Claim: Patriot Act allows FBI to search e-mail and financial records without court order.
Evidence: Opponents of the law have criticized its authorization of indefinite detentions of immigrants ; the permission given law enforcement officers to search a home or business without the owner 's or the occupant 's consent or knowledge ; the expanded use of National Security Letters , which allows the Federal Bureau of Investigation -LRB- FBI -RRB- to search telephone , e-mail , and financial records without a court order ; and the expanded access of law enforcement agencies to business records , including library and financial records.