STATEMENT OF THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
REGARDING TODAY'S RULING IN

The Northern New Jersey Media Group, Inc. Et Al. V. Ashcroft, Et Al.

The highest priority of the Department of Justice is to detect and prevent terrorism while preserving our constitutional liberties. We will continue to defend the principle that the Constitution does not require immigration proceedings to be conducted in a way that provides valuable information to terrorist organizations or others who wish to harm Americans. The closure of these hearings is vital to the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to take reasonable but necessary steps to protect our national security. These considerations will inform our decisions and response to the district court's order.

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02-323