Last week it was leaked that the DOJ was working on the "Domestic Security Enhancement Act of 2003" or Patriot Act II, by a brave soul at DOJ, who thought it wise to give the folks at the Center of Public Integrity at heads up. If anything, Patriot II is even more egregious than the orginal Patriot ACT.
Here's a couple of the highlights courtesy of Wired.
* Conduct domestic wiretapping without court order for 15 days following a congressional authorization of use of force or an attack on the United States.
* Secretly detain citizens.
* Deport any alien, including green-card holders, who are convicted of drug possession or an aggravated felony.
* Access a citizen's credit reports without a subpoena.
* Abolish federal court "consent decrees" that limit police surveillance of non-criminal organizations and public events.
* Criminalize the use of encryption software in the commission or planning of a felony.
* Apply strict gag rules to those subpoenaed by a grand jury.
* Collect DNA from suspected terrorists and indeed from any individual whose DNA might assist terror investigations.
* Extend authorization periods for secret wiretaps and Internet surveillance.
* Ease restrictions on the use of secret evidence.
Wired left the fun part about stripping people of their citizenship if the government decides they have demonstrated that they wish to by supporting groups that denounce Government policy. In effect, under Patriot II, all of the people who took part in the anti-war protests over the weekend could lose their citizenship, if this goes into effect.
I guess we don't need that 1st Amendment after all...