April 20, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) today announced it is launching a national campaign demanding that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) retract a warning it included in a recent report on domestic terrorism that labels pro-life supporters as ‘extremists.’
At the same time, the ACLJ is notifying all 50 states that the report – and the offensive warning – should not be used to curtail the First Amendment rights of pro-life supporters. Further, the ACLJ is supporting a call for Congressional hearings on the DHS report.
“The report creates a very troubling climate for those who want to exercise their constitutional rights to speak out about protecting the life of the unborn,” said Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel of the ACLJ.
“It’s now clear the DHS ignored its own internal concerns about this outrageous and inflammatory warning. We’re very concerned that this disturbing report not be used by law enforcement agencies around the country to silence the legitimate First Amendment rights of pro-life supporters.
“The fact is that the DHS must retract this offensive reference. We also support the call for Congressional hearings to get to the bottom of this. The DHS report represents at the very least – bad judgment – and at worst – an Administration-backed effort to intimidate and silence pro-life supporters.”
The DHS’s April 7th warning is entitled: “Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment.” Included in its assessment is this reference to specific groups, including those who oppose abortion:
“Rightwing extremism … may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration.” (Read the DHS assessment here:
https://www.aclj.org/media/pdf/ACLJ_dhs-hsa-rightwing-extremism-040709.pdf)
News reports now reveal that the civil rights division inside the DHS expressed concern about the definition of terrorists, which included the ‘extremism’ label being applied to groups that oppose abortion. But, the DHS issued the report without addressing those concerns. Some members of Congress – including Rep. Peter King (NY) – are now calling for hearings to investigate the DHS report.
Sekulow sent a demand letter to DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano outlining the ACLJ’s concerns and demanding a retraction. That letter is here: https://www.aclj.org/media/pdf/NapolitanoLtrDHS4-20-09.pdf
The ACLJ is urging Americans to sign on to its Demand for Retraction to the DHS (See: https://www.aclj.org/Petition/Default.aspx?sc=3430&ac=1)