Overview

• A CSIS-backed analysis reported by The Atlantic finds left-wing terrorism has risen since 2016 and, through July 4, 2025, left-wing attacks outnumbered far-right attacks for the first time in more than 30 years.
• Researchers compiled 750 U.S. attacks and plots from 1994 to July 4, 2025, applying a terrorism definition centered on politically motivated violence by nonstate actors intended to influence a broader audience.
• By mid‑2025, far-left extremists had been linked to five attacks or plots, following 37 incidents from 2016 to 2024 identified as primarily anti-government or partisan in motivation.
• Despite the recent shift in incident counts, right-wing violence has been more lethal over the past decade, with 152 attacks killing 112 people compared with 36 left-wing attacks that killed 13.
• Law enforcement reported a July 4 shooting at a Texas ICE detention facility, with 14 suspects now facing federal charges including attempted murder of federal officers and firearms offenses.