New Law Designates Antifa as Terrorist Group, Grants IRS Power to Investigate Tax-Exempt Organizations

The “Stop ANTIFA Act of 2025” is not just about one group; it’s a major overhaul of how the federal government plans to handle domestic political violence. The bill starts by officially designating Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization (Sec. 3), based on findings that the group uses violence and intimidation—like doxing, rioting, and attacks on federal officers—to achieve political goals (Sec. 2). This designation immediately forces every relevant federal department, from the FBI to ICE, to use all their power to investigate, disrupt, and prosecute illegal activities by anyone claiming to act on behalf of this group.

The New Mandate: Treating Political Dissent as Organized Crime

This legislation dramatically expands the scope of federal law enforcement. It requires the National Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) to create a national strategy targeting groups that use violence or intimidation to block legal political activity (Sec. 4). What does this mean in practice? The JTTF is now specifically required to investigate not just the violence itself, but also the people recruiting others, the organizations funding the activity, and even non-governmental groups tied to foreign influence (Sec. 4). Think of it like applying RICO-style organized crime tactics to political movements.

What Counts as Domestic Terrorism Now?

Perhaps the most impactful change for everyday people is the new guidance required from the Attorney General. The DOJ must now prioritize prosecuting politically motivated acts like organized doxing (releasing private info to encourage harassment), swatting (false emergency calls), rioting, looting, trespassing, property destruction, and threats of violence (Sec. 4). If you’re a political activist, this means that activities that might have been treated as simple misdemeanors or local crimes could now be prosecuted as serious federal domestic terrorism priorities. For instance, a politically motivated trespass that might have resulted in a fine could now lead to a full-blown federal investigation.

The IRS Gets a New Badge: Financial Investigators

One provision that cuts deep into the world of non-profits and advocacy groups involves the Treasury Department and the IRS. The bill mandates the Treasury Secretary to use all resources to shut down financial networks supporting domestic terrorism (Sec. 4). Crucially, the Commissioner of Internal Revenue must ensure that no tax-exempt organizations are directly or indirectly funding this violence. If the IRS finds a group breaking this rule, they are required to refer that organization and its officers directly to the Department of Justice for potential prosecution (Sec. 4). For any non-profit, charity, or advocacy group—whether they support environmental causes or political candidates—this creates a significant new layer of scrutiny and risk. If your local activist group happens to pay for a protestor’s legal fees, the IRS could potentially flag that organization.

The AG’s Power to Designate New Groups

While the bill is titled the “Stop ANTIFA Act,” it grants the Attorney General far-reaching power to designate other groups. Following investigations, the AG can recommend that any group whose members engage in activities fitting the legal definition of domestic terrorism be officially designated as a domestic terrorist organization (Sec. 5). This means the framework established here can be applied to any future group deemed to be using violence to achieve political ends, centralizing significant power over domestic political groups within the DOJ.

No New Legal Recourse

Finally, the bill includes a general provision that is important for anyone who might be investigated under this new authority: the Act explicitly states that it does not create any new rights or benefits that someone could sue the U.S. government over (Sec. 7). This means that if you believe your rights were violated during an investigation under this law, this specific Act does not give you a new legal cause of action against the government, potentially limiting judicial oversight of these expanded investigative powers.