End Warrantless Spying on Americans! Reject the expansion of Section 702.
Petition to Congress:
Reject the FISA Reform and Reauthorization Act, which would expand Section 702 to allow surveillance of immigrants and their families
A shocking new bill in Congress would allow the FBI, NSA, and CIA to warrantlessly spy on immigrants – as well as their families in the United States – using tools meant for suspected terrorists and spies.1
The proposed bill would expand Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), a dangerous power that government agencies use to collect, use, and share our personal data, including online communications, all without a warrant.
The current Section 702 rules, which are regularly broken by government agencies, require that targets are expected to possess or receive “foreign intelligence information.” The new bill would extend Section 702 for another year, and radically broaden these already loose constraints to allow for spying on anyone who interacts with the immigration system.1 Congress must put an end to warrantless surveillance, not recklessly expand it.
Warrantless government surveillance of Americans under Section 702 is out of control, and has been used aggressively to spy on communities of color. Last month, 63 Asian American and allied organizations sent a letter to Congress noting that the FBI’s “misuse” of the authority has resulted in “disproportionate targeting” of Asian Americans and their families, with “devastating tolls on careers, livelihoods, and reputations.”2
The massive number of documented abuses by agencies like the NSA, CIA, and FBI include searches for communications from tens of thousands of protestors, Black Lives Matter activists, journalists, donors to a Congressional campaign, and countless others.3
Any extension of Section 702 would allow the government to obtain new year-long Section 702 certifications at the beginning of the year — allowing this unaccountable, abusive government spying to continue into 2025. We can’t let that happen.
Sources:
- Wired, “US Lawmakers Want to Use a Powerful Spy Tool on Immigrants and Their Families,” December 4, 2023.
- Mother Jones, “Biden Pushes to Renew Spy Program That Threatens Communities of Color,” December 5, 2023.
- Brennan Center, “FISA Section 702: Civil Rights Abuses,” November 27, 2023.