1. United States
2. Maine
3. Letter

Politically Left Organizations are Not a National Security Threat I am writing to express concern about the State Department’s expanding use of terrorism designations against left-wing groups and to urge congressional oversight before these authorities are applied in ways that could affect lawful domestic organizations or protected political activity.  I would have the same concern if a future Democratic administration used these same authorities against organizations aligned with the MAGA movement. My concern is the precedent these actions establish, regardless of which party is in power. Since November 2025, the State Department has designated four Europe-based Antifa-aligned groups—Antifa Ost, FAI/FRI, Armed Proletarian Justice, and Revolutionary Class Self-Defense—as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, citing their involvement in bombings and other acts of violence. On July 16, Secretary Rubio convened officials from more than 60 countries and announced that additional designations are forthcoming, describing an ongoing international effort to identify groups “aligned with” this movement. The same day, the administration announced new visa restrictions targeting “Far-Left Terrorist and other aligned” individuals, and Treasury Secretary Bessent stated that the Treasury Department would expand efforts to freeze assets linked to organizations it determines are connected to left-wing terrorism. Civil liberties organizations, including the ACLU, have expressed concern that these authorities could be interpreted too broadly, potentially affecting lawful protest activity or organizations without sufficient evidence of involvement in violent acts. Press reports have also indicated that some administration officials raised concerns about the potential breadth of the initiative and the risk that it could be applied based on ideology rather than specific criminal conduct. I respectfully urge you to: • Request a full explanation from the State Department of the legal standards used for these designations, including how the term “aligned with” is defined and applied. • Seek assurances that no domestic organization or individual will be designated, sanctioned, investigated, or defunded absent evidence of specific criminal conduct. • Support congressional oversight hearings on the use of State Department, Treasury, and visa authorities in implementing these policies. Thank you for your attention to this matter and for your commitment to protecting both public safety and the constitutional rights of Americans.