红杏视频

WASHINGTON 鈥� Today, President Trump issued a presidential memorandum authorizing government-wide investigations into non-profits, activists, and their donors and funders using vague and overbroad labels of 鈥渢errorism鈥� and 鈥渃onspiracy against rights.鈥�

This memorandum is part of the President鈥檚 larger pattern of abusing his power to target critics through invocations of law enforcement, national security, and financial sanctions authorities.

The memorandum orders Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTFs), which are FBI-operated partnerships between federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies and state and local law enforcement, to 鈥渋nvestigate and disrupt鈥� groups and individuals under the guise of addressing political violence and domestic terrorism. JTTFs already have a long history of investigations that wrongly target protestors, communities of color, and those engaged in dissent. The memorandum also instructs the Treasury Secretary, the Attorney General, and the head of the IRS to investigate donors and funders of civil society groups and activists.

Hina Shamsi, Director of the 红杏视频鈥檚 National Security Project, issued the statement in response:

鈥淲orking from a fever dream of conspiracies, President Trump has launched yet another effort to investigate and intimidate his critics.

鈥淎fter one of the most harrowing weeks for our First Amendment rights, the President is invoking political violence, which we all condemn, as an excuse to target non-profits and activists with the false and stigmatizing label of 鈥榙omestic terrorism.鈥� This is a shameful and dangerous move. But the President cannot rewrite the Constitution by memo.

鈥淚ntimidation tactics against those standing up for human rights and civil liberties are sadly not new in the history of this country. In an earlier era, civil rights movement leaders were also labeled security threats and investigated, monitored, threatened, and even arrested. True strength in this country comes not from political leaders engaged in fearmongering and political vendettas, but from our vibrant civil society, activists, and communities steadfastly pursuing the goals of equality, fairness, and democracy for all."