Section 702 helps ICE track and deport our neighbors. Democrats must vote for urgent reform.
This month, Congress will vote to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), one of the US government’s most objectionable and widely abused surveillance policies.
These 14 Democrats have previously voted to reauthorize Section 702 without reform:
Aguilar (CA-33), Clark (MA-05), DeLauro (CT-03), Himes (CT-04), Hoyer (MD-05), McCollum (MN-04), Meeks (NY-05), Neguse (CO-02), Obernolte (CA-23), Pelosi (CA-11), Quigley (IL-05), Smith (WA-09), Thompson (MS-02), and Wasserman Schultz (FL-25).
Many also claim to stand against ICE. These positions are not compatible.
Tell Democrats: no reauthorization without reform! Anything less than supporting the Government Surveillance Reform Act is standing with Trump and ICE abuses. This bill would close backdoor search and data broker loopholes, blocking Trump agencies—from the NSA to ICE—from exploiting warrantless access to our private data. These measures are beyond overdue.
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Introduce yourself, be polite, and say:
“I'm calling to urge the Representative not to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act without serious reforms. Namely, please support the Government Surveillance Reform Act, which closes the backdoor search and data broker loopholes. These loopholes allow Trump agencies like DHS and ICE to access massive databases of our locations, movements, and behaviors without a warrant, helping them kidnap and deport our immigrant neighbors. Anything less than supporting the Government Surveillance Reform Act is standing with Trump and ICE abuses. Thank you.”
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What’s wrong with 702?
Section 702’s abuses were exposed by Edward Snowden. It is used to surveil journalists, activists, politicians, and immigrant communities, among others.
Now, as ICE and DHS escalate their violent deportation agenda, the data broker loophole allows them to purchase access to massive databases that log our movements, locations, and behaviors, putting everyone, especially immigrant communities, at risk.
In recent years, we’ve also joined with hundreds of grassroots, racial justice, privacy, and civil rights advocacy organizations to push back against Congress’s flirtation with expanding mass surveillance in response to pro-Palestine and anti-war protests.
Section 702 has always been a disaster. But the current moment should make it painfully clear: mass surveillance is never safe, especially not in the hands of a murderous, fascist regime. Democrats who claim to oppose Trump and ICE abuses must act now to protect our communities.
What reforms are on the table?
Among other protections, the Government Surveillance Reform Act contains two important provisions we’ve been fighting for for years:
- Closing the Section 702 backdoor search loophole, through which the CIA, FBI, and NSA routinely search billions of international communications — obtained without a warrant based on the government’s certification that it is targeting only non-U.S. persons located overseas — to read Americans’ phone calls, text messages, and emails. This provision would require the government to get a warrant or FISA Title I order before searching for Americans’ communications.
- Closing the data broker loophole, which a rapidly growing number of law enforcement and intelligence agencies use to buy sensitive Fourth Amendment-protected information about Americans without a warrant. These agencies should not be able to buy their way around legal privacy protections.
The bill is bipartisan, bicameral, and common sense. There is no excuse for Democrats: support 702 reform now!