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Faiza Patel

@faizapatel.bsky.social
7.5K followers 208 following 203 posts

Co-Director, Liberty & NatSec @BrennanCenter

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Reposted by Faiza Patel
Just Security @justsecurity.org · 22/07/2026
Lawmakers must address the federal governments' use of LLMs against Americans’ data, writes @faizapatel.bsky.social (Faiza Patel). "At a minimum, Congress should require agencies to disclose how these models are trained, how they perform, and how they impact Americans," she writes.
justsecurity.org
AI and Warrantless Foreign Intelligence Surveillance
The use of LLMs for foreign intelligence surveillance erodes the rules put in place to safeguard Americans' civil liberties.
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Faiza Patel @faizapatel.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
6/6 The forthcoming piece will focus on govt's exclusion of foreign-targeted surveillance from the envelope of mass domestic surveillance even though these programs pick up enormous amounts of Americans' data as well & the impact of AI in that context.
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Faiza Patel @faizapatel.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
5/6 Not only are the rules meant to constrain the use of commercial data totally inadequate to preventing abuse, the introduction of AI makes the pool of this info in the hands of the govt even more dangerous. Eg it could quickly and at minimal cost generate lists of opponents.
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Faiza Patel @faizapatel.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
4/6 This is esp alarming as the Trump administration is moving quickly to "internationalize" its crackdown on domestic opposition. Eg the State Dept rept claiming that Cuba has infiltrated the left and listing left-wing activists & electeds (yes Mamdani is on the list) www.state.gov/wp-content/u...
state.gov
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Faiza Patel @faizapatel.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
3/6 The risk of misuse of this info is not hypothetical. DoJ & DHS have led the administration's efforts to crush opposition. DoD's foreign intel mission could be subverted too. During the Vietnam war, it ran an intel program focused on civil rights & anti-war groups.
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Faiza Patel @faizapatel.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
2/6 Today's piece focuses on the DoD's purchase and use of commercial info (e.g., location data) from app companies & the like. Even though SCOTUS requires a warrant for location info when cos are compelled to produce it, DoD (like other agencies) sidesteps that rule by buying the data.
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Faiza Patel @faizapatel.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
1/6 Today @justsecurity.org published the first of a a pair of pieces by me exploring what the DoD places within the envelope of "mass domestic surveillance" and what remains outside. This longstanding issue is even more critical with the adoption of AI.
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Reposted by Faiza Patel
Just Security @justsecurity.org · 21/07/2026
What constitutes mass domestic surveillance? USG already collects Americans' data without a warrant via commercial purchases - and the risks are greatly increased by the use of AI, writes @faizapatel.bsky.social (Faiza Patel). More here:
justsecurity.org
AI and the Commercial Data Loophole
The Pentagon’s access to commercial LLMs give it a powerful surveillance tool that could be turned on Americans.
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Faiza Patel @faizapatel.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Looking forward to the conversation!
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Faiza Patel @faizapatel.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
And for even more detail: Read more here: www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...
brennancenter.org
Stripping Naturalized Americans of Citizenship Faces High Legal Hurdles
The Trump administration may want to aggressively denaturalize citizens, but the Supreme Court has forbidden doing so when a person’s political beliefs are a focus.
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Faiza Patel @faizapatel.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
The courts can-and should-hold the line. Read more here: www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ana...
brennancenter.org
How the Supreme Court Rejected Denaturalization as a Political Weapon Long Ago
New threats to strip opponents of citizenship recall a dark history.
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Faiza Patel @faizapatel.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
As recently as 2017, SCOTUS unanimously ruled that a false statement on paperwork only counts if it actually caused the person to get citizenship — prosecutors can't just dig through someone's paperwork looking for technicalities.
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Faiza Patel @faizapatel.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
SCOTUS banned using denaturalization as a weapon against political views, even pro-Nazi speech. And this was during the WWII era!
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Faiza Patel @faizapatel.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
By 1967, the Court ruled that under the 14th Amendment, the government cannot forcibly strip a naturalized citizen of citizenship without their consent — unless citizenship was obtained unlawfully in the first place.
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Faiza Patel @faizapatel.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
SCOTUS eventually said: enough. In a case involving a Russian-born man accused of communist ties, the Court ruled the government must prove lack of loyalty by "clear, unequivocal, and convincing" evidence — a very high bar.
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Faiza Patel @faizapatel.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
This is not the first time a U.S. admin has tried to use denatz aggressively as a political tool. It happened during WWI & WWII. During the second red scare, the Truman admin tried to denaturalize labor leaders accused of communist ties.
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Faiza Patel @faizapatel.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
The goal, as with so many of the admin's other initiatives e.g., ending birthright citizenship, is to redefine who gets to be an American. The U.S. has almost 25 million naturalized citizens, who are now a bit more uncertain about their status.
