September 11th and the Patriot Act

Men affiliated with Al-Qaeda, a global militant Islamist organization, hijack four passenger airliners, fly two into the World Trade Center complex and one into the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. The fourth plane targets the U.S. Capitol, but crashes into a field in Pennsylvania when its passengers attack the hijackers. The Arab-American and Muslim community experience bigotry and violence as many Americans associate all Muslims with the September 11th terrorists. U.S. government officials focus their attention on “securing the American borders” by having stricter requirements for entry into the U.S.

Just over a month after the September 11^th terrorist attacks, President George W. Bush signs the United and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001, or the USA PATRIOT Act, into law.  The law lifts restrictions on law enforcement’s gathering of domestic intelligence; expands the Secretary of Treasury’s authority over international financial transactions; broadens the law surrounding detainment and deportment of immigrants suspected of terrorism-related acts by authorizing the indefinite detentions of some immigrants; and adds domestic terrorism to the federal definition of terrorism. Conservative and Progressive activists criticize the PATRIOT Act’s passage as an infringement of the federal government on personal privacy. Although the law is directed at fighting terrorism, it has been used against undocumented workers with no terrorist affiliation.