The Sleeper Scenario: Terrorism-Support Laws and the Demands of Prevention

robert chesney, Wake Forest University School of Law

Abstract

This article provides a comprehensive overview of the law prohibiting the provision of material support to designated foreign terrorist organizations (as well as two related statutes). In it, I examine the origins of the statute, the manner in which it can be used to prosecute persons suspected of being potential terrorists, and an array of constitutional and security-based objections to the law. The article concludes with suggestions for reform.