Timothy Edgar Joins ACLU Washington Office As Immigration/National Security Legislative Counsel

WASHINGTON – Timothy Edgar has joined the American Civil Liberties Union as a Legislative Counsel in its Washington National Office, where he is responsible for defending and promoting civil liberties in the areas of national security and immigration.

Laura W. Murphy, Director of the ACLU’s Washington National Office, announced the appointment, citing the need to protect civil liberties in light of so-called security protections like secret evidence and detention and with the opportunities to proactively work on legislation to fix the 1996 immigration and anti-terrorism laws.

“The ACLU has worked very hard to preserve the rights of legal immigrants in this country,” Murphy said. “Tim will be a wonderful asset in our efforts to continue to protect the civil rights of legal immigrants from profiling, the use of secret evidence and other restrictions which unfair target the immigrant community.”

Edgar will continue the ACLU’s work on legislation designed to restore fairness to immigrants. The Secret Evidence Repeal Act introduced in the House by Rep. David Bonior, D-MI and Bob Barr, R-GA and the Immigration Fairness Restoration Act of 2001, expected to be introduced this week in the Senate by Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-MA, are proactive bills which promise to fix some of the injustices passed by the Republican Congress of 1996.

A Harvard Law School graduate and former clerk with Judge Sandra Lynch of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, Edgar comes to the ACLU from the law firm Shea & Gardner where he worked on several cases, including an asylum case involving a refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (former Zaire). He has also worked pro bono for a small non-profit organization that provides advice and assistance to democratic opposition parties in the Democratic Republic.

“Immigrants have been faced with an unprecedented assault on their liberties in the name of national security and the fight against terrorism since the passage of anti-immigration legislation in 1996,” explained Edgar, “I look forward to joining the ACLU and continuing to protect the civil rights of all Americans.”

Edgar replaces Gregory T. Nojeim, who was appointed in February to Associate Director of the Washington National Office.