Stop ANTIFA Act of 2025

Bill: 119-s-2936
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Scott, Rick [R-FL]
Introduced: 2025-09-29
Latest action: action_date: 2025-09-29
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Summaries:

tv_txt: II 119th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 2936 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES September 29, 2025 Mr. Scott of Florida introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To designate Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization, to counter domestic terrorism and organized political violence, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Stop ANTIFA Act of 2025 . 2. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) Antifa is a militarist, anarchist enterprise that explicitly calls for the overthrow of the United States Government, law enforcement authorities, and the system of law in the United States. (2) It uses illegal means to organize and execute a campaign of violence and terrorism nationwide to accomplish these goals. (3) This campaign involves coordinated efforts to obstruct enforcement of Federal laws through armed standoffs with law enforcement, organized riots, violent assaults on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other law enforcement officers, and routine doxing of and other threats against political figures and activists. (4) Antifa recruits, trains, and radicalizes young people in the United States to engage in this violence and suppression of political activity, then employs elaborate means and mechanisms to shield the identities of its operatives, conceal its funding sources and operations in an effort to frustrate law enforcement, and recruit additional members. (5) Individuals associated with and acting on behalf of Antifa further coordinate with other organizations and entities for the purpose of spreading, fomenting, and advancing political violence and suppressing lawful political speech. (6) This organized effort designed to achieve policy objectives by coercion and intimidation is domestic terrorism. (7) Heinous assassinations and other acts of political violence in the United States have dramatically increased in recent years. Even in the aftermath of the horrifying assassination of Charlie Kirk, some individuals who adhered to the alleged shooter’s ideology embraced and cheered this evil murder while actively encouraging more political violence. This was preceded by the 2024 assassination of a senior healthcare executive and the 2022 assassination attempt against Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Two separate assassination attempts against the life of President Donald Trump took place during the 2024 Presidential election cycle in less than 3 months. (8) Riots in Los Angeles and Portland reflect a more than 1,000 percent increase in attacks on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers since January 21, 2025, compared to the same period last year. On September 24, 2025, a shooting targeting a facility of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Dallas resulted in multiple casualties. Separate anti-police and criminal justice riots have left many people dead and injured and inflicted over $2,000,000,000 in property damage nationwide. (9) This political violence is not a series of isolated incidents and does not emerge organically. Instead, it is a culmination of sophisticated, organized campaigns of targeted intimidation, radicalization, threats, and violence designed to silence opposing speech, limit political activity, change or direct policy outcomes, and prevent the functioning of a democratic society. A new law enforcement strategy that investigates all participants in these criminal and terroristic conspiracies, including the organized structures, networks, entities, organizations, funding sources, and predicate actions behind them, is required. (10) These campaigns often begin by isolating and dehumanizing specific targets to justify murder or other violent action against them. They do so through a variety of fora, including anonymous chat forums, in-person meetings, social media, and even educational institutions. These campaigns then escalate to organized doxing, where the private or identifying information of their targets (such as home addresses, phone numbers, or other personal information) is exposed to the public with the explicit intent of encouraging others to harass, intimidate, or violently assault them. As in the case of several agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Los Angeles being doxed, the goal of these campaigns can be to obstruct the operations of the Federal Government as well as aid and abet criminal activity the Federal Government is lawfully pursuing. These campaigns are coordinated and perpetrated by actors who have developed a comprehensive strategy to achieve specific policy goals through radicalization and violent intimidation. (11) There are common recurrent motivations and indicia uniting this pattern of violent and terroristic activities under the umbrella of self-described anti-fascism . These movements portray foundational principles of the United States (such as support for law enforcement and border control) as fascist to justify and encourage acts of violent revolution. This anti-fascist lie has become the organizing rallying cry used by domestic terrorists to wage a violent assault against democratic institutions, constitutional rights, and fundamental liberties of the people of the United States. (12) Common threads animating this violent conduct include— (A) anti-Americanism, anti-capitalism, and anti-Christianity; (B) support for the overthrow of the United States Government; (C) extremism on migration, race, and gender; and (D) hostility towards those who hold traditional American views on family, religion, and morality. (13) As described in the Order of September 22, 2025 (90 Fed. Reg. 46317; relating to designating Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization), the groups and entities that perpetuate this extremism have created a movement that embraces and elevates violence to achieve policy outcomes, including justifying additional assassinations. For example, Charlie Kirk’s alleged assassin engraved the bullets used in the murder with so-called anti-fascist rhetoric. (14) The United States requires a national strategy to investigate and disrupt networks, entities, and organizations that foment political violence so that law enforcement can intervene in criminal conspiracies before they result in violent political acts. Through this comprehensive strategy, law enforcement will disband and uproot networks, entities, and organizations that promote organized violence, violent intimidation, conspiracies against rights, and other efforts to disrupt the functioning of a democratic society. 3. Designation of Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization (a) In general Because of the pattern of political violence by Antifa designed to suppress lawful political activity and obstruct the rule of law, Antifa is designated as a domestic terrorist organization. (b) Implementation All relevant departments and agencies of the executive branch of the United States Government shall use all applicable authorities to investigate, disrupt, and dismantle any and all illegal operations, especially those involving terrorist actions, conducted by Antifa or a person claiming to act on behalf of Antifa, or for which Antifa or any person claiming to act on behalf of Antifa provided material support, including necessary investigatory and prosecutorial actions against those who fund such operations. 