Report: Biden DOJ Sought Way to Target Parents As ‘Domestic Terrorists’
Recent explosive documents reveal that the Biden Justice Department was actively seeking a justification to deploy federal law enforcement against parents who voiced their concerns regarding their children’s education, all while being aware that these parents were safeguarded by the First Amendment.
The documents acquired by America First Legal (AFL) reveal that officials from the Department of Justice were frantically working behind the scenes just days prior to the controversial memo issued by former Attorney General Merrick Garland on October 4, 2021, which categorized concerned parents as potential “domestic terrorists,” as reported by The Federalist.
“We acknowledge the situation; the difficulty lies in identifying a federal connection,” stated Kevin Chambers, who was serving as an associate deputy attorney general, in an email dated October 1. “However, the White House has reached out regarding our potential assistance in some capacity.”
The communication was issued while the Biden administration was collaborating with the National School Boards Association (NSBA) to formulate a letter requesting the Department of Justice to take action against parents who oppose COVID mandates, critical race theory, and gender ideology in educational institutions — a significant number of whom were already mobilizing through grassroots initiatives and voicing their concerns in viral videos nationwide.
BREAKING NEWS: Biden DOJ actively sought ‘federal hook’ for school board memo about ‘domestic terrorists,’ documents reveal https://t.co/SCtA2WzPAE— Fox News (@FoxNews) July 18, 2025
At that time, staff members from the Career Department of Justice expressed concerns, indicating that there was no legal justification for federal intervention and that the majority of parental expressions were constitutionally safeguarded. Certain officials even cautioned that most of the incidents referenced were unrelated to threats or violence, but rather consisted solely of fervent dissent during public gatherings.
AFL states that the recently disclosed emails finalize the timeline of what it describes as a coordinated initiative involving the Biden administration, the Department of Justice, and the National School Boards Association “to strip parents of two essential rights — the right to express themselves, and the right to guide the upbringing of their children,” as noted by AFL president Gene Hamilton.
“Their actions were driven by political motives,” Hamilton stated, “primarily by trying to sway the Virginia gubernatorial election, and more generally to suppress dissent throughout the United States.”
The internal turmoil persisted throughout the weekend. On Saturday, October 2, Sparkle Sooknanan — who was then part of the associate attorney general’s office and is now a federal judge appointed by Biden — inquired whether the Civil Rights Division could assist in addressing the NSBA letter.
By Saturday evening, staff from the Department of Justice acknowledged that there was limited information available. An attorney from the Civil Rights Division noted on Sunday that the initiative was “mobilizing a significant amount of federal resources for what is presently a matter of non-federal behavior.”
“It seems to me that the overwhelming majority of the behaviors referenced cannot be addressed by federal law,” the attorney stated. “Nearly all of the terminology being utilized is safeguarded by the First Amendment.”
By Monday morning, Garland’s draft memo had been completed and disseminated. By 9:16 a.m., officials from the DOJ were sharing the memo internally, and shortly thereafter, it was distributed to FBI offices, U.S. attorneys, and law enforcement agencies nationwide — mobilizing federal resources against parents.
One staff member from the DOJ even suggested utilizing the FACE Act — the same legislation employed to prosecute pro-life demonstrators — to target parents who physically protested against school policies.
“When the significant awakening of parents took place in 2021, the Biden Administration was eager to halt it before it could influence the Virginia gubernatorial election,” Prior stated. “Instead, anyone with a modicum of intelligence could observe the incomprehensible scandal unfolding.”
He further remarked, “Parents refused to relinquish their rights — rights that are now being vigorously defended and zealously protected by the Trump Administration and affirmed by the United States Supreme Court.” Ian Prior, a senior advisor to AFL, described it as “one of the most egregious attempts to strip Americans of their rights in the annals of our republic.”