Understanding the Phrase “Domestic Terrorist Organization” in the United States

U.S. Federal Laws just do not exist to support this escalation into authoritarianism.

Photo by Sean Foster on Unsplash

On September 22, 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order designating antifa as a “Domestic Terrorist Organization.” The challenge around this is, there are no U.S. Federal statutes or laws around this designation, as there are for “Foreign Terrorist Organizations.” In the United States, the term “domestic terrorist organization” refers to a group or entity composed of individuals who engage in or plan acts of terrorism within the country’s borders. While U.S. law does not provide a specific, standalone legal definition for “domestic terrorist organization” or DTOs in the same way it does for “foreign terrorist organization,” or FTOs, the concept may be understood through the definitions of “domestic terrorism” and related statutes.

And just as everyone who is in a professional Emergency Management role needs to steer clear of FTOs (not our circus, not our clowns, IMHO, and not a problem we originated or should be solving), they need to steer clear of the interdiction and disruption of DTOs, as well. Terrorism is a form of war, which makes it a systemic or chronic disaster, and can elevate to a Type 0 extinction level event.