Members of the House Committee on Homeland Security reintroduced legislation to strengthen the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s response to countering transnational repression on U.S. soil.
Transnational repression occurs with foreign actors, like the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) or Iran, work to silence Americans and dissidents through harassment, assault, attempted kidnapping, intimidation, and coercion. Legislation from U.S. Reps. August Pfluger (R-TX), chair of the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence; Rep. Gabe Evans (R-CO); and Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-RI) would provide DHS with the tools it needs to fight transnational repression.
“As our adversaries continue to grow increasingly aggressive, conducting transnational repression against dissidents or journalists within the United States, we must address these threats and protect those who speak out against tyranny and human rights abuses abroad,” Pfluger said. “The hostile acts we are seeing across the country are a direct challenge to our nation’s sovereignty and infringe upon Americans’ civil liberties.”
Pfluger’s legislation, the Countering Transnational Repression Act of 2025, would create a dedicated transnational repression office within DHS to ensure the federal government takes steps to recognize, assess and counter threat from authoritarian regimes, or agents of foreign governments taking action against American citizens.
Additionally, the “Law Enforcement Support and Counter Transnational Repression Act,” re-introduced by Rep. Gabe Evans (R-CO) would help educate communities about transnational repression, and help connect victims to a hotline for this specific threat And the “Strengthening State and Local Efforts to Counter Transnational Repression Act” re-introduced by Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-RI) would require DHS to prioritize strengthening state and local law enforcement capabilities to counter transnational repression.
The legislation comes months after a Chinese national, Chen Jinping, a resident of New York City, pleaded guilty to conspiring to act as an illegal agent for the People’s Republic of China by operating a “police station” in Manhattan, officials said. The lawmakers said that between Jan. 2021 and Feb. 2025, there were more than 60 CCP-related espionage cases in 20 states, including transnational repression schemes.
“Free speech is a cornerstone of American democracy, but too often, repressive regimes try to silence dissidents even after they’ve fled to the United States,” Magaziner said. “My Strengthening State and Local Efforts to Combat Transnational Repression Act ensures that law enforcement has the tools to identify and stop foreign governments from harassing and threatening people on our soil.”