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Faiza Patel @faizapatel.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
DOJ plans to strip 400 Americans of their citizenship. More than any other recent admin, even the 1st Trump admin. www.nytimes.com/2026/04/23/u... Some may be real fraud cases, but if they're politically motivated or based on a technicality, the courts will shut them down.
nytimes.com
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Faiza Patel @faizapatel.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
5/5 But the main goal is not to win cases. Its to silence dissent. That's why DOJ wants prosecutors to "Go big" and "go loud. To send the message that those who protest will pay a very high price. What a comedown for a country that prides itself on free speech.
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Faiza Patel @faizapatel.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
4/5 It was always clear that most of these cases would fail bc they were targeted at 1st Amm activity. And despite the conviction in the TX case, they will continue to do so.
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Faiza Patel @faizapatel.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
3/5 NSPM 7 wasn't about violence, but squarely directed @ speech. Its major impact was always intended to be to get federal agencies to prioritize going after protestors. The pressure on prosecutors & FBI to do this is detailed in the NYT.
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Faiza Patel @faizapatel.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
2/5 As I wrote when NSPM 7 came out, the memo directs federal agencies to prioritize investigations of a swath of anti-fascist identities and ideologies. E.g. anti-Americanism, anti-capitalism, anti-Christianity; extremism on migration, race, gender; & hostility to trad Am views on family & religion
brennancenter.org
Trump’s Orders Targeting Anti-Fascism Aim to Criminalize Opposition
Purporting to go after “domestic terrorism,” the president presents an imagined left-wing conspiracy and authorizes punishments for even tenuous connections to speech the administration doesn’t like.
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Faiza Patel @faizapatel.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
1/5 Thread on an imp story out today, which may get missed with all the Iran war news. www.nytimes.com/2026/03/19/u...
nytimes.com
‘Go Big and Go Loud’: Inside the Justice Dept.’s Push to Prosecute Protesters
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Faiza Patel @faizapatel.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
Honestly, DHS intel was never very good.Not sure we're missing much.
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Reposted by Faiza Patel
Emile Ayoub @emileayoub.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
As @amostoh.bsky.social and I explain in our new report, the military has been ramping up its adoption of AI, while oversight and safeguards have failed to keep up. But the Pentagon’s dispute with Anthropic has brought a grave threat into focus: using AI to pry into Americans’ private lives 🧵 1/
brennancenter.org
The Business of Military AI
The Pentagon has been spending tens of billions of dollars to adopt new technologies at breakneck speed. Without oversight and safeguards, military applications of artificial intelligence could jeopar...
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Reposted by Faiza Patel
Kashmir Hill @kashhill.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
Thomson Reuters is best known for its media outlet and legal research tools, but it is also a huge data broker that provides investigative tools to the government, including ICE. Its Minneapolis workers aren't happy about that: www.nytimes.com/2026/03/11/t...
nytimes.com
They Don’t Want Their Company’s Surveillance Tool Used by ICE
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Faiza Patel @faizapatel.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
His face :)
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Faiza Patel @faizapatel.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
This is usually bad, unverified intel, often based on social media posts of dubious provenance.
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Faiza Patel @faizapatel.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
My @brennancenter.org colleagues issued a report today on military AI. It bears the discourse on Anthropic v. DoD. It covers the long march toward military AI in weapons & for surveillance and targeting. Provides data on the companies winning contracts. Explains the risks of adoption w/o safeguards.
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Faiza Patel @faizapatel.bsky.social · 16/12/2025
As the Islamophobic voices rise up again, thought I would point out that its thankfully not easy to denaturalize Americans. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ana...
brennancenter.org
How the Supreme Court Rejected Denaturalization as a Political Weapon Long Ago
New threats to strip opponents of citizenship recall a dark history.
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Faiza Patel @faizapatel.bsky.social · 12/12/2025
Such an imp point
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Reposted by Faiza Patel
Justin Hendrix @justinhendrix.bsky.social · 12/12/2025
Trump's latest attempt to thwart state AI rules will probably also fail, as federal agencies like the DOJ and FTC cannot encroach on lawful state regulations without a clear delegation from Congress, Olivier Sylvain argues on @techpolicypress.bsky.social:
techpolicy.press
Why Trump’s AI EO Will be DOA in Court | TechPolicy.Press
Policymakers should not allow the happy-talk about innovation blind them to the ways in which AI companies may harm consumers, Olivier Sylvain writes.
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Faiza Patel @faizapatel.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
Imp thread on new AI regs
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Reposted by Faiza Patel
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 08/12/2025
Tomorrow at 3:00 House and Senate Democrats will be holding a "shadow hearing" on the detention of U.S. citizens. I'll be there testifying about the broader policy changes which led us to this moment. /my name isn't in this press release but I'll be there! www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/pre...
blumenthal.senate.gov
Blumenthal & Robert Garcia to Hold Forum to Receive Testimony from Five U.S. Citizens Assaulted, Illegally Detained by DHS | U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut
[WASHINGTON, DC] – On Tuesday, December 9, 2025 at 3 PM ET in 216 Hart Senate Office Building in Washington, DC, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal...
