Civil Liberties

Paul voted against the USA Patriot Act in 2001 and again in 2005. He voted “no” on allowing the President and Attorney General to authorize electronic surveillance without a court order to acquire foreign intelligence information, after certifying that the surveillance is directed at the acquisition of communications of foreign agents.

Paul has called for the closure of the detention center at Guantanamo. "The current rationale at Guantanamo is based on the false premise that detainees are not entitled to due process protections. I support court decisions recognizing fundamental human rights, such as habeas corpus. Again, this is an issue that flies in the face of our civic and legal traditions as outlined in the Constitution," he said in an interview with Muckraker Report.

Ron Paul on The Issues

An Interview with Presidential Candidate Congressman Ron Paul, Muckraker Report, June 28, 2007

Immigration

Paul believes that the U.S. must physically secure its borders before it undertakes complicated immigration reform proposals. He opposes amnesty for undocumented immigrants. "I also think that it's pretty impractical to get an army in this country to round up 12 or maybe 20 million. But I do believe that we have to stick to our guns on obeying the law, and anybody who comes in here illegally shouldn't be rewarded. And that would be the case," said Paul at a Republican presidential debate in Baltimore, Maryland.

Paul has voted in favor of increasing the number of temporary visas granted to highly skilled workers. He has also voted to pass legislation that would require hospitals to gather and report information on possible illegal aliens before hospitals can be reimbursed for treating them.  Paul supports a constitutional amendment to deny automatic citizenship to individuals born on the US soil to parents who are not U.S. citizens or who do not owe permanent allegiance to the United States.

In 2005, Paul voted for legislation incorporating border security with new penalties for violators and new requirements for employers who hire non-citizens. The legislation would make the act of "illegal presence" in the U.S., whether it is intended or not, a criminal felony and allow the government to prosecute any individuals who help an undocumented person remain in the US. It would deny admission to any citizen or resident of a country that does not have a repatriation agreement with the US.

Transcript Republican Presidential Debate, Baltimore, MD

Ron Paul On The Issues

Iran

Paul calls for a foreign policy of non-intervention. He rejects the "dangerous military confrontation approaching with Iran and supported by many in leadership on both sides of the aisle."

Paul asserts that the current circumstances with Iran reflect those under which the war with Iraq was launched. "The agitation and congressional resolutions painting Iran as an enemy about to attack us have already begun.  It's too bad we can't learn from our mistakes," said Paul in a speech before the House of Representatives. "Hysterical fear of Iran is way out of  proportion to reality. With a policy of containment, we stood down and won the Cold War against the Soviets and their 30,000 nuclear weapons and missiles."

Paul was one of two representatives who voted against a House Resolution calling on the United Nations Security Council to charge Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with violating the 1948 Genocide Convention because of his calls for the destruction of the State of Israel.

Ron Paul's Statement on the Iraq War Resolution, February 14, 2007

Ron Paul's Statement on Iran: The Next Neocon Target, April 5, 2006

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