Eric Lichtblau
New York Times
Jul. 31, 2003 12:00 AM
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union and six Muslim groups Wednesday
brought the first constitutional challenge to the sweeping anti-terrorism legislation
passed after the Sept. 11 attacks, arguing that the law gives federal agents
virtually unchecked authority to spy on Americans.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Michigan, seeks to have a major section
of the law, the USA Patriot Act, declared unconstitutional on the ground that
it violates the privacy, due process and free-speech rights of Americans.
"We think the Constitution is really on our side," Ann Beeson, the
ACLU's chief lawyer in the suit, said in an interview. "There are basically
no limits to the amount of information the FBI can get now - library-book records,
medical records, hotel records, charitable contributions -the list goes on and
on, and it's the secrecy of the whole operation that is really troublesome."
Justice Department officials said they planned to review the lawsuit and had
no immediate comment on it.
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