Sign in

Spencer Reynolds

@sreynolds.bsky.social
5.8K followers 419 following 353 posts

National security law and policy, NAACP Legal Defense Fund. Former intelligence and counterterrorism lawyer, US Department of Homeland Security. Former Brennan Center. Views my own, rarely the government's. >> Signal: sreynolds.16

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Spencer Reynolds
Sam Levin @samtlevin.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
A Minnesota religious studies professor is facing six years in prison, with the DOJ saying he is part of an "antifa" conspiracy against ICE Erik Davis speaks out about his prosecution, largely based on a handful of his comments in Signal chats. He's not accused of any violence “It’s petty revenge"
theguardian.com
The professor facing prison in ‘antifa’ case: ‘They want to scare all who oppose ICE’
Erik Davis is accused by the government of a ‘conspiracy’ to obstruct ICE – experts say it’s part of a pattern to criminalize lawful organizing and ruin activists’ lives
16660350
Spencer Reynolds @sreynolds.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
It's funny, FEMA has issued terrorism prevention grants for years. Many of us oppose them. They have always targeted social or religious viewpoints, often impacting Muslim and Black people most. This administration killed the program, saying it was "DEI" or "woke." Now it's back because "antifa."
120
Reposted by Spencer Reynolds
Ken Klippenstein @kenklippenstein.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
CONGRESS: Under what authority is ICE supporting the FBI's Anti-Government Violent Extremism Task Force? ICE Assistant Director: "We follow NSPM-7."
532180
Reposted by Spencer Reynolds
Prism @prismreports.org · 01/07/2026
FBI report claims anti-capitalist graffiti could indicate plans for violence, reports @glentalk.bsky.social. An FBI counterterrorism report intended for local, state & other law enforcement agencies describes tactics of “anarchist violent extremists” that can be reported to federal authorities.
prismreports.org
FBI report claims anti-capitalist graffiti could indicate plans for violence
An FBI counterterrorism report obtained by Prism describes tactics of “anarchist violent extremists” that can be reported to authorities
11814
Spencer Reynolds @sreynolds.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
After federal agents killed Renée Good and Alex Pretti, the FBI issued a report calling protests hotbeds of terrorism and "anti-fascist" views dangerous. I explained to @prismreports.org how the FBI criminalizes Black and other people fighting for a just democracy: prismreports.org/2026/07/01/f...
prismreports.org
FBI report claims anti-capitalist graffiti could indicate plans for violence
An FBI counterterrorism report obtained by Prism describes tactics of “anarchist violent extremists” that can be reported to authorities
02019
Spencer Reynolds @sreynolds.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
This is the ICE office (CBP has one too) that is supposed to look into internal issues, like officers' use of force, corruption, sexual assault... Another reason why "internal oversight" at these agencies is weak. Abolish the agency and pass laws allowing the public to take federal cops to court.
183
Reposted by Spencer Reynolds
Spencer Reynolds @sreynolds.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
NSPM-7 is the playbook to target you simply for wanting a more just, inclusive world. I joined two of the best reporters on this beat - Dan Boguslaw and Ken Klippenstein - to talk about what it all means:
013245
Spencer Reynolds @sreynolds.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
NSPM-7 is the playbook to target you simply for wanting a more just, inclusive world. I joined two of the best reporters on this beat - Dan Boguslaw and Ken Klippenstein - to talk about what it all means:
013245
Spencer Reynolds @sreynolds.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
History teaches us so much. The war waged against advocates for the 8-hour-workday back in the 1800s used the same playbook we see today: Criminalization of peaceful speech, xenophobic slurs, collusion between business and government, escalation of violence by the authorities, and brutal punishment.
030
Spencer Reynolds @sreynolds.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
NSPM-7 threatens the fight for multiracial democracy, fair distribution of resources, and the right to migrate for family, safety, and economic opportunity. I joined @moreperfectunion.bsky.social to explain how government and business want to paint YOU as a terrorist: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rafu...
youtube.com
We Uncovered A New Government Watchlist. Are You Their Next Target?
YouTube video by More Perfect Union
144
Reposted by Spencer Reynolds
Spencer Reynolds @sreynolds.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
People are angry about AI data centers and their impacts. Instead of addressing real outcry about harm to Black and poor communities, our government criminalizes dissent. Today it's Congress's intel unit. Earlier this week, WIRED showed how DHS, FBI, local police, and private spies are involved.
619964
Reposted by Spencer Reynolds
Egg McGuffin @eggmcguffin.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
Soon. 🌱
Yellow/orange/salmon rosebud nearly ready to open. Variety is Scent from Heaven/Chewbabaluv.Cream/cherry red rosebud a few days from opening. Variety is Double Delight.A lot of little baby green strawberries
0161
Spencer Reynolds @sreynolds.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
People are angry about AI data centers and their impacts. Instead of addressing real outcry about harm to Black and poor communities, our government criminalizes dissent. Today it's Congress's intel unit. Earlier this week, WIRED showed how DHS, FBI, local police, and private spies are involved.
