Government Abuse of Power

Signing of the Patriot Act.

CCR was the first organization to challenge the Bush administration’s policy of “extraordinary rendition,” where suspects are secretly transferred from U.S. custody to foreign governments that are notorious for poor human rights records. Since our founding, we have fought against similar government abuses of power – restrictions on travel to Cuba, illegal surveillance and wiretapping, and U.S. military aggression in Central American and Iraq. And post-9/11, we continue to fight the government’s use of the “state secrets” doctrine to cover-up its misdeeds as well as fight its classification of many First Amendment activities as “material support” to groups the U.S. has labeled as terrorist organizations.

It's up to us to take action to rescue the constitution. 

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Tell Congress It Can’t Be Judge, Jury and Executioner

On November 12, 2009, the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) filed a lawsuit against the…

Call upon President Obama to stand by his promises

This week the international community has a chance to change course in the fight for…

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Video: MTV Profiles CCR Paralegal

Susan Hu speaks about what it is like to work on CCR's numerous Guantanamo Bay legal battles.

Video: Tour of Guantanamo Bay

Watch excerpts from the documentary "Guantanamo Unplugged" by Stephan Bachenheimer.

Our Cases »

Arar v. Ashcroft et al

Arar v. Ashcroft is a federal lawsuit challenging the rendition of a Canadian citizen to Syria, by the U.S. government, where he was tortured, forced to falsely confess, and released after one year without ever…

Boumediene v. Bush / Al Odah v. United States

On June 28, 2004, the Supreme Court held in Rasul v. Bush, that the nearly-600 men imprisoned by the U.S. government in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba had a right of access to the federal courts, via…

CCR Files Opening Brief in First Supreme Court Case to Challenge Patriot Act

November 17, 2009, New York – Yesterday, the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) filed the first brief in Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project, the first case to challenge a portion of the Patriot Act before the Supreme Court. Read More >>

CCR Charges Congress Violated Constitution in Vote to De-Fund ACORN, Affiliates, Allies

November 12, 2009, New York – Today, the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) filed a case challenging Congress’s unconstitutional defunding of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN). The case charges Congress with violating the Bill of Attainder… Read More >>

Wallace v. Kern

Wallace v. Kern is a class action lawsuit filed by CCR and the National Lawyers Guild on behalf of seven indigent inmates awaiting trial in the Brooklyn House of Detention. These men had filed a handwritten class action complaint and… Read More >>

Veterans Peace Convoy v. Schultz

In September 1988, the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) won a significant victory for the Nicaraguan humanitarian aid campaign. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas did away with licensing requirements for humanitarian aid under the International… Read More >>

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