To: All Members of the U.S. Congress
Date: November 14, 2023
We, the undersigned coalition of 63 Asian American and allied organizations, write to express our strong opposition to including a short-term reauthorization of Section 702 in a continuing resolution or any other "must-pass" legislation. Just as we recently urged comprehensive reforms in our previous communication, we now stress the importance of avoiding a short-term extension that would not serve the American public's best interests.
Section 702 and related surveillance authorities have been misused to spy on Americans, including but not limited to protesters, journalists, campaign donors, and members of Congress. The consequences of such misuse have had a profound impact on our Asian American community, resulting in wrongful targeting, unjust surveillance, and devastating tolls on careers, livelihoods, and reputations. This disproportionate targeting has fostered a climate of fear among Asian Americans and their families, causing anxiety about being stopped, monitored, or investigated while engaging in everyday activities. These issues not only raise significant concerns about civil liberties and civil rights, but also underscore the need for substantial reform.
f Section 702 requires reauthorization, it must be pursued through standalone legislation, subject to open debate and amendment. Numerous members of Congress, including committee chairs, firmly oppose reauthorizing the law in its current form. In essence, a straight reauthorization of Section 702 would not pass Congress if subjected to an up-or-down vote. Meanwhile, privacy champions have recently offered the only existing path forward in the form of the Government Surveillance Reform Act of 2023, which members of Congress deserve the opportunity to vote for on the floor.
The inclusion of a short-term reauthorization in larger “must-pass” bills would undermine the democratic process, run counter to the will of Congress, and disregard the concerns of the American people. Such an approach could also imperil the long-term viability of Section 702 by alienating members who are willing to engage in constructive negotiations for meaningful reforms.
In light of our recent call for comprehensive reforms, we urge you to consider these concerns seriously and to reject any short-term reauthorization of Section 702. Failure to do so would perpetuate a system that unjustly targets Asian Americans and subjects them to unwarranted surveillance.
Sincerely,
AAPI Equity Alliance
AAPI Victory Alliance
Action Against Hate
A
PI Equality-LA
ASATA – Alliance of South Asians Taking Action
Asian American Academy of Science and Engineering (AAASE)
Asian American Federal Employees for Nondiscrimination
Asian American for Civil Rights and Equality
Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF)
Asian American Scholar Forum
Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC
Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus
Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Atlanta
Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California
Asian Americans Leadership Council
Asian Law Alliance
Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), AFL-CIO
Asian Pacific Partners for Empowerment,
Advocacy and Leadership (APPEAL)
Asian Student Alliance
Asian Texans for Justice
Association of Chinese Americans
Aurora Commons Center for Leadership Equity and Research (CLEAR)
Chinese American Citizens Alliance Portland Lodge
Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco
Chinese for Affirmative Action
Coalition of AAPI Churches Los Angeles
Communities United for Status & Protection (CUSP)
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
Empowering Marginalized Asian Communities
Ethnic Media Services
Grassroots Asians Rising
Hmong Innovating Politics
Muslim Advocates
Muslims for Just Futures
National Asian Pacific American Families Against Substance Abuse (NAPAFASA)
National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum
National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA)
National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC)
OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates National Pacific Islander Education Network
OCA Asian Pacific Advocates – San Diego
OCA Asian Pacific Advocates of Greater Seattle
OCA Asian Pacific American Advocates—Pittsburgh Chapter
OCA Columbus
OCA Greater Chicago
OCA Greater Cleveland – Asian Pacific American Advocates
OCA Silicon Valley
OCA-Central Virginia Chapter
OCA-Greater Houston Pacific Asian Counseling Services
Restore The Fourth
Rising Voices
Sikh Coalition
South Asian American Policy and Research Institute (SAAPRI)
South Asian Public Health Association Thai Community Development Center (Thai CDC)
Tulane Association of Chinese Professionals
Vietlead
Vincent Chin Institute
Woori Juntos
South Asian Network
Stop AAPI Hate
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AAJC Advancing Justice | AAJC has a mission to advance the civil and human rights of Asian Americans and to build and promote a fair and equitable society for all.