619964
Reposted by Spencer Reynolds
Intrusive Thot @apricity.blacksky.app · 26/05/2026
This is just criminalization of dissent and we should listen to @prisonculture.bsky.social. as long as there is a class of people who can be stripped of their rights (“criminals”), criminalization will be a tool of oppression and dominance.
011552
Spencer Reynolds @sreynolds.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Angry about the AI data center near you? You might be a terrorist, according to a whole bunch of government agencies and one private intelligence firm: www.wired.com/story/us-law... As I told @wired.com, this kind of targeting criminalizes Black and poor people organizing for a better future.
wired.com
US Law Enforcement Warns of ‘Anti-Tech Extremism’ as AI Hatred Grows
As Americans stew over the looming risk of job-stealing AI and data centers in their back yards, the feds are raising the alarm about a new category of threat, documents obtained by WIRED show.
1115
Reposted by Spencer Reynolds
Nic Moe (he/him) @nicmoe.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
🤔
Screen grab from the article that says:

“But park proponents don’t want to sacrifice any of the airport land.

‘It’s not to do with housing, per se,” said Frank Gruber with the Santa Monica Great Park Coalition. ‘Somebody could say to me, we 20 acres to build a laboratory that will guarantee that we will cure cancer - we’d still be opposed to it.”
063
Reposted by Spencer Reynolds
Hannah Riley Fernandez @hannahcrileyy.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
technology should have stopped at Microsoft Encarta honestly
1192
Reposted by Spencer Reynolds
Ari Berman @ariberman.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
In Callais Alito claimed racism was over. Now Southern states rushing to revive Jim Crow, eliminating or set to eliminate at least 5 majority Black districts in TN, AL, LA, SC, MS. This is bigger than partisan politics. Multiracial democracy under all out assault www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
motherjones.com
Alito said racism was over. Southern states are now rushing to revive Jim Crow.
Republicans are set to dismantle at least five majority-Black districts in the South.
17409183
Spencer Reynolds @sreynolds.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
Whoops! An ICE firearms trainer had previously been involved in four fatal shootings before the immigration agency bought his services, per @awinston.bsky.social. And ICE and CBP's "special response teams" and other militarized units have joined nationwide counterprotest efforts. (See next post...)
134
Spencer Reynolds @sreynolds.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
Why are we doing this to ourselves? “On April 7, Anthropic announced Mythos Preview, a frontier AI model with such potent hacking capabilities that the company deemed it too dangerous for public release.” www.justsecurity.org/138011/too-d...
justsecurity.org
Too Dangerous to Deploy: Anthropic's Mythos and What Comes Next
Mythos is a harbinger of the dilemmas companies & governments will face in enabling the safe adoption of progressively more powerful models.
042
Spencer Reynolds @sreynolds.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
Calling cartels terrorists has far-reaching, disparate consequences for Black and Latino communities targeted by gang policing. The AG confirmed he sees it as counterterrorism. And do drug buyers become material supporters? Plus the feds hoover up bogus gang data, as shown by docs I obtained… 1/
142
Spencer Reynolds @sreynolds.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
Just now, the Attorney General said DOJ sees street drug dealers as part of cartels designated last year as foreign terrorist orgs. This logic puts Americans in the crosshairs of aggressive terror charges and invasive watchlisting, and could exacerbate existing racial disparities in gang policing.
021
Spencer Reynolds @sreynolds.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
Yesterday at the Border Security Expo, White House official Tom Homan promised to “flood the zone” with ICE agents in New York once new laws limiting collaboration with federal immigration agents are passed. This follows a year of threats to local control over resources www.cnn.com/2026/05/05/p...
cnn.com
Defiant border czar brushes away MAGA critics, says ‘mass deportations are coming’ | CNN Politics
White House border czar Tom Homan on Tuesday brushed off critics within President Donald Trump’s base who say the administration is not deporting enough people, while vowing to “flood the zone” with i...
075
Spencer Reynolds @sreynolds.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
Things are wild here in the exhibit hall of the Border Security Expo in Phoenix. Hundreds of billions of dollars are on the line for vendors—and in exchange they are competing to sell real-time facial recognition, tools to work around encryption, and automated ways to assess who is dangerous.
0157
Reposted by Spencer Reynolds
Bolts @boltsmag.org · 02/05/2026
Many local police officers are concerned about being misidentified as ICE agents, The Guardian reports:
theguardian.com
Police across the US worry officers are being misidentified as ICE, records show
Exclusive: Emails and internal memos reveal concerns immigration enforcement is interfering with police work
189127
Reposted by Spencer Reynolds
Carol Morency @cmorency.bsky.social · 02/05/2026
This might be the problem: "Reynolds...said the confusion was exacerbated because some police departments were directly assisting ICE or targeting protesters."
