Patriot Act 2: The Domestic Security Enhancement Act :: essays research papers

Patriot Act 2: The Domestic Security Enhancement Act   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After the horrendous terrorist attack on the New York Trade Center a new Bill was passed by congress shortly after September 11, 2004. This bill is known as The Domestic Security Enhancement Act also called Patriot Act 2. This bill was designed as a follow-up to the USA Patriot Act to work in increasing government surveillance, detention and other law enforcement powers while reducing basic checks and balances on such powers. By the beginning of the year 2003 a draft of the legislation was available.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Amongst the most severe problems the bill diminishes personal privacy by removing checks on government power, diminishes public accountability by increasing government secrecy, and diminishes corporate accountability under the pretext of fighting terrorism. Also the bill undermines fundamental constitutional rights of Americans under overboard definitions of â€Å"terrorism† and â€Å"terrorist organization† or under a terrorism prete xt. Furthermore, unfairly targets immigrants under the pretext of fighting terrorism. (http://www.aclu.org/Safeand Free/SafeandFree.cfm?ID=11835&c=206)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Patriot Act 2 would give more power to the government, eliminating and weakening many of the checks and balances that remained on government surveillance, wiretapping, detention and criminal prosecution even after passage of the USA Patriot Act. The Patriot Bill was drafted by the Bush Administration that would expand law enforcement and intelligence gathering authorities, reduce or eliminate judicial oversight over surveillance, authorities secret arrests, create DNA database based on unchecked executive â€Å"suspicion,† create new death penalties, and even seek to take American citizenship away from persons who belong to or support disfavored political groups. A few renditions and provisions of the bill is explained in the next few paragraphs. These are only a few of the examples of the powers the new bill will give the government. (http://www.cdt.org/security/usapatriot/030210cole.pdf)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Section 201 authorizes secret arrests, overturning federal court decision requiring government disclose identity of persons it has detained during the 9/11 investigations. This part mandate that all arrests in connection to international terrorism investigations remain secret until indictment is filed. In our history we have never permitted secret arrests, it contradicts our rights and liberty.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Section 312 end the consent Decrees Against Illegal Police Spying. Automatically eliminating any consent decree governing police spying abuse entered before 9/11 no matter the basis of the pronouncement. This section states that it would eliminate consent pronouncements for the future with respect to police spying, and place substantial restrictions on judicial injunctions   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Section 503 provide the Attorney General unchecked power to deport foreign nationals, including lawful permanent resident aliens.