Louisiana lawmakers have approved a sweeping package of legislation aimed at protecting the state from foreign adversaries, terrorist organizations, and hostile foreign influence. Supporters say the measures complement President Trump’s national security agenda by addressing threats at the state level, from land ownership near military bases to foreign influence in education and the courts.
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From The Hayride:
Last year, [state Senator Valerie] Hodges created the Foreign Adversary Task Force, bringing together the FBI, DHS, the Louisiana National Guard, federal military leaders, the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, Louisiana State Police, the Attorney General’s Office, cybersecurity experts, and national security specialists to brief lawmakers on the growing threats posed by hostile foreign actors.
Building upon that exchange of information and extensive briefings of members of the legislature, Hodges coordinated with fellow caucus members to bring a package of legislation designed to shut hostile foreign actors out of Louisiana’s military footprint, our critical infrastructure, government contracts, classrooms, courts, and our criminal justice system.
Rather than treating each threat in isolation, the Legislature recognized foreign influence as a national security challenge that extends from land ownership and critical infrastructure to education and the integrity of the rule of law itself.
The legislative package addresses several areas that security experts have increasingly identified as vulnerabilities. Among the new laws are restrictions on foreign adversaries purchasing land near military installations, prohibitions on state contracts with designated foreign adversaries and foreign terrorist organizations, stronger criminal penalties for individuals acting on behalf of hostile foreign governments, and new safeguards against the application of foreign legal systems that conflict with constitutional protections. Lawmakers also approved measures designed to prevent organizations connected to hostile governments or terrorist groups from gaining influence through educational institutions.
One proposal will also appear before Louisiana voters as a constitutional amendment. If approved, it would prohibit foreign adversaries and their agents from exercising expropriation authority against private property owners in the state. Supporters argue that hostile governments increasingly seek influence not only through espionage but also through economic investments, infrastructure, education, litigation, and political activism. Rather than responding after foreign influence has become entrenched, Louisiana lawmakers say they are seeking to build legal barriers before those threats can take root.
Intercessors prayed for this legislation, as well as for Senator Hodges, a dear friend of IFA. For intercessors, this is an answer to our prayers.
As concerns grow over Chinese espionage, foreign influence operations, and the activities of terrorist organizations, states are increasingly taking their own steps to strengthen national security. Measures like these also raise broader questions about how America can preserve its constitutional freedoms while guarding against foreign actors seeking to undermine them. Let’s pray for wisdom for state and federal leaders as they work to protect our nation, and let’s ask God to expose every scheme that threatens America’s security and freedoms.
Share your prayers and scriptures for the protection of our nation and its leaders in the comments.
(Excerpt from The Hayride. Photo Credit: felixmizioznikov/Getty Images via Canva Teams)