12810
Reposted by Spencer Reynolds
Legal Defense Fund @legaldefensefund.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
We urge Governor Abbott to grant reprieve from execution of James Broadnax. The death penalty will never bring a victim of violence back. It will simply perpetuate more harm. bit.ly/4ujb3WC
naacpldf.org
LDF Urges Texas Governor to Grant Reprieve to James Broadnax
Today, the Legal Defense Fund (LDF) sent Texas Governor Greg Abbott a letter pressing for the grant of reprieve of execution for James Broadnax, a Black man who faces execution by the state on Thursda...
074
Reposted by Spencer Reynolds
Legal Defense Fund @legaldefensefund.bsky.social · 25/04/2026
LDF's Spencer Reynolds, tells @theguardian.com that "an obvious outcome of ICE running rampant through the country [is that] people will confuse other police with them," especially as police departments have directly assisted ICE. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/ap…
theguardian.com
Police across the US worry officers are being misidentified as ICE, records show
Exclusive: Emails and internal memos reveal concerns immigration enforcement is interfering with police work
034
Reposted by Spencer Reynolds
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 25/04/2026
Four months ago, the Trump admin “temporarily paused” immigration benefits for nationals of 39 countries plus the Palestinian Authority. Tens of thousands of applications each month have just been stuck in a filing cabinet with no progress. People are stuck in limbo; some are even losing their jobs.
718799
Reposted by Spencer Reynolds
Senator Ron Wyden @wyden.senate.gov · 15/04/2026
That’s not all. Current law also lets the Feds buy all sorts of sensitive data on you from shady data brokers, with just a credit card. The Feds can feed that data into powerful AI systems to spy on you. Kash Patel recently confirmed to me he’s buying your location data.
15819
Spencer Reynolds @sreynolds.bsky.social · 25/04/2026
Police across the country are worried about being confused with ICE—and all that comes with the federal crackdown. Makes sense. The solution is for local officials to condemn ICE tactics, not replicate them locally, and withdraw all support to federal cops. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Police across the US worry officers are being misidentified as ICE, records show
Exclusive: Emails and internal memos reveal concerns immigration enforcement is interfering with police work
051
Reposted by Spencer Reynolds
Project Salt Box @projectsaltbox.com · 25/04/2026
New emails show Washington County, Md., explored whether local trades programs could benefit from construction at ICE’s Williamsport warehouse. ICE’s contractor said no. Federal rules preempt Maryland apprenticeship requirements. Why it matters: local burdens don’t always come with local benefits.
Screenshot of an email from Washington County, Maryland Economic Development Director Jonathan Horowitz to ICE officials. In the email, Horowitz thanks ICE for its “investment” in the county following the purchase of the Williamsport warehouse and asks whether the facility’s build-out will be a prevailing wage project. He says the county hopes any required apprenticeship contributions could be directed to local trades education programs and the local community college. The email frames the detention warehouse project as a potential source of local workforce funding.Screenshot of a reply email from KVG’s managing director to Washington County Economic Development Director Jonathan Horowitz. KVG states that construction at ICE’s Williamsport detention warehouse is governed by federal Service Contract Act wage rules rather than Maryland prevailing wage law, meaning Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Council contributions do not apply. KVG adds it is open to discussing other ways to support local workforce development and community growth.Screenshot of a follow-up email from Washington County Economic Development Director Jonathan Horowitz thanking ICE/KVG for confirming that Maryland apprenticeship funding rules do not apply to the Williamsport detention warehouse project. Horowitz says he will inform the local community college president the idea is a “no-go.” He then offers county assistance, describing his office as the “Swiss Army knife of county government” and saying staff can help ICE navigate county departments and “catalyze” development timelines if issues arise.
012449
Reposted by Spencer Reynolds
NYCLU @nyclu.org · 17/04/2026
📣 287(g) agreements effectively turn state and local law enforcement into extensions of ICE. Currently, 12 law enforcement agencies in NY have active contracts in place.⁠ ⁠ This is unacceptable.