4. Investigating domestic terrorist organizations (a) In general The National Joint Terrorism Task Force and its local offices (collectively referred to in this section as the JTTFs ) shall coordinate and supervise a comprehensive national strategy to investigate, prosecute, and disrupt entities and individuals engaged in acts of political violence and intimidation designed to suppress lawful political activity or obstruct the rule of law. This strategy shall include the investigatory and prosecutorial measures set forth in this section. (b) Investigations of actions of political violence, terrorism, or to deprive persons of rights The JTTFs shall investigate potential Federal crimes relating to acts of recruiting or radicalizing persons for the purpose of— (1) political violence, terrorism, or conspiracy against rights; or (2) the violent deprivation of the rights of any citizen of the United States. (c) Investigations of supporters of domestic terrorist organizations The JTTFs shall also investigate— (1) institutional and individual funders, and officers and employees of organizations, that are responsible for, sponsor, or otherwise aid and abet the principal actors engaging in the criminal conduct described in subsections (a) and (b); and (2) non-governmental organizations and citizens of the United States residing abroad or with close ties to foreign governments, agents, citizens, foundations, or influence networks engaged in violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 ( 22 U.S.C. 611 et seq. ) or money laundering by funding, creating, or supporting entities that engage in activities that support or encourage domestic terrorism. (d) Consultation and coordination The JTTFs shall consult and coordinate with executive departments and agencies as needed to determine whether such departments and agencies can apply existing authorities or exercise authorities of the departments and agencies, as appropriate, to support the investigations of the JTTFs and relevant prosecutions of political violence. (e) Operational assistance and coordination The JTTFs may, to the extent permitted by law, request operational assistance from and coordinate with law enforcement partners when investigating domestic terrorism. (f) Updates The National Joint Terrorism Task Force shall provide regular progress updates to the President through the Assistant to the President and Homeland Security Advisor. (g) Prosecution of Federal offenses The Attorney General shall direct the Department of Justice to prosecute all offenses under Federal law, to the maximum extent permissible by law, related to the investigations described in subsections (a) through (c). (h) Guidance The Attorney General shall issue specific guidance that ensures domestic terrorism priorities include politically motivated terrorist acts such as organized doxing campaigns, swatting, rioting, looting, trespass, assault, destruction of property, threats of violence, and civil disorder. This guidance shall also include an identification of any behaviors, fact patterns, recurrent motivations, or other indicia common to organizations and entities that coordinate these acts in order to direct efforts to identify and prevent potential violent activity. (i) Identifying and disrupting financial networks The Secretary of the Treasury, in coordination with the Attorney General, shall make available all resources, to the maximum extent permitted by law, to identify and disrupt financial networks that fund domestic terrorism and political violence. The Secretary, acting through the Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Office of the Department of the Treasury, shall deploy investigative tools, examine financial flows, and coordinate with partner agencies to trace illicit funding streams. The Secretary shall provide guidance for financial institutions to file Suspicious Activity Reports and investigate indicia of illicit funding streams to ensure such activity is rooted out at the source and referred for law enforcement action, as appropriate. (j) Stopping financing of political violence and domestic terrorism The Commissioner of Internal Revenue shall take action to ensure that no tax-exempt entities are directly or indirectly financing political violence or domestic terrorism. In addition, where applicable, the Commissioner shall ensure that the Internal Revenue Service refers such organizations, and the employees and officers of such organizations, to the Department of Justice for investigation and possible prosecution. (k) Investigations of individuals engaged in political violence (1) In general All Federal law enforcement agencies with investigative authority shall question and interrogate, within all lawful authorities, individuals engaged in political violence or lawlessness regarding the entity or individual organizing such actions and any related financial sponsorship of those actions prior to adjudication or initiation of a plea agreement. (2) Prioritization Investigations should prioritize crimes such as— (A) assaulting Federal officers or employees or otherwise engaging in conduct proscribed by section 111 of title 18, United States Code; (B) conspiracy against rights under section 241 of title 18, United States Code; (C) conspiracy to commit an offense under section 371 of title 18, United States Code; (D) solicitation to commit a crime of violence under section 373 of title 18, United States Code; (E) money laundering under section 1956 of title 18, United States Code; (F) funding of terrorist acts or otherwise facilitating terrorism under section 2339, 2339A, 2339B, 2339C, or 2339D of title 18, United States Code; (G) arson offenses under section 844 of title 18, United States Code; (H) violations of chapter 96 of title 18, United States Code (commonly known as the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act ); and (I) major fraud against the United States under section 1031 of title 18, United States Code (l) Strategies to disrupt and dismantle political violence and domestic terrorism networks All Federal law enforcement agencies with investigative authority shall adopt strategies similar to those used to address violent crime and organized crime to disrupt and dismantle entire networks of criminal activity. 5. Department of Justice designation In the course of and as a result of the investigations directed by section 4, the Attorney General may recommend that any group or entity whose members are engaged in activities meeting the definition of domestic terrorism under section 2331 of title 18, United States Code, merits designation as a domestic terrorist organization. The Attorney General shall submit a list of any such groups or entities to the President through the Assistant to the President and Homeland Security Advisor. 6. Domestic terrorism as a national priority area The Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall designate domestic terrorism a national priority area and develop appropriate grant programs to allocate funding for law enforcement partners to detect, prevent, and protect against threats arising from this area. 7. General provisions This Act — (1) shall not be construed to impair or otherwise affect— (A) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or (B) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals; (2) shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations; and (3) is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.