Throughout U.S. history, “national security” has often been used as a pretext for massive violations of individual rights. In the past decade, the fight against terrorism has served as the pretext for serious attacks on civil liberties in New York State and nationwide. In response, the NYCLU has mounted challenges – both in New York and, in partnership with the ACLU, nationally – to abuses of power including the USA Patriot Act, domestic wiretapping, invasive and unconstitutional border stops, and other abuses. Please explore this page to learn more about the NYCLU’s work to keep New Yorkers both safe and free.