Skip to content

Does labeling protest ‘domestic terrorism’ weaken national security — and First Amendment protections?

Just who is a “domestic terrorist,” and what is the danger when a protest is labeled “an act of domestic terrorism”? President Donald 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, doesn’t deny the presence of domestic terrorists among us. But does the Trump administration’s expansive definition of the term clash with First Amendment rights? And do recent enforcement activities make us more or less safe? Levinson-Waldman explains on this episode of Equal Time. 

Recent Stories

The not-so-secret filibuster society

Kay Granger, trailblazing Texas congresswoman, dead at 83

Senate’s funding patch adds Trump requests but blocks grant rule

Negotiations on Senate stopgap spending bill drag

‘How do we get out of here?’ — Congressional Hits and Misses

Photos of the week | July 24-30, 2026