The Trump administration issued a memorandum focused on combating “domestic terrorism” and perceived political violence within the United States. This directive reportedly outlines an administration-wide response strategy, involving various federal entities including the FBI’s joint terrorism task forces, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Treasury.
According to statements attributed to the administration, the identified “political violence” is characterized as a carefully planned and executed phenomenon, rather than a series of isolated incidents. These statements also referenced “feeder organizations” allegedly funding activities such as harassment, doxing, intimidation, and attempted assassinations of public officials, describing these actions as “terrorism on our soil.”
In response, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) expressed apprehension, noting that joint terrorism task forces have a “long history of investigations that wrongly target protestors, communities of color, and those engaged in dissent.” Legal analysis indicated that the memorandum does not create new crimes but directs existing task forces to address these matters. Concerns were also articulated regarding the potential for the administration to selectively pursue politically-oriented terrorism that opposes its specific political agenda.
Source: www.theguardian.com