> finding terrorists isn't a "political purpose" it's a matter of life and death If you believe that these actions are necessary to meaningfully reduce harm fr

> finding terrorists isn't a "political purpose" it's a matter of life and death If you believe that these actions are necessary to meaningfully reduce harm from terrorists, then the government's claim about life and death holds up. The concern is that these actions do not meet those conditions (necessary, meaningful reduction), and that the government is using the argument to cover for actions it wants to take for other reasons, including political ones. Also, even those conditions are not sufficient to justify it. The actions must be lawful, of course, and the loss of liberty must be worth the gains in security; the U.S. (generally) has valued liberty very highly.