One way American laws were affected was by the passage of the USA Patriot ("Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism", or USAPA) Act. The Patriot Act was introduced soon after September 11th, on October 24th, and signed instantaneously by President George W. …show more content…
Its purpose was to balance concerns of national security with the civil rights of US citizens. The law calls for measures to deter terrorism such as tracking entry and exit data at airports, land border ports, and seaports, greater surveillance of aliens, and unabridged access to educational and consumer records without court order. The act is highly controversial, mostly because of the excessive authority abused by law enforcement and because it allows government surveillance of the personal lives of Americans, even in cases not related to terrorism. For instance, a report from the Inspector General of the Justice Department stated that “There was widespread and serious abuse of authority by the F.B.I. under the Patriot Act”. Law enforcement officers used tactics that were only allowed to be used in situations involving terrorism,