The Bush administration’s recently passed Homeland Security Act likely will have an effect on some NIU students.

The act was designed to improve the nation’s security and created a department that will deal with American domestic issues and take steps to prevent terrorism.

“We’re walking on a very narrow tightrope between protecting ourselves and spying on ourselves for no reason,” NIU sociology professor Herbert Rubin said.

The act could affect foreign students at NIU, said Suzanne Willis, executive secretary of university council and president of the faculty senate. She said it could become more difficult for international students to get visas.

“It’s even possible that students from some countries may not be allowed into certain areas of study,” Willis said.

Sophomore music major Harunobu Tsuchida is an international student at NIU concerned about the ramifications of the act.

Rubin said the act also will allow the government to monitor which books people have checked out of libraries.

“The library is not allowed to tell that somebody’s asked what you’ve been reading,” he said. “There’s no reason Uncle Sam couldn’t read our e-mail if [he]wants to,” he said.

Willis has asked NIU Corporate Counsel Ken Davidson, who will replace George Shur as general counsel in 2003, to review the act.

“The Homeland Security Act is huge,” Willis said. “It’s an enormous piece of legislation.”

Davidson said the act could have significant effects at NIU, but declined to list any in particular.