Gale Encyclopedia of American Law Volume 6 P13 fully illuminates today's leading cases, major statutes, legal terms and concepts, notable persons involved with the law, important documents and more. Legal issues are fully discussed in easy-to-understand language, including such high-profile topics as the Americans with Disabilities Act, capital punishment, domestic violence, gay and lesbian rights, physician-assisted suicide and thousands more. | 108 JUSTICE OF THE PEACE The September 11 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States led to substantive and organizational changes for the DOJ. The USA PATRIOT Act Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism passed by Congress in October 2001 granted the attorney general more surveillance powers with less judicial supervision. The act also gave the attorney general more power to detain and deport non-citizens with little or no judicial review. After the September 11 attacks the INS faced increasing criticism for its failure to monitor the hijackers and for its alleged inability to modernize its management system. As a result the functions of the INS were transferred to agencies within the department of homeland security following its establishment in 2002. The responsibilities held by the former INS are now undertaken by the . Citizenship and immigration Services USCIS . Immigration and Customs Enforcement ICE and the . Customs and Border Protection CBP . A controversy arose in the DOJ during President George W. Bush s administration when on December 7 2006 seven . attorneys were fired mid-term. Two other . attorneys had likewise been removed from their positions earlier in 2006. The termination of the . attorneys led to an investigation by Congress in which it was alleged that the DOJ and President Bush were using the positions for partisan political purposes. By September 2007 nine senior DOJ officers associated with the firings had resigned. Among those stepping down was alberto gonzales the . attorney general. A 2008 report issued by the DOJ inspector general found that the firings had been fundamentally flawed and called for the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate the matter further. Many units of the federal government continue to employ their own legal counsel but such attorneys generally are restricted to rendering legal advice to that department alone and
