

The D.C. Circuit will soon consider the consequential question of whether the Due Process Clause applies to Guantanamo detainees.

Sep. 1, 2021 Jonathan Hafetz

Side by side photographs of law enforcement in full riot gear with helmets, shields, bullet proof vests, and camouflage clothing marching near Lafayette Park on June 1, 2020 and considerably less law enforcement in less imposing gear and without shields at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. The second photograph also shows white supremacists carrying flags and greatly outnumbering law enforcement. Law enforcement in the first photograph tear gassed protestors (not shown) who were protesting the murder of George Floyd and larger racial injustices. Law enforcement in the second photograph used minimal force against violent Trump supporters as they stormed the U.S. Capitol.

The National Guard at Lafayette Square and the January 6th Attempted Insurrection: Fixes for the FY2022 NDAA

Congress should close the loopholes that allow the federal government to circumvent the Posse Comitatus Act.

Aug. 31, 2021 Cole Blum and Soren Dayton

A member of the Belarusian diaspora in Ukraine, covered with a former national red and white flag of Belarus, stands next to a symbolic wreath to Aleksandr Lukashenko as he takes part in a rally outside Belarus embassy in Kiev on August 8, 2021. Police officers stand in front of a gated building.

`In Today’s Belarus, Living Outside of Politics is No Longer an Option’

The US and the EU must act swiftly, before more people are hurt or killed and before more damage is done to the credibility of democracy.

Aug. 9, 2021 Tatyana Margolin

A public school and playground stands empty behind a closed gate on the Upper East Side on August 07, 2020 in the Manhattan borough of New York City.

From Suppressing the Tulsa Race Massacre to Critical Race Theory: The Privilege and Costs of Whitewashing History

(Editor’s Note: This article is part of a Just Security series that began in the runup to the hundredth anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre this year.) In the past few months,…

Jul. 28, 2021 Charles P. Henry

A long list blown up in poster size of "public complaints" against Facebook policies, including the social media giant's political stances, data security lapses, politicization, privacy violations and misinformation, is taped to the outside of their office building during a protest led by the organization Public Citizen in Washington, DC, May 25, 2021.

Facebook’s New Dangerous Individuals and Organizations Policy Brings More Questions Than Answers

The company has responded to criticism with clarifications and revisions, but the rules require a fundamental rethink.

Jul. 20, 2021 Faiza Patel and Mary Pat Dwyer

Encryption Originalism

Encryption originalism views strong encryption as the modern reemergence of Founding Era practice of employing—often unbreakable—ciphers.

Jul. 16, 2021 Julian Sanchez

Supporters of Zhou Xiaoxuan, a feminist figure who rose to prominence during China’s #MeToo movement two years ago, display posters as they wait for Zhou outside the Haidian District Peoples Court in Beijing on December 2, 2020, in a sexual harassment case against one of China's best-known television hosts.

Feminist Foreign Policy: One Path Forward in U.S.-China Relations

The Biden-Harris administration can elevate the role of feminist organizations in China and the voices of women in both countries.

Jul. 16, 2021 Stephenie Foster, Susan Markham and 1 more

America’s Democracy Moment

As Americans prepare to celebrate Independence Day, it is crucial to recognize the gravity of the threats still facing US democracy.

Jul. 1, 2021 Maria J. Stephan

The Statue of Liberty at sunset. The sky is a mix of red and orange and the Statue of Liberty is seen as a silhouette. Construction can been seen as silhouettes in the background.

Reforming the FISA Process: Tweak or Overhaul?

Earlier this month, Adam Klein, the outgoing chair of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, took the unusual step of issuing a unilateral “Chairman’s White…

Jun. 30, 2021 Julian Sanchez