New Bill Tackles Foreign Governments Targeting People in the US: DHS to Set Up 'Transnational Repression' Task Force

The "Countering Transnational Repression Act of 2025" aims to crack down on foreign governments or their agents harassing, intimidating, or even kidnapping people within the United States. Think of it like this: if another country's agents are trying to silence critics or activists living here, this bill is meant to give the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) more tools to fight back.

Zeroing in on Foreign Interference

The core of the bill (SEC. 3) establishes a "Transnational Repression Working Group" inside DHS. This group is tasked with analyzing threats, coordinating intelligence, and working with other agencies (federal, state, and even local) to identify and disrupt these kinds of operations. The head of this group, a Director appointed by the Director of Homeland Security Investigations, reports directly to the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Director of Homeland Security Investigations. They're also required to bring in experts, including someone specifically focused on privacy law, to make sure things are done by the book.

For example, if a foreign government is known to target journalists critical of its regime, this working group would be responsible for tracking those activities in the U.S., sharing information with relevant law enforcement, and developing strategies to protect those journalists. The bill specifically mentions that the Working Group needs to review information from a wide range of partners, including those at the state and local levels, and the national network of "fusion centers" (SEC. 3.(d)).

Keeping Tabs and Staying Transparent

This isn't a one-and-done deal. The bill requires annual reports to Congress for seven years (SEC. 3.(e)), detailing incidents, attempts, and the nationalities of those involved. These reports are meant to give lawmakers a clear picture of the problem and how DHS is responding. The unclassified parts of these assessments will even be posted publicly on a DHS website (SEC. 3.(f)).

It is also made clear that the working group will end after that seven years period (SEC. 3.(g)).

Tech to the Rescue?

The bill also pushes for research and development into new technologies to counter transnational repression (SEC. 3.(h)). This could mean anything from better surveillance detection tools to improved methods for protecting targeted individuals. The goal is to give law enforcement and intelligence agencies a leg up in this fight.

Protecting Rights – and Defining the Threat

Importantly, the bill emphasizes that all actions taken must respect constitutional rights, privacy, and civil liberties (SEC. 3.(i)). It specifically states that nothing in the bill should infringe upon lawful free speech. This is crucial because the definition of "transnational repression" (SEC. 3.(j)) is pretty broad, covering actions by "agents of a foreign government" that could, if interpreted too widely, potentially include legitimate political activity.

The bill defines many terms, including: "agent of a foreign government," "foreign government," "fusion center," "intelligence community," "National Network of Fusion Centers," "transnational repression," and "United States person." (SEC. 3.(j)).