US Senate supports barring gov't from indefinitely detaining citizens

The United States Senate has voted in favour of barring the government from imprisoning Caribbean and other nationals who are US citizens and permanent residents who are arrested and held in indefinite detention without trial.

The Senate voted 67 to 29 in adding the measure, sponsored by Senators Dianne Feinstein - Democrat of California, and Mike Lee - Republican of Utah, as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, now pending on the Senate floor.

Feinstein has said the amendment is aimed at clarifying that the US government does not put US citizens arrested domestically in military detention.