The McCarran Internal Security Act
The McCarran Internal Security Act (1950)was enacted during the early Cold War years and shortly after U.S. intervention in the Korean War in response to growing domestic anti‐Communist fears. In the wake of Republican accusations that the Truman administration was not diligent enough against Communists and Communist sympathizers in the United States, a coalition of conservative Democrats and Republicans adopted the measure.
The act, named after Democratic senator Patrick A. McCarran of Nevada, required “communist‐action” and “communist front” organizations to register with the Justice Department. It also increased the statute of limitations, required registration of individuals trained in espionage, authorized the exclusion and deportation of Communists and other “subversives,” and provided for the detention of potential espionage agents and subversives whenever the president proclaimed an...
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