what is the usa patriot act 
the patriot act or usa patriot act was passed shortly after the terrorist attacks in the united states that occurred on september 11 2001 and gave law enforcement agencies broader powers to investigate indict and bring terrorists to justice it also led to increased penalties for committing and supporting terrorist crimes an acronym for uniting and strengthening america by providing appropriate tools required to intercept and obstruct terrorism the usa patriot act lowered the threshold for law enforcement to obtain intelligence and information against suspected spies terrorists and other enemies of the united states history of the patriot actthe patriot act the common reference for the usa patriot act was passed by the u s congress and signed into law by president george w bush on oct 26 2001 following the september 11th terrorist attacks against the united states it enhanced previous legislation from april 1996 entitled the antiterrorism and effective death penalty act of 1996 enacted during the clinton administration following the 1995 oklahoma city bombing the patriot act aimed to increase homeland security and expanded tools available to law enforcement and federal agents such as surveillance wiretapping and roving wiretaps to track and investigate terror related crimes obtaining bank records and business financial records to prevent money laundering for terrorism financing improved intelligence sharing between government agencies tougher penalties for convicted terrorists and those who aid them allowing for delayed search warrants preventing aliens involved in terrorist activities to enter the united states 1implications of the patriot actpolice officers fbi agents federal prosecutors and intelligence officials are better able to share information and evidence on individuals and plots thus enhancing their protection of communities 2federal agents may use court orders to obtain business records from hardware stores or chemical plants to determine who may be buying materials to construct bombs bank records can be obtained to determine if an individual or entity is sending money to terrorists or suspect organizations the patriot act widened the use of national security letters issued by the fbi which are issued without a judge s approval to obtain phone records bank records or computer records the patriot act impacts financial professionals and financial institutions with its title iii provision entitled international money laundering abatement and financial anti terrorism act of 2001 targeting parties suspected of terrorism terrorist financing and money laundering 3banks must also investigate accounts owned by political figures suspected of past corruption and there are greater restrictions on the use of internal bank concentration accounts that fail to effectively maintain audit trails 4the bank secrecy act of 1970 bsa the currency and foreign transactions reporting act requires banks to record cash purchases of instruments that have daily aggregate values of 10 000 or more an amount that triggers suspicion of tax evasion and other questionable practices and the patriot act makes concealing more than 10 000 on anyone s physical person an offense punishable by up to five years in prison 5the act expanded the definition of money laundering to include computer crimes the bribing of elected officials and the fraudulent handling of public funds money laundering now encompasses the exportation or importation of controlled munitions not approved by the u s attorney general 6advantages of the patriot actthe patriot act and its merit have been debated since its inception in 2001 and advocates claim the act has made anti terrorism efforts more streamlined efficient and effective according to the department of justice the patriot act has incapacitated at least 3 000 operatives worldwide broken terrorist cells in buffalo detroit seattle portland and northern virginia designated 40 terrorist organizations and frozen at least 136 million in suspected assets around the world 7roving wiretaps allow tracking of international terrorists trained to avoid surveillance the option to delay notifying terrorist suspects of a search warrant gives law enforcement time to identify the criminal s associates and eliminate immediate community threats the patriot act facilitates information sharing and cooperation among government agencies so that they can better connect the dots with more unity through multiple communication channels investigating officers can act quickly before a suspected attack is completed 7increased wiretapping under the patriot act lets investigators listen to conversations that could potentially be threatening to the national security of a country but groups like the american civil liberties union have questioned the risk of abuse of wiretapping american citizens 8disadvantages of the patriot actcivil rights groups have claimed the patriot act violates constitutional rights and allows the government to spy on individuals without due process and search their homes without consent the act enhanced the use of national security letters nsls an administrative subpoena issued by the united states government to gather information like telephone records or bank records for national security purposes however the patriot act does not require information obtained by an nsl to be destroyed even for an innocent citizen 8critics argue that basic rights under the fourth amendment have been compromised by the patriot act as delayed warrants allow officials to enter homes or offices and conduct searches while the occupant is away the business finance and investment communities are affected by heightened documentation requirements and due diligence responsibilities for account holders who conduct international business suspected terrorists have been imprisoned at guantanamo bay cuba and other sites with delayed due process in addition following 9 11 many muslims south asians and arabs and their communities were unfairly targeted and racially profiled due to the passage of the patriot act 9