There’s a controversial law called the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) that allows the U.S. government to spy on individuals outside the country. It’s set to expire next week, but Donald Trump is urging Republicans to use their majority in Congress to renew it — even if it means risking the rights and privileges of Americans not currently within the U.S. And some people are just not having it.
Much like many previous broken promises, FISA was also something Trump campaigned on eliminating when he was first running for office in 2016. FISA, sometimes referred to as Section 702, allows national security agencies to collect texts and emails from foreigners for review without a warrant. National security officials argue that it’s one of the most effective ways to preempt threats, and the CIA has even credited it with helping prevent a major terrorist attack at a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna.
