The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, resulted in dramatic legal changes in the U.S. As part of its investigation into the attacks, the U.S. Government detained approximately 5,000 "aliens" from predominantly Muslim countries. These detentions were characterized by minimal, and sometimes non-existent, habeas corpus and due-process protections. During times of crisis, care should be taken that panic not be allowed to prevail over long-cherished constitutional values. This thesis examines Government actions in light of constitutional principles to examine the larger question of whether the War on Terror detention practices have permanently undermined the rule of law in the U.S. / The factual and legal scenarios in this area have been changing at a rapid rate, and they will certainly continue to change. Those constant changes have presented a special challenge in writing this thesis. The facts and legal scenarios described herein, therefore, are current as of January 31, 2005.

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