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Val's avatar

Check your history regarding congressional approval required when a president declares suspension of Habeus Corpus

Lincoln and three other presidents did it without congress

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Jack Beavers's avatar

Abraham Lincoln ordered the suspension of habeas corpus in 1861, but the US Supreme Court Chief Justice issued a ruling two months later that the Constitution reserves that right for Congress and that Lincoln’s order was invalid. Congress eventually passed the Habeas Corpus Suspension Act delegating that authority to the President until Lincoln chose to lift the suspension or the Civil War ended.

The Habeas Corpus Act of 1867 restored it while continuing to deny habeas relief to anyone who had already been arrested for a military offense or for aiding the Confederacy.

The Civil Rights Act of 1871, authorized the suspension of habeas corpus in order to break the Ku Klux Klan during Reconstruction, which allowed President Grant to do so.

Following the bombing of Pearl Harbor habeas corpus was suspended in Hawaii during FDR's Presidency. The authority for that suspension was authorized by a previous act of Congress (The Hawaiian Organic Act of 1900) which provided that the territorial governor "may, in case of rebellion or invasion, or imminent danger thereof, when the public safety requires it, suspend the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus , or place the Territory or any part thereof, under martial law until communication can be had with the President and his decision thereon made known.” . Habeas Corpus was restored after Martial Law in Hawaii ended in 1944.

More recently, George W. Bush attempted to place Guantanamo Bay detainees outside the jurisdiction of habeas corpus, but the Supreme Court overturned this action.

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Val's avatar

Not when it comes to invasion and public safety

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Val's avatar

Do it now!

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