Law & Government

Why the Federal Government Can't Charge Anyone With 'Domestic Terrorism'

Federal law defines the term but there is no federal statute to charge someone with "domestic terrorism."

Joe Lancaster | From the May 2026 issue

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Vice President J.D. Vance and outgoing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem both said Renée Good, an activist shot three times in her car by a federal immigration officer, was engaged in "domestic terrorism." Two weeks later, after officers shot Alex Pretti at least 10 times, White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller called Pretti "a domestic terrorist [who] tried to assassinate federal law enforcement."

And in October 2025, a Border Patrol officer shot Marimar Martinez five........

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