Overview
- Attorney General Pam Bondi’s December 4 memo directs federal agencies to compile lists of suspected domestic terrorist groups using broad ideological markers such as opposition to immigration enforcement, support for open borders, anti‑capitalism, and what it labels radical gender ideology.
- The memo, as published by journalist Ken Klippenstein, outlines cash rewards for tipsters and urges the FBI to cultivate cooperators who could later testify against targeted organizations.
- Connecticut officials and advocates link the directive to expanding surveillance networks, noting widespread police use of license‑plate readers and a national system operated by vendor Flock Safety.
- A University of Connecticut study found one local department’s Flock‑stored plate data drew over 500,000 searches in nine weeks, including nearly 100,000 from Houston and tens of thousands from Florida.
- Civil‑liberties advocates in Connecticut urge short retention windows, limits on out‑of‑state access, and mandatory audits, citing models like New Hampshire’s three‑day rule and Virginia’s 21‑day standard.