A 1967 memo from William Cornelius Sullivan of the FBI alludes to a PEAD which authorizes the suspension of habeas corpus. "This is a drastic program set up under the assumption that drastic steps will be necessary to protect the national security of this country so that efforts can be made to remove from circulation individuals determined to be potentially dangerous to the national defense and public safety of the United States by engaging in espionage, sabotage and/or subversion in the event an attack is launched against this country," Sullivan wrote.

BRENNAN CENTER FOR JUSTICE

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rewriting-the-limits-of-presidential-powers/

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Presidential Emergency Action Documents (PEADs) are executive orders, proclamations, and messages to Congress that are prepared in anticipation of a range of emergency scenarios.

Although PEADs themselves remain a well-kept secret, over the years a number of unclassified or de-classified documents have become available that discuss PEADs. Through these documents, we know that there were 56 PEADs in effect as of 2017, up from 48 a couple of decades earlier. PEADs undergo periodic revision; although we do not know what PEADs contain today, we know that PEADs in past years—

• authorized detention of “alien enemies” and other “dangerous persons” within the United States;

• suspended the writ of habeas corpus by presidential order;

provided for various forms of martial law;

• issued a general warrant permitting search and seizure of persons and property;

• established military areas such as those created during World War II;

suspended production of the Federal Register;

• declared a State of War; and

• authorized censorship of news reports.

https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/presidential-emergency-action-documents