Using frameworks inherited from the post-9/11 security state — including Patriot Act provisions, fusion centers, and federal anti-terror task forces — the administration broadens the scope of domestic intelligence operations. This expansion is often justified through vague or politicized labels like “domestic extremism,” “civil disorder,” or “foreign-influenced activism.”
Surveillance tactics may include geofence warrants, social media monitoring, facial recognition, and the use of federal law enforcement to infiltrate or surveil protests and civic organizations. These activities tend to disproportionately target Black, Indigenous, environmental, immigrant, and left-leaning groups while ignoring or excusing far-right or regime-aligned militias.
Authoritarian regimes such as Putin’s Russia, Erdoğan’s Turkey, and Fujimori’s Peru have used mass surveillance and infiltration not only to detect opposition movements, but to preemptively discredit, arrest, or neutralize them. Surveillance suppresses activism by inducing fear, confusion, and mistrust within social networks.
What to Watch For
- New DHS or FBI task forces focusing on “domestic extremism” tied to political protests
- Fusion center bulletins referencing civic groups or protests as national security risks
- Reports of protest organizers receiving federal visits, subpoenas, or surveillance notices
- Legislation expanding warrantless data collection powers or redefining terrorism statutes
- Leaked documents showing infiltration of political groups or monitoring of digital communication
- Partnerships between federal agencies and private tech companies to harvest location or biometric data