FBI Monitoring Protest Groups At Migrant Detention Centers As ‘Extremists’

People gather outside a border crossing in El Paso, Texas to protest the treatment of immigrants in detention centers. (Photo credit: LUKE MONTAVON/AFP/Getty Images)
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

The FBI chapter based in Phoenix, Arizona, is investigating so-called “anarchist extremists” who’ve been protesting the conditions at the migrant detention centers along the southern border.

According to an FBI document obtained by Yahoo News, the bureau is tracking what it calls “anarchist extremists” (or “AEs”) and their opposition to immigration officials’ treatment of migrants.

FBI Phoenix labels the groups as a “growing threat” in Arizona, citing “increases in public anti-government demonstrations,” “discussing, planning, or implementing firearms training,” and “rhetoric” against the governments’ actions at the border.

However, the document doesn’t cite any violent actions that have taken place; rather, it claims that the “threat” will “likely grow in intensity and frequency in the near to mid-term.”

“These products are intended to be informative in nature, and as such, they contain appropriate caveats to describe the confidence in the sourcing of information and the likelihood of the assessment,” an FBI spokesperson told Yahoo News. “Additionally, when written at a local level, these products will note that the perspective offered may be limited to the field office’s area of responsibility.”

Read the memo obtained by Yahoo News:

Latest News

Notable Replies

  1. Just because the FBI has been under attack by Trump’s minions does not change the fact that the bureau has a long history of illegally repressing lawful organizations.

  2. Oooh … peaceful demonstrations and ‘discussions’ and critical ‘rhetoric’ about the cruel mistreatment of children and other human beings.

    Much too extreme. They might call more attention to the situation and the movement and demands to treat these people like … well, people, will grow.

  3. The question is, what is the FBI going to do about it? That is some dummy writing a memo is one thing, but what action has or will the FBI take?

  4. And what does the memo about the armed white supremacists roaming the desert looking for brown people have to say? Somehow, I suspect it doesn’t call them extremists…

  5. They could have squeezed in a coupla “communist influenced” just for old times sake.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

38 more replies

Participants

Avatar for marby Avatar for mondfledermaus Avatar for romath Avatar for bobatkinson Avatar for voreason Avatar for squirreltown Avatar for becca656 Avatar for sniffit Avatar for drriddle Avatar for joelopines Avatar for lastroth Avatar for jkrogman Avatar for generalsternwood Avatar for twowolves Avatar for darrtown Avatar for jtx Avatar for rickjones Avatar for castor_troy Avatar for coimmigrant Avatar for xlntsx Avatar for jakcarr Avatar for godless Avatar for zillacop Avatar for heartflow

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: