[JURIST] A number of advocacy, rights and philanthropic groups filed an amicus curiae brief [text, PDF; ACLU press release] Friday with the US District Court for the Northern District of Ohio [official website] arguing against the classification of some charitable groups as terrorist organizations without due process. The brief, filed by the groups to support the plaintiffs in KindHearts for Charitable Humanitarian Development, Inc. v. Paulson et al [ACLU backgrounder and materials], argues that the designation of charitable groups as terrorist organizations without due process violates the groups' constitutional rights and discourage and undermine their humanitarian aid efforts. KindHearts is being represented in the litigation by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) [advocacy website]. Among the organizations supporting the brief are Grantmakers Without Borders, OMB Watch, and the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee [advocacy websites]. The amicus groups argue:

NPOs [Non-Profit Organizations] are in fact the government’s allies in the global effort to prevent the growth and spread of terrorist organizations and activities. By providing humanitarian aid, by encouraging economic development, and by enhancing the prospects for the future for those in need, NPOs work to prevent people from losing hope. They work to prevent societies from breaking down, countries from fragmenting. This work helps to prevent the emergence of violent extremism. Unfortunately, at a time when the U.S. has so much to gain by supporting international philanthropy, such work is instead becoming increasingly difficult. NPOs should be treated as allies in the global effort to counter terrorism, but instead they have become targets and casualties. Not only are the government’s actions and policies unconstitutional, but they also discourage and undermine the critical humanitarian aid provided by NPOs, and thus they are counterproductive to the government’s own counter-terrorism goals.