"As President Donald Trump prepares to further unleash a rapidly expanding surveillance state against the administration's critics, recent legal struggles from activists who document and protest Trump's mass deportation campaign may be a preview of what's to come as part of a broader effort to silence dissent. Trump made headlines on September 22 with an executive order declaring "Antifa," short for anti-fascist, a domestic terrorist organization."
"The memorandum directs federal law enforcement to utilize a whole-of-government approach, using multi-agency Joint Terrorism Task Forces, to specifically target " anti-fascism" and leftist social movements as potential sources of political violence. The memorandum came after multiple members of the administration referenced a baseless conspiracy theory promoted by Trump that claims billionaire philanthropists such as George Soros fund liberal groups to organize riots and assassination attempts."
Federal actions are expanding surveillance and targeting of critics, with legal struggles from activists who document and protest mass deportation seen as an early sign of broader repression. An executive order labeled "Antifa" a domestic terrorist organization despite the lack of a centralized group, raising concerns about targeting opponents after the killing of pro-Trump pundit Charlie Kirk. A national security memorandum directs a whole-of-government response using multi-agency Joint Terrorism Task Forces to treat anti-fascism and leftist movements as potential sources of political violence. Administration officials cited a baseless conspiracy blaming philanthropists like George Soros for funding violent liberal groups, while most recent deadly political violence has stemmed from white nationalist and far-right actors. Anti-fascists portray their work as an organized defense against right-wing violence.
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