USA PATRIOT ACT USA PATRIOT ACT “Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism” Act “Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism” Act

Patriot Act Passed on October, 24 2001 6 weeks after 9/11 Written by the Senate Intelligence Committee and the Attorney Generals Office

Significant Flaws Access Medical records Tax Records Information about books you buy or borrow Wire Tapping Indefinite detention of immigrants Intercepting communications Telephone and Internet Surveillance Secret Searches

Section 215 Allows the FBI to order any person or entity to turn over “any tangible things” FBI has to specify that the order is “for an authorized investigation to protect against international terrorism or intelligence activities”

Section 215 FBI does NOT need probable cause or reasonable grounds. They can spy on a person based on the books they read, the websites they visit, or if they write a letter to an editor criticizing government policy.

Section 215 Prohibited from disclosing the fact to anyone else. Never notified their privacy has been compromised If they keep track of how many guns you buy, your books or websites you would never know

Section 218 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act “FISA” FBI could secretly conduct a physical search or wiretap without providing probable cause. “Sneak and Peek” searches Intelligence authority is all they need

Sections 219 and 411 Permit detention and deportation of non-citizens If they are suspected of helping a terrorist group Even if the group has never been designates as a terrorist organization Under these sections the Secretary of State could designate any group that has engaged in violent activity a “terrorist organization”

“Terrorist Organization” Operation Rescue, Greenpeace, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Non-citizens in these groups would be deported Citizens who donate to the group could be considered “funding a terrorist organization” Regardless if they knew their assistance had anything to do with alleged terrorist activity.

Section 412 Permits the indefinite detention of immigrants and other non-citizens Allowed on the Attorney General’s finding of “reasonable grounds to believe” involvement with terrorists.

Domestic Terrorism Any act dangerous to human life. If the act appears to be intended to -intimidate or coerce a population, -influence a policy of government by coercion - affect the conduct of government by mass destruction, assassination or kidnapping

Sections 507 and 508 Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) Access to student records Highly personal student information will be transmitted to federal agencies without consent of the student American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers 200 Universities have turned over information to the FBI, INS and other law enforcement officials.

Sections 507 and 508 Access to: - coursework and grades - financial information - school trips - housing and food - books checked out from the library - any discipline actions - extracurricular activities - foreign students - students in particular fields of study - students of particular ethnicities

Section 311 Financial Institutions would monitor daily transactions and be required to share information with government agencies. Report “any suspicious transactions relevant to a possible violation of law or regulation”

Section 311 Continued Deposit, withdraw, or make a purchase involving more than $10,000 in cash in one day, reports detailing your name, address, and taxpayer identification number will be sent to government agencies If you purchase over $3,000 of traveler’s checks, money orders, or cashier’s checks, such a transaction will also be reported to the IRS via a Monetary Instrument Log Can be charged with money laundering or otherwise violating the law, a Suspicious Activity Report (SAR). The SAR will be filed without your knowledge – it is, in fact, against the law for you to be informed of the SAR as your knowledge would compromise the subsequent investigation.

Patriot Act Sections