Homeland security

Topic

Can the Department of Homeland Security Protect the Nation Without Eroding Constitutional Liberties?

Abstract

The expansion of Homeland Security post-9/11 has raised fundamental questions about how to protect the United States while preserving constitutional rights and civil liberties. Pre-9/11 Homeland Security was narrowly focused on terrorism. After 9/11, the need to expand protections was noticed, but at what cost? This paper examines the legal and ethical tensions between security policies and individual freedoms in areas of surveillance, information sharing, immigration enforcement, and detention. I will draw on case examples such as the US Patriot Act of 2001 and the US Freedom Act of 2015, as well as recent ICE operations in Minnesota, to evaluate whether past and current oversight adequately balances security and liberty. Through policy changes and transparency, I do believe that the DHS can successfully provide the guaranteed protections, without impeding on the rights of Americans.