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Faiza Patel @faizapatel.bsky.social · 06/12/2025
Highly recommend!
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Faiza Patel @faizapatel.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
Powerful piece on collective punishment after NG shooting. www.nytimes.com/2025/12/04/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | I’m an Immigration Lawyer. Trump Is Shattering My Clients’ Lives.
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Faiza Patel @faizapatel.bsky.social · 02/12/2025
Looking forward to discussing Immigration in NYC: Policy, Belonging, and the Future of Sanctuary. This evening @ Columbia. Register here: events.columbia.edu/cal/event/ev...
events.columbia.edu
Immigration in NYC: Policy, Belonging, and the Future of Sanctuary
<p>The&nbsp;<a href="https://holder.college.columbia.edu/" target="_blank">Eric H. Holder Jr. Initiative for Civil and Political Rights</a>&nbsp;Student Advisory Board is pleased to invite you to the ...
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Faiza Patel @faizapatel.bsky.social · 01/12/2025
From me and @brennancenter.org colleagues
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Faiza Patel @faizapatel.bsky.social · 30/11/2025
There is far more to the NYPD surveillance system than DAS & the disbanded demographics unit. POST act disclosures of surveillance tech have been minimal & NYPD IG which could help shed light weakened. These need fixing for starters. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/30/n...
nytimes.com
Mamdani, a Sharp Critic of Police Surveillance, Will Soon Oversee It
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Faiza Patel @faizapatel.bsky.social · 26/11/2025
brennancenter.applytojob.com/apply/7G4Zjj...
brennancenter.applytojob.com
Technology Policy Strategist, Liberty and National Security Program - Brennan Center for Justice - Career Page
Apply to Technology Policy Strategist, Liberty and National Security Program at Brennan Center for Justice in New York, NY.
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Faiza Patel @faizapatel.bsky.social · 26/11/2025
1/2 The Liberty & NatSec team @brennancenter.org is hiring for two positions: senior counsel and tech strategist. Pls spread the word. brennancenter.applytojob.com/apply/86gRwx...
brennancenter.applytojob.com
Senior Counsel, Liberty and National Security Program - Brennan Center for Justice - Career Page
Apply to Senior Counsel, Liberty and National Security Program at Brennan Center for Justice in New York, NY.
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Reposted by Faiza Patel
Brennan Center @brennancenter.org · 26/11/2025
Social media monitoring systems, cellphone location tracking, facial recognition, remote hacking tools — now being turned on Americans by ICE to target protesters. bit.ly/3Kq348R
brennancenter.org
ICE Wants to Go After Dissenters as well as Immigrants
The Trump administration is being open about its plans to violate Americans’ First and Fourth Amendment rights.
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Faiza Patel @faizapatel.bsky.social · 25/11/2025
Unfortunate branding
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Faiza Patel @faizapatel.bsky.social · 25/11/2025
How do you find these?
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Reposted by Faiza Patel
The Steady State @thesteadystate.org · 20/11/2025
Former ambassadors and senior State Department officials — including Steady State members — warn that the U.S. is targeting foreign students and scholars for their lawful speech, undermining free-expression principles and harming America’s global standing. drive.google.com/file/d/1GIq2...
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Faiza Patel @faizapatel.bsky.social · 25/11/2025
The numbers are in: new foreign student enrollment dropped by 17 percent this year. 60+ former sr State Dept officials and ambassadors (both D& R) explain why this is bad for America & Americans: drive.google.com/file/d/1GIq2...
drive.google.com
Letter to Rubio - 11.17.2025
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Faiza Patel @faizapatel.bsky.social · 25/11/2025
After 9/11, the U.S. built a huge surveillance infrastructure for counterterrorism. It was abused to target Muslim Americans, but the broad authorities were also used to go after protestors. Immigration enforcement is the new counterterrorism: www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...
brennancenter.org
ICE Wants to Go After Dissenters as well as Immigrants
The Trump administration is being open about its plans to violate Americans’ First and Fourth Amendment rights.
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Faiza Patel @faizapatel.bsky.social · 25/11/2025
Thanks for continuing to bring attention to this. Godawful.
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Reposted by Faiza Patel
Brennan Center @brennancenter.org · 25/11/2025
ICE has long used the latest spy tech to pursue immigrants — but now it’s also targeting anti-ICE protesters and anyone who allegedly funds them. bit.ly/3Kq348R
brennancenter.org
ICE Wants to Go After Dissenters as well as Immigrants
The Trump administration is being open about its plans to violate Americans’ First and Fourth Amendment rights.
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Faiza Patel @faizapatel.bsky.social · 24/11/2025
Who would have guessed this would happen? www.nytimes.com/live/2025/11...
nytimes.com
Trump Administration Live Updates: Judge Tosses Criminal Charges Against James Comey and Letitia James
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