1. United States
2. Colo.
3. Letter

Congress must act immediately to stop the Trump administration’s weaponization of federal agencies against journalists, activists, nonprofit organizations, and political opponents. The State Department is branding lawful peace and solidarity movements as participants in foreign “subversion.” The Treasury Department is investigating CODEPINK after activists delivered humanitarian aid to Cuba. The House Ways and Means Committee has subpoenaed BreakThrough News, the People’s Forum, and Tricontinental, demanding internal communications and financial records while citing their journalism, political views, and criticism of U.S. policy. This is not legitimate national-security enforcement. It is a new Red Scare designed to frighten people into silence, financially exhaust independent organizations, expose journalists’ sources and internal communications, and criminalize dissent against war, mass deportation, the blockade of Cuba, and U.S. backing for Israel’s genocide in Gaza and pogroms in the West Bank. The First Amendment protects speech, journalism, association, protest, and criticism of the government. Opposition to administration policy is not terrorism, foreign subversion, or probable cause for investigation. I demand that Congress: • Investigate and publicly expose all directives ordering DOJ, FBI, DHS, ICE, Treasury, State Department, IRS, and intelligence agencies to target people or organizations because of protected speech or political activity. • Require disclosure of every investigation, watchlist, subpoena, referral, funding restriction, visa action, and surveillance program connected to these directives. • Defund any program used to investigate, surveil, debank, prosecute, deport, or otherwise punish people for constitutionally protected journalism, advocacy, association, or protest. • Demand that the Ways and Means Committee withdraw its abusive subpoenas against BreakThrough News, the People’s Forum, and Tricontinental. • Demand an end to the politically motivated investigation of CODEPINK and other Cuba solidarity organizations. • Pass binding protections for journalists, confidential sources, nonprofit organizations, activists, and political dissenters targeted by federal retaliation. • Hold public hearings and compel testimony from Marco Rubio, Pam Bondi, Stephen Miller, Treasury officials, FBI leadership, and every official responsible for these actions. Congress must not revive McCarthyism or allow any president to transform federal law enforcement into a weapon against dissent. Defend the First Amendment and stop this authoritarian campaign now.