The Citizens Committee for Constitutional Liberties collection documents the activities of the organization. The records have been divided into four series: Office Business, Governmental, Photographs, and Printed Material.
Files from CCCL's office have been placed into the Office Business series dating from 1962-1963. These include office correspondence, financial information, as well as speeches given at CCCL rallies by members of the organization or its supporters: Dr. Willard Uphaus, Moe Fishman, Paul Ross, Benjamin Davis, and others.
The Governmental series, 1960-1973, contains materials pertaining to CCCL's involvement with government agencies charged in some way with the enforcement of the McCarran Act. Included are letters exchanged with congressman and senators, including letters from former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. This series also contains testimony given by the organization before the Subversive Activities Control Board, information on the McCarran Act, the Smith Act, and the Emergency Detention Act, and acts, bills, and propositions related to the CCCL's causes.
The Photograph series includes photographs of supposed detention camps for foreign-born citizens.
The Printed Material series has magazines and newspaper clippings relevant to the organization and its causes. Also included in this series are Congressional Records excerpts, pamphlets published by the CCCL, scrapbooks, and political cartoons.
The Citizens Committee for Constitutional Liberties (CCCL) was formed in 1961 with the purpose of cooperating with and augmenting efforts to defend victims of the McCarran-Walter Immigration Act. Passed in 1952, this piece of legislation required the Attorney General to screen out so-called "subversives" within the quotas of immigrants coming into the country and to deport them. McCarran-Walter also allowed for the deportation of naturalized American citizens.
With a membership comprised of students, leftists, and other radicals, the CCCL organized rallies, gave speeches in opposition to the law, and distributed to individuals and organizations reprints of relevant documents and articles outlining the rationale for repealing the law. Throughout its existence, the CCCL was led and supported by dynamic individuals who believed in the cause. Miriam Friedlander became CCCL Executive Secretary/Director in 1962. She was a tireless worker, helping in any way that she could: participating in public demonstrations, passing out literature, writing countless letters to members of congress, and raised funds to support the organization's activities.
In April 1963, CCCL selected Dr. Willard Uphaus to be chairman of the organization. Uphaus was a charismatic speaker who motivated people to fight for the repeal of McCarran. In 1969, Paul Ross joined him as co-chair.
In 1973, Miriam Friedlander won a seat on the New York City Council, 3rd District, Lower Manhattan. As she was unable to carry on both as CCCL Executive Director and New York councilwoman, the members of the CCCL voted to disband in 1973.
