Equal Time: Does labeling protest ‘domestic terrorism’ weaken national security -- and First Amendment protections?

CQ Roll Call Policy and Politics · Feb 27, 2026 · 49m

Just who is a “domestic terrorist,” and what is the danger when a protest is labeled “an act of domestic terrorism”? President Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, has announced a drawdown of troops in Minnesota, where immigration raids swept up many, including U.S. citizens, triggered protests and left two of those citizens dead. But the administration hasn’t ruled out future surges across the country. In analyzing federal actions – in the past and yet to come -- Rachel Levinson-Waldman, director of the Liberty and National Security Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, does not deny the…