If this isn't a bill screaming fascism, I don't know what is.
Americans could have their citizenship revoked, if found to have contributed "material support" to organizations deemed by the government, even retroactively, to be "terrorist." Until now, in our law, an American could only lose his or her citizenship by declaring a clear intent to abandon it, but the new bill states that "the intent to relinquish nationality need not be manifested in words, but can be inferred from conduct.'"
Legal permanent residents could be deported instantaneously, without a criminal charge or even evidence, if the Attorney General considers them a threat to national security. If they commit minor, non-terrorist offenses, they can still be booted out, without so much as a day in court, because the law would exempt habeas corpus review in some cases.
The government would be instructed to build a mammoth database of citizen DNA information, aimed at "detecting, investigating, prosecuting, preventing or responding to terrorist activities." Samples could be collected without a court order; one need only be suspected of wrongdoing by a law enforcement officer. Those refusing the cheek-swab could be fined $200,000 and jailed for a year. "Because no federal genetic privacy law regulates DNA databases, privacy advocates fear that the data they contain could be misused," THere have already been numerous cases where people with 'flawed' DNA have already suffered genetic discrimination at the hands of employers, insurance companies and the government.
Authorities could wiretap anybody for 15 days, and snoop on anyone's Internet usage, including chat and email, all without obtaining a warrant.
The government would be specifically instructed not to release any information about detainees held on suspicion of terrorist activities, until they are actually charged with a crime. Translation: secret arrests are now legal.
Businesses that rat on their customers to the Feds -- even if the information violates privacy agreements, or is, in fact, dead wrong -- would be granted immunity. Such immunity could provide an incentive for neighbor to spy on neighbor and pose problems similar to those inherent in Attorney General Ashcroft's citizen spy program Operation TIPS.
Police officers carrying out illegal searches would also be granted legal immunity if they were just carrying out orders.
Federal "consent decrees" limiting local law enforcement agencies' abilities to spy on citizens in their jurisdiction would be rolled back.
American citizens could be subject to secret surveillance by their own government on behalf of foreign countries, including dictatorships.
The death penalty would be expanded to cover 15 new offenses.
Many of PATRIOT I's "sunset provisions" would be erased from the books.
It's all here...
http://www.publicintegrity.org/dtaweb/downloads/Story_01_020703_Doc_1.pdf
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