The Impact of the AEDPA on Civil Liberties in America
The AEDPA was passed by Congress in 1996 in response to the Oklahoma City bombing. The AEDPA made it easier to detain and deport aliens suspected of terrorist activity. It also expanded the definition of “material support” to include financial and political speech. The AEDPA was a reaction to the bombing, but it also had a profound impact on freedom of speech and due process procedures for aliens suspected of terrorist activity.