DHS’s unchecked detention and deportation powers have resulted in abusive interrogations of families with children at checkpoints, creation of militarized zones within the U.S. and widespread fear in immigrant communities facing natural disasters. Collectively, these practices illustrate how DHS has mismanaged its authority and wasted resources.

“The Department of Homeland Security has far too many ill-conceived programs that fail to account for privacy, due process and other principles that assure fairness to the innocent,” said Caroline Fredrickson, director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office. “It is time for Congress to recognize the Bush Administration’s security apparatus is an emperor without any clothes.

“DHS’s collection of personal data on millions of U.S. citizens and its ever-expanding surveillance infrastructure should raise alarms for the committee. DHS provides the illusion of security without the purported benefits to our nation.

“The Akif Rahman experience is an example of DHS’s inept border screenings. This week, during an event to mark the one millionth name record on the terrorist watch list, Rahman, an American citizen, spoke about how he has repeatedly been detained at the U.S.-Canada border

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