Attorney General Pam Bondi has issued a memorandum directing all federal prosecutors, law enforcement agencies, and Department of Justice (DOJ) grant-making components to aggressively target “domestic terrorism” threats defined by a new, specific set of ideological markers.
The directive, leaked to several news outlets, serves as the operational framework for President Trump’s recent National Security Presidential Memorandum-7 (NSPM-7). It instructs federal agents to dismantle networks associated with “Antifa” and other “extremist organizations,” a shift in DOJ policy that establishes ideological affiliations—rather than solely violent acts—as primary indicators of terrorist threats.
The directive instructs the FBI to compile an internal list of “domestic extremist” groups and update it every 30 days.
According to the document, the Department will now prioritize investigations into groups and individuals based on political viewpoints deemed “anti-American.” The memo lists “extreme views in favor of mass migration and open borders,” “radical gender ideology,” “anti-capitalism,” and “anti-Christianity” as markers for potential domestic terrorism scrutiny. It also targets those expressing “hostility towards traditional views on family, religion, and morality.”
In a move that expands the FBI’s surveillance capabilities, the memo orders an overhaul of public tip lines. The Bureau is directed to update its systems to facilitate the submission of digital media and evidence by “witnesses and citizen journalists.”
The directive also establishes a “cash reward system” to incentivize the public to identify leadership figures within these targeted movements.
This mandates a retroactive review, ordering the FBI and Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTFs) to re-examine incidents from the past five years—including doxxing of officials and civil disorder at protests—to determine if they can now be prosecuted under this new domestic terrorism framework.
Addressed to “Grant-Making Components,” the memorandum orders officials to “prioritize awarding funding to states and municipalities that have programs designed to protect against domestic terrorism” as defined by the administration.
This provision prioritizes millions of dollars in federal aid for local governments that adopt the administration’s specific definitions of domestic threats, placing pressure on sanctuary cities and liberal jurisdictions to cooperate with the new federal priorities or risk losing critical law enforcement funding.
Legal experts highlight a critical distinction: Unlike the formal Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) designation, which is governed by statute and allows for judicial review and public challenge, the United States has no domestic terrorism designation statute. Consequently, this internal list operates as a “shadow list” without public notice, statutory basis, or judicial oversight.
Critics warn this allows the government to impose severe consequences—such as surveillance prioritization and enhanced sentencing recommendations—on groups and their donors without ever proving criminal intent in court.
