Foreword by Howard Zinn Just six weeks after 11 September, a jittery Congress overwhelmingly approved the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act, better known as The USA PATRIOT Act. This hastily drafted and far-reaching legislation, despite vigorous objections from civil liberties organisations, was passed with virtually no public hearing or debate. In this concise text, Chang explains how the new law erodes civil liberties and privacy, and severely impacts immigration.