End the PATRIOT Act and Mass surveillance
For over 20 years, the government has used fear to justify spying on its own people; eroding freedoms, silencing dissent, and targeting marginalized communities. Today, that threat has multiplied: state surveillance, new government coordination networks, and corporate data exploitation have merged into a single system of control. From Black activists to immigrant families, this digital overreach has done little to keep us safe but has done plenty to make us less free. Our plan is clear: we must repeal the PATRIOT Act, demand strict accountability from all security systems, and build a true Digital Bill of Rights that protects every American’s privacy and civil liberties. Because in a free country, safety should never come at the cost of our fundamental rights.
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| Issues |  | Julie Johnson | Colin Allred |
|---|---|---|---|
Repeal of the PATRIOT Act | Supports full repeal of the PATRIOT Act to end mass-surveillance powers such as Section 215 bulk data collection. | No stated position on repeal; has not spoken out against mass surveillance or called for ending Patriot Act powers. | Voted to extend surveillance authorities with modifications; has never called for the abolition of the PATRIOT Act. |
Reining in FISA Courts | Proposes major reforms or dismantling of the FISA court system; requires real warrants and probable cause for surveillance of U.S. persons. | No record of engaging on FISA reform or advocating for oversight of the secret court system. | Voted to maintain the FISA system with minor oversight adjustments; opposes significant structural reform or dismantling. |
Protection Against Profiling & Surveillance Abuse | Highlights discriminatory surveillance targeting BLM activists, Muslim Americans, and immigrants; vows to end such practices. | Has not addressed racial or religious profiling within the context of national security surveillance laws. | Has not led efforts to ban discriminatory surveillance or publicly condemned PATRIOT Act abuses targeting specific communities. |
Digital Privacy & Civil Liberties (e.g. Facial Recognition) | Supports a Digital Bill of Rights, including banning facial-recognition surveillance and limiting law-enforcement data-sharing without consent. | Has not weighed in on facial recognition bans or championed major digital privacy legislation. | Supports basic warrant requirements but has not championed facial recognition bans or broad digital privacy reforms. |
General Civil Liberties Leadership | Frames surveillance reform as core to civil liberties—protecting speech, protest, and religious freedom. | Focuses on voting and reproductive rights but has not prioritized surveillance reform as a core civil liberties issue. | Prioritizes voting rights but largely follows party leadership on national security; does not frame surveillance as a major constitutional threat. |
Defend Civil Liberties. Stop Government Overreach. Protect Our Communities.
For over two decades, the so-called 'War on Terror' has been used as a pretext to spy on Americans, silence dissent, and violate basic civil liberties — especially in Muslim, Black, immigrant, and activist communities.
The PATRIOT Act, rushed through Congress after 9/11, gave the government sweeping surveillance powers with little oversight or accountability. These powers have been expanded and reauthorized again and again — often with the support of establishment Democrats and Republicans alike.
We say: Enough. It’s time to repeal the PATRIOT Act, shut down illegal spying, and rebuild trust through transparency and accountability.
Surveillance Targets the Marginalized — Not the Powerful
Mass surveillance doesn’t keep us safer — it just makes us less free. Time and time again, intelligence agencies have used their powers not to protect against terrorism, but to target communities of color, immigrants, and activists.
- Black civil rights and racial justice organizers — from Ferguson to George Floyd protests — have been monitored and criminalized under the guise of 'national security.'
- Muslim Americans have been tracked, wiretapped, and infiltrated by undercover agents simply for attending mosques or expressing political opinions.
- Immigrant communities face a digital dragnet of ICE data-sharing, facial recognition, and warrantless phone tracking.
This is not security. This is systemic discrimination backed by unchecked power.
Repeal the PATRIOT Act. Rein in Government Spying.
If elected, I will fight to:
- Fully repeal the PATRIOT Act, including Section 215 and other provisions used to justify bulk metadata collection and warrantless surveillance.
- Dismantle the unchecked power of FISA courts — secretive tribunals that allow government agencies to spy on Americans without public accountability.
- Enact legislation that requires probable cause and judicial warrants for any government surveillance targeting U.S. citizens.
- Ban facial recognition and predictive policing technologies used by law enforcement to track individuals without consent or cause.
Call Out the Complicity: Oppose Establishment Surveillance Extensions
- My opponents, have voted multiple times to extend and expand surveillance powers, including reauthorizing FISA courts and defending provisions of the PATRIOT Act that violate our rights.
- That’s not leadership: that’s enabling a surveillance state that hurts the very communities he claims to represent.
- Our campaign is different. We stand for freedom, transparency, and the Constitution — not fear-driven politics and secret spying.
Protect Civil Liberties and Digital Privacy
- Enact a Digital Bill of Rights to protect online privacy, data ownership, and freedom of expression.
- Ban the sale of personal data to law enforcement agencies and private third parties without consent.
- Limit how government and corporations collect, store, and share data — and give individuals the right to opt out and delete their records.
In the digital age, privacy is more important — and more under attack — than ever. We need new laws that protect our rights, not just from government overreach, but from big tech surveillance capitalism as well.
We will:
You shouldn’t need to sacrifice your privacy to use a smartphone, attend a protest, or worship freely.
Freedom Is Non-Negotiable
We cannot fight for justice, equity, and civil rights without defending the fundamental liberties that make protest, organizing, and community power possible.
- Ending the surveillance state
- Repealing unconstitutional laws
- Holding government accountable
- Protecting the rights of every American, no matter your faith, skin color, or political beliefs
This campaign is about:
