The federal government’s warrantless surveillance machine suffered a setback after Congress failed to extend Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act before its June 12 deadline.
But Texas Gun Rights is warning gun owners not to celebrate too soon.
Section 702 was created in 2008 as a foreign-intelligence surveillance authority, allowing the federal government to target non-U.S. persons believed to be located overseas.
But for years, privacy advocates across the political spectrum have warned that Americans’ communications are often swept up in the process — creating a massive pool of private information that federal agencies can search.
For gun owners, that should set off alarm bells.
The right to keep and bear arms cannot survive if the federal government is allowed to quietly monitor, search, or database Americans without a warrant.
“Gun owners should not be treated like suspects simply because they exercise their constitutional rights,” said Chris McNutt, President of Texas Gun Rights.
“If the federal government wants access to Americans’ private communications, then get a warrant. No secret loopholes. No backdoor searches. No surveillance-state excuses.”
The Surveillance State Has Been Built by Both Parties
Texas Gun Rights says the FISA 702 fight proves that warrantless surveillance is not a partisan issue.
It is an us-versus-them issue.
The modern surveillance state exploded after 9/11 under George W. Bush.
It continued under Barack Obama, when Edward Snowden’s disclosures exposed the massive scope of federal surveillance programs being carried out in the name of national security.
And under Joe Biden, Congress once again extended Section 702 — keeping one of Washington’s most controversial surveillance tools alive.
That is the lesson gun owners should never forget.
This is not Left versus Right.
This is Washington versus the Constitution.
It is the ruling class versus the citizens.
It is the surveillance state versus your God-given rights.
And no matter which party controls the White House, no president, no agency, and no bureaucrat should have the power to rummage through Americans’ private communications without a warrant.
Section 702 Expired — But Spying May Continue
The latest extension of Section 702 expired on June 12 after Congress failed to pass another short-term extension.
That should have meant the end of this warrantless surveillance authority.
But reports indicate existing surveillance activity may continue under prior certification from the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, potentially keeping the machinery of FISA 702 alive even after Congress allowed the authority to lapse.
In other words, the swamp may have found a way to keep spying first and asking questions later.
That is exactly the kind of unaccountable government power gun owners should oppose.
Gun Owners Know What Weaponized Government Looks Like
Texas gun owners have already seen how quickly federal power can be weaponized.
They watched the ATF target pistol braces.
They watched the Biden Administration try to crack down on private gun sellers.
They watched federal bureaucrats go after unfinished frames and receivers.
They watched lawful gun dealers get squeezed by hostile regulators.
They watched the gun confiscation lobby demand bans, registries, databases, and financial blacklists.
Now imagine handing that same federal machine the power to search through Americans’ private communications without a warrant.
That is a direct threat to the First, Second, and Fourth Amendments.
Gun owners should not be swept into massive government databases, monitored because of their politics, be treated like enemies of the state, or be asked to trade their constitutional rights for empty promises from Washington politicians.
Congress Must Let Warrantless Surveillance Die
Supporters of Section 702 claim the program is necessary to monitor foreign threats.
But the question before Congress is not whether America should gather intelligence on foreign enemies.
The question is whether federal agencies should be allowed to use a foreign-intelligence program to access Americans’ private communications without a warrant.
Texas Gun Rights says the answer is simple.
No warrant, no search.
No warrant, no database query.
No warrant, no access to Americans’ communications.
If Congress cannot guarantee those protections, then FISA 702 should stay dead.
“Gun owners have every reason to distrust a federal government that spies first, lies about it later, and then demands more power,” McNutt said.
“This is not a Republican problem or a Democrat problem. This is a Washington problem. And it needs to be ended for good — no matter which party holds the White House.”
Texas Gun Rights is calling on Congress to oppose any effort to revive FISA 702 without real warrant protections for Americans.
The Constitution is not optional.
The Fourth Amendment is not a suggestion.
And the Second Amendment cannot be protected while the federal government is allowed to spy on Americans without a warrant.
