After the September 11 attacks , the United States increased its surveilling of citizens and non-citizens in order to prevent terrorism . After the attacks , the United States focused on issuing various forms of counter-terrorism , from internet surveillance to increased border surveillance . The United States government alongside some states , increased efforts to regulate immigration from the interior of the border . The proposals that have been drafted and passed by lawmakers expect individuals to demonstrate their lawful presence in the United States . With the passing of the Patriot Act , the possibility of indefinite detentions for immigrants became possible . The Patriot Act was enacted seven weeks after the September 11 attacks and allowed for the deportation of immigrants that were suspected of terrorist activity . Under the Patriot Act , immigrants that were considered threats to national security could also be indefinitely detained without the possibility of bond . Detention would also become indefinite if the immigrant 's country did not want to receive the immigrant in question . As a result of this , multiple civil liberties organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union ( ACLU ) began to file lawsuits against federal districts to declare the detention of multiple Muslim men unconstitutional
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
Immigrant surveillance