Civil Liberties for Immigrants After 9/11

The terrorist acts that took place in New York and Washington, D.C. on September 11, 2001 have left an indelible mark on the United States and the millions of people who live within its borders. Issues of national security and homeland defense now require the special attention of both the government and public at large. As a result of these new concerns, both legal and illegal immigrants face more stringent restrictions on their civil liberties, as well as more rabid discrimination from native Americans. This is especially true of immigrants from the Middle East, who are often targeted because the terrorists responsible for the September 11th tragedy were from the Arab/Muslim world. Thus, immigrants in the United States now must struggle to maintain both a sense of stability and safety in their lives, as the legal system and their communities have served to make their lives increasingly difficult.

In the aftermath of the events of September 11th, the United States government immediately acted to improve the security of its citizens. As a result, over 750 Middle Eastern immigrants have been detained without explanation, and almost double that number have been interviewed by various authorities at random (Wilgoren A21). Overall, more than 5000 citizens of foreign countries have been detained by the government since the terrorist attacks. Of these numbers, only a few have officially been charged with crimes related to terrorism. Many were not permitted access to lawy

Related Essays

Patriot Act Response .... all a conservative," line 30 "civil-liberties types go .... black nationalist groups, non-violent civil rights activists .... an emergency influx of immigrants into the US .... (1390 6 )

Arab-Americans: Current Experiences .... 11, 2001 the American government approved homeland security measures that singled out Arab immigrants in the .... After 9/11, an assault on civil liberties. .... (4426 18 )

Arab-Americans: Current Experiences .... 11, 2001 the American government approved homeland security measures that singled out Arab immigrants in the .... After 9/11, an assault on civil liberties. .... (4897 20 )

Racial Profiling and Crime Control .... against men of Middle Eastern origin after the terrorist .... Of the more than 1500 Arab immigrants picked up by .... issue is the erosion of civil liberties in general .... (2633 11 )

Racial Profiling as a Crime-Fighting Technique .... against men of Middle Eastern origin after the terrorist .... Of the more than 1500 Arab immigrants picked up by .... issue is the erosion of civil liberties in general .... (2633 11 )

foreigners living within the nation's borders, particularly those from the Middle East, because it is impossible to determine where sleeper cells of terrorists may be located. The racial profiling of Arabs and Muslims in airports and other vulnerable locations seems to make a certain sense to many Americans in the face of the threat of terrorism. Fear, thus, is the greatest motivation for these new, tougher restrictions, while national security serves as the greatest justification (Singh 37). The new restrictions on the rights of immigrants do not only affect those of Middle Eastern descent. In fact, Hispanic and Asian immigrants have suffered as a result of new laws as well. Middle Eastern immigrants, however, have been the victims of the greatest number of hate crimes in the aftermath of September 11th. Indeed, the common media image of the terrorist as a dark-skinned Muslim man with a turban and beard led to violence against Arabs immediately following the terrorist attacks. Immigrant taxi drivers rushed to place American flag stickers on their cabs, while other Arab immigrants placed flags in the front windows of their homes or stores in hopes of protecting themselves from hate crimes (Singh 37). In the wake of

Category: Government - C