Originally Posted in the Washington Times on March 14, 2025

By Rep. August Pfluger

OPINION

Just last week, the Department of Justice (DOJ) charged 12 Chinese hackers for taking part in a global “hackers-for-hire” operation. What is even more alarming is that their target was not only information from government agencies and companies but also everyday people who dared to criticize the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). 

This doubles down on the fact that authoritarian nation-states are increasingly engaging in transnational repression––harassing and silencing their citizens and others outside of their nation’s boundaries who defend human rights, use their freedom of speech, or flee these oppressive regimes. This is unacceptable and, unfortunately, continues to fly under the radar, often leaving the victims to fight alone. 

While transnational repression is not new, it has grown significantly in the past several years. According to Freedom House, the CCP is a top perpetrator of transnational repression in the world. In 2023 alone, the DOJ prosecuted 44 Chinese nationals for conducting transnational repression on behalf of the CCP.

Last Congress, my House Homeland Security Subcommittee heard directly from victims of transnational repression, including Bob Fu, a resident of the district I represent in Midland, Texas. Dr. Fu is the founder and president of the China Aid Association, a human rights organization that empowers persecuted people of all faiths in China. After seeking refuge in America in 1997, Fu and his family endured numerous acts of transnational repression, culminating in at least 100 masked individuals chanting “Elimination of Bob Fu” outside of his house for hours on end throughout 2020. 

The extent of the CCP’s malign influence in the United States became even more apparent in April of 2023 when several unauthorized Chinese “police stations” were uncovered across the country, and 40 Chinese National Police Officers were charged. These stations work to suppress dissidents, conduct surveillance, and spread propaganda. 

Furthermore, on December 18, 2024, Chen Jinping, a resident of New York City, pleaded guilty to acting as an agent of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) by running a clandestine CCP “police station” in Manhattan. 

As part of our continued efforts to investigate the threats posed by the CCP to our country, Committee Chairman Mark Green and I promptly demanded answers from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the FBI. I also met with the New York Police Department’s Intelligence and Counterterrorism Bureau about these unauthorized “police stations” to aid our oversight efforts. 

But it’s not just the CCP engaging in transnational repression. Iranian-American journalist and women’s rights activist Masih Alinejad also provided harrowing testimony to the House Committee on Homeland Security in October 2023. Alinejad detailed the regime’s assassination attempts against her, saying, “I have come to realize that even on U.S. soil, being safe is too much of a luxury for those of us who dare to criticize the terrorist regime in Iran. Iran’s regime is threatening U.S. citizens on U.S. soil, but the [Biden] administration’s response has been very, very disappointing.”

It is clear the arms of authoritarian regimes stretch into our backyards. Every day this egregious activity remains hidden, it presents a victory for those foreign actors who stalk, intimidate, or assault people across their borders. There is an urgent need for bipartisan congressional action to position DHS as a leader on this issue and support those on its front lines––state and local law enforcement. 

Today, members of the Homeland Security Committee are reintroducing three bipartisan bills to counter these acts of transnational repression that the Committee passed last Congress. 

My bill, the “Countering Transnational Repression Act of 2025,” ensures that DHS takes steps to recognize, assess, and counter threats from foreign authoritarian regimes or an agent of a foreign government against American citizens or lawful permanent residents. 

My colleague Congressman Gabe Evans’ “Law Enforcement Support and Counter Transnational Repression Act” will help educate communities about transnational repression, increase visibility, and better connect victims with federal support through a hotline for this specific threat. 

Finally, my colleague across the aisle, Congressman Seth Magaziner, introduced the “Strengthening State and Local Efforts to Counter Transnational Repression Act,” which would require DHS to prioritize strengthening state and local law enforcement capabilities to counter transnational repression.

Together, these measures will take significant steps to illuminate these threats and help victims emerge from the shadows. These commonsense bills also send a strong message to foreign actors that Congress will not tolerate this behavior on American soil. 

The intimidation, harassment, and even assassination attempts endured by the targets of transnational repression, including American citizens, illustrate an unacceptable encroachment on our nation’s sovereignty and the rule of law by the enemies of freedom. 

Fortunately, we now have an administration ready to face this threat head-on. However, we must still do our part in Congress to ensure the United States remains a bastion for free expression without fear of persecution.

• Rep. August Pfluger, chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security’s Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, represents Texas’s 11th District in Congress and chairs the Republican Study Committee (RSC).