OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
6:16 PM – Thursday, September 25, 2025
President Donald Trump has signed a presidential memorandum directing federal agencies to “dismantle domestic terrorism networks,” following the recent shooting at a federal immigration facility in Dallas earlier this week.
It also empowers the IRS to revoke tax-exempt status from any organizations involved in such activities.
Thursday’s presidential action comes just days after President Trump formally designated Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization.
Antifa is a far-left “militarist, anarchist enterprise that explicitly calls for the overthrow of the United States Government, law enforcement authorities, and our system of law. It uses illegal means to organize and execute a campaign of violence and terrorism nationwide to accomplish these goals,” the White House stated.
The memorandum instructs the Justice Department, FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and Treasury Department to coordinate efforts to disrupt “radical leftwing domestic terror organizations.”
The GOP president announced the directive following Tuesday’s shooting at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Dallas, where one illegal alien detainee was killed and two others injured. Investigators later found “ANTI-ICE” markings on unused shell casings, left by the accused gunman, who turned the gun on himself.
Despite the shooter’s left-wing “anti-ICE” sentiment, federal authorities have not yet linked the gunman to any specific group. Nonetheless, Trump pointed to the recent incident as further proof of the rise of domestic terror — emphasizing that federal intervention is necessary.
However, one former DOJ official argued that U.S. law provides no formal mechanism for designating domestic groups as terrorist organizations, unlike the well-established process for foreign terrorist organizations. She warned that the order may carry more symbolic weight than legal authority.
“Antifa is not a structured group with leadership or membership lists—it’s an ideology, not an organization,” said Mary McCord, a former Justice Department official. “That raises serious constitutional and practical issues when the government tries to ‘dismantle’ it.”
Reuters reported that Antifa operates via:
1) Local affinity groups — Antifa activists have formed small, autonomous groups in their city or region. They are usually self-organized and temporary.
2) Meetings — Some Antifa groups meet in person, often in small circles, but these are typically informal and ad hoc.
3) Online activity — Many Antifa activists communicate online using encrypted messaging apps, social media, or forums to coordinate events or share information.
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