184
Reposted by Spencer Reynolds
Yue_hime_ @yuehime.bsky.social · 05/04/2026
Today’s flower 🌱🌻 #1395 Clematis
A photograph of a big flower with pointy long white petals arranged like a multi-pointed star, with a little purple pollen fuzz in its middle
1899
Reposted by Spencer Reynolds
Yue_hime_ @yuehime.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
Today’s flower 🌱🌻 #1399 Pear
A photograph of a small thin tree in a plastered frontyard, focusing on its clusters of white delicate flowers
011620
Reposted by Spencer Reynolds
Rebecca Bollwitt @miss604.com · 13/04/2026
Double Pink Kwanzan Cherry Tree + Moss 😍 #vancouver #canada 🌎
Up close with pink clusters of blossoms on a tree with light green leaves in between and moss-covered branches
1548
Spencer Reynolds @sreynolds.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
A Rohingya refugee died in Buffalo, NY, after Border Patrol agents dumped him on the street this winter. Outrage has focused on federal actions, but local police contributed heavily to the tragedy. Emahunn Campbell and I write about what went wrong: legaldefensefund.substack.com/p/refugees-d...
legaldefensefund.substack.com
Refugee’s Death Illustrates How Local Governments Must Protect Residents from Law Enforcement Abuses
By: Spencer Reynolds and Emahunn Campbell
182
Spencer Reynolds @sreynolds.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
Yeah, this checks out.
000
Reposted by Spencer Reynolds
Sherrilyn Ifill @sifill.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
What a disgrace. @cristianfarias.com per our Trump v. Moti discussion yesterday.
126993
Spencer Reynolds @sreynolds.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
Congratulations to two of my very favorite @brennancenter.org people, Amos Toh and @emileayoub.bsky.social on publishing an important, timely, and painstakingly researched report. Read it to learn how our military spends money on AI, and AI companies spend money to court our military.
040
Reposted by Spencer Reynolds
Amos Toh @amostoh.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
Both things can be true: The Pentagon’s blacklisting of Anthropic is an abuse of executive power. The daylight between the Pentagon and Anthropic is less than you think. www.nytimes.com/2026/03/01/t...
“Anthropic told the Pentagon that it was willing to let its technology be used by the National Security Agency for classified material collected under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.”
0189
Spencer Reynolds @sreynolds.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
Personal news: I am leaving national security to lobby Congress for a total ban on the right of German tourists to sue over matters of spiciness. DMs are open for those who wish to fund my new firm. We will pursue this sole issue, and I will retire when successful. gothamist.com/food/theres-...
gothamist.com
'There's a problem with the sauce': Times Square taqueria's salsa sparks lawsuit
A German man says he suffered from unlabeled spicy salsa. It's not his only claim.
010
Reposted by Spencer Reynolds
Mrs. Detective PikaBOO, Esq. @clapifyoulikeme.favrd.social · 09/03/2026
If I had a dollar for every person who asks how defense attorneys sleep at night, I’d be able to pay my student loans. If I had a dollar for every person who asks how prosecutors sleep at night, I could maybe buy a pack of gum. Broken society.
221407205
Spencer Reynolds @sreynolds.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
What's with the wild numbers about threats to ICE? 1200% more here, 8000% there. A new review shows only one agent has died during immigration enforcement since 2003, of a heart attack. The work is dangerous: for the public when DHS agents escalate violence. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
No deportation officer has been killed in the line of duty since ICE’s creation
Only one person working job that today would be called ‘deportation officer’ has died from act of violence, Guardian review shows
161
Spencer Reynolds @sreynolds.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
www.npr.org/2023/11/15/1...
npr.org
A GOP senator challenges Teamsters head to a fight in a fiery exchange at a hearing
A congressional hearing devolved into an angry confrontation between Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin and Sean O'Brien, the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
011
Reposted by Spencer Reynolds
Jake Lahut @jakelahut.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
There it is: Noem out, Mullin in
7402543843
Reposted by Spencer Reynolds
Lauren Harper @laurenleharper.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
The Defense Department spent $38,000,000 LESS on FOIA in FY 2025 than it did in 2024. This is a 37% decrease. Other agencies do not report nearly the same drop in spending, in fact many spent more in 2025 than 2024. pclt.defense.gov/Portals/140/...
11710
Reposted by Spencer Reynolds
Mason B. Williams @masonbwilliams.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
Twelve years later, the NYPD is still not in compliance with the court orders from Floyd v. New York, the lawsuit that found the city's stop-and-frisk practices unconstitutional (by @reuvenblau.bsky.social, @thecity.nyc) www.thecity.nyc/2026/02/26/n...
thecity.nyc
NYPD Still Illegally Stopping New Yorkers 12 Years After Court Ruling, Monitor Finds
Illegal stops, missing paperwork and weak discipline remain widespread despite federal oversight.
22513
Reposted by Spencer Reynolds
shawn @mulchy.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
new: highlands reit, a small chicago-based real estate firm, is renting an empty prison it owns in colorado to ice and private prison giant geo group. highlands is part of a network of private contractors hoping to get a cut of the $45 billion allocated to warehouse immigrants through 2029.
chicagoreader.com
The Chicago real estate firm leasing an empty prison to ICE
Highlands Real Estate Investment Trust looks to profit from President Trump's anti-immigrant agenda.
3185135
Reposted by Spencer Reynolds
Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
Administrative burdens: Policymaking by other means
27522