Overview

• More than 120 organizations signed the Sept. 17 statement, including the Ford Foundation, Open Society Foundations, MacArthur, Knight, the Omidyar Network, and the Schmidt Family Foundation, with additional support from groups such as the Bush and Carnegie foundations.
• The letter declares that organizations should not be attacked for their missions, rejects efforts to exploit political violence, and defends free speech and the freedom to give.
• Senior officials have signaled aggressive enforcement, with Stephen Miller saying the administration would use DOJ and DHS resources to identify, disrupt, dismantle, and destroy targeted NGO networks.
• President Trump has singled out George Soros and suggested prosecution, and he has said he asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to explore RICO charges against protesters, as reports point to a possible executive order.
• The pushback follows the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk in Utah; alleged gunman Tyler Robinson has been charged with multiple offenses, and prosecutors say they will seek the death penalty.