About the Law & Security Program

Almost immediately after the events of September 11, 2001, Human Rights First began working to ensure that civil liberties and human rights were not compromised in the rush of fear and anger that followed the attacks. As the magnitude of this work became clear, we designed a permanent U.S. Law and Security Program to focus on five areas of U.S. law and policy:

As Human Rights First has documented in a series of reports, dramatic changes in U.S. law and policy in these areas have eroded rights and liberties in the United States, and set a negative example that many governments around the world have been eager to emulate. At the same time, counterterrorism and security experts have raised serious questions about these policies' effectiveness in improving security here at home.

With some distance from the events of 9/11, it is no longer possible to view these changes as aberrant parts of a short-term response. The goal of our U.S. Law and Security Program is to challenge these changes, and more broadly, to promote a greater understanding of and respect for human rights in U.S. national security policy, through a combination of policy-relevant research, analysis, and advocacy. Drawing on the insights of experts in law and security from across the political spectrum, we are committed to promoting a U.S. security policy that operates within the rule of law.