Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) authorizes warrantless collection of foreign intelligence from non-U.S. persons abroad. Yet it has enabled routine warrantless searches of Americans’ communications through “incidental collection” and “backdoor queries.” Congress reauthorized it in April 2024 via the RISAA, but only until April 20, 2026. Before any further renewal, Congress must address documented misuse, lack of due process, and downstream effects like watchlisting. This petition demands transparency, accountability, and rejection of renewal without reforms.

WHAT THIS PETITION IS, AND IS NOT

This relies solely on statutory text, court opinions, Inspector General reports, congressional testimony, and mainstream reporting. 

It does not allege criminal guilt, claim unproven causation, or rely on speculation or anonymous sources. 

The goal: Create a public record demanding accountability for an authority repeatedly acknowledged as misused. 

THE AUTHORITY AND ITS MISUSE

Section 702 targets non-U.S. persons outside the U.S. for foreign intelligence. It was not intended for warrantless surveillance of Americans. 

Yet public records show: 

•  Americans’ communications are routinely collected “incidentally.” 

•  Agencies search this data via “backdoor queries” without warrants, notice, or consent. 

•  The FBI alone conducted 3.4 million U.S. person queries in 2021 alone (Brennan Center, ACLU reports). 

Post-2024 RISAA reforms improved compliance (FISA Court noted 98% in recent reviews), but concerns persist: improper queries, lack of tracking in some areas, and no warrant requirement for most U.S. person searches. A 2025 federal court ruling held that backdoor searches of Section 702 data ordinarily require a warrant under the Fourth Amendment (EFF, Just Security coverage). 

An authority for foreign targets has become a tool for domestic searches without constitutional protections. 

THE WATCHLIST PIPELINE

Section 702 data flows into shared systems, including the Terrorist Screening Database (TSDB). 

Consequences include: 

•  Watchlisting without charges or evidence disclosure. 

•  No notice or meaningful redress. 

•  Travel restrictions and monitoring. 

When Americans’ data enters these systems via a foreign-intelligence authority, due process vanishes. This is structural, not isolated. 

PARALLEL CONCERNS: SECRECY AND UNEXPLAINED HARM

Classified national-security programs often shield information from oversight, even when harm is acknowledged. 

For example, Havana Syndrome (Anomalous Health Incidents) has caused documented neurological injuries to U.S. personnel, with Congress passing the 2021 HAVANA Act for government-employee compensation. Yet civilians with similar diagnoses face exclusion from recognition, support, or transparent processes, despite medical evidence and policy choices limiting aid. 

When secrecy justifies both warrantless data collection and withholding explanations for harm, the public deserves answers. 

DUE PROCESS CANNOT BE SECRET

Constitutional due process requires: 

•  Warrants based on probable cause. 

•  Notice (except narrow exceptions). 

•  Evidence disclosure. 

•  Redress mechanisms. 

Under current Section 702 practices, Americans face warrantless “sneak-and-peek” access without these safeguards.

Show us the warrant. Show us the evidence. Provide due process.

OUR ACCOUNTABILITY DEMANDS

Before any renewal consideration, Congress must: 

1.  Reject renewal of FISA Section 702 in its current form. 

2.  Require a standalone, recorded vote on future surveillance authorities, not attachment to must-pass bills. 

3.  Disclose the full scope of U.S.-person queries (incidental and backdoor), including historical numbers like the 3.4 million FBI queries in 2021. 

4.  Explain the absence of notice, challenge, correction, or redress for affected Americans. 

5.  Account for past misuse/non-compliance and why meaningful consequences were lacking. 

6.  Detail how Section 702 data feeds watchlisting systems like the TSDB and why due process is missing downstream. 

7.  End warrantless “backdoor” practices without judicial oversight. 

8.  Commit to transparency and independent review before any new authority. 

ADDRESSED TO

•  U.S. House and Senate Members 

•  House & Senate Intelligence Committees 

•  House & Senate Judiciary Committees 

FINAL STATEMENT

Congress has renewed Section 702 despite admitted abuses, non-compliance, and due process gaps. Renewal without these answers is abdication of responsibility. 

Reject FISA Section 702 renewal without reforms.

What You Can Do

Sign below and share widely. Contact your representatives via Congress.gov, use this petition as your message. Urge them to oppose renewal absent warrants for U.S. person queries and full transparency.  

The deadline is April 20, 2026.