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Patriot Act Definition

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The Patriot Act is an antiterrorism law that allocates powers to the U.S. Department of Justice, the National Security Agency, and other federal agencies. The law authorizes roving wiretaps, “sneak and peek” warrants, business record searches, and surveillance of individuals suspected of terrorist-related activities not linked to terrorist groups. This authorization is in direct violation of the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which says that “the people shall be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects from unreasonable searches and seizures, and that that security can only be violated by a search warrant issued by a neutral judge and based upon probable cause of crime.”
The role of definition in legislation starts with …show more content…

1182(a)(3)). The modification expands the reasons for deportation and inadmissibility for alleged support of terrorist causes by re-defining terms/categories. It redefines the categorizations of “engaging in terrorist activity” (F)(iv) and “representing a terrorist organization,” and adds “espousing terrorist activity, being the spouse or child of an inadmissible alien (VII), associating with a terrorist organization, and intending to engage in activities that could endanger the welfare, safety or security of the United States” (2)(F). The last phrase “…engage in activities that could endanger the welfare, safety or security of the United States” is an argumentative definition that advances the belief of safety most Americans value, and strokes the fires of our …show more content…

The section expands the definition to include “a violent, criminal act intended to affect the conduct of government by mass destruction” (1)(B)(iii). The section also defines domestic terrorism as “any act that is “dangerous to human life, involves a violation of any state or federal law intended to influence government policy, or coerce a civilian population” (5)(B)(i)(ii). A problem with the definition of domestic terrorism is that the term is broad in scope, and could encompass non-terror activist organizations (e.g., Greenspace, Operation Rescue, etc.), and subject them to being

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