A few highlights of the pending PATRIOT Act

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Interestingly, most of the subjects in Title I, on Intelligence Gathering have a sunset clause. These relatively minor code revisions “shall cease to have any effect on December 31, 2003.” We must wonder why Congress would waste the time necessary to change the code for only a couple of years. Perhaps the entire purpose of the bill is to get a rise out of anti-bad government activists that have effectively put bad government in check? Is the PATRIOT Act, which is fundamentally a non act, a tacit admission by Congress that the “patriot” movement has beaten them at their own game and they are simply sore losers that would rather start WWIII than admit defeat?


Under this legislation, there is a mandatory detention phone number list of any suspected terrorist that endangers the national security of the U.S. They can be held for seven days unless they are charged with a crime, in which case they can be held longer. Habeas Corpus relief will be available only in the District Court in Washington D.C.

The PATRIOT Act proposes to triple the Border Patrol and INS staff on the northern border. The INS is to receive $50 million more for technology improvements and additional equipment.

There are also a number of new immigration procedures and relief for the families of aliens who died in the events of September 11.