PORTLAND – The American Civil Liberties Union is running radio ads this week asking Mainers to urge their senators to vote to repeal part of the USA Patriot Act.

The anti-terror law has a provision that allows “sneak and peek” searches, letting authorities delay notifying the target of the search, the ACLU said.

The Republican-controlled House recently voted against the provision. Now the ACLU is trying to generate support for a repeal in the Senate.

The advertisements ask residents to call GOP Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins to voice support for the provision’s repeal.