GYH Authors Cited by Congressional Research Service in Publication on Transnational Repression
By Sandra Grossman, Dr. Ted R. Bromund and Bradley Jardine
Two GYH authors – Sandra Grossman Esq. and Dr. Ted R. Bromund – with co-author Bradley Jardine of the Oxus Society, have been cited by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) in its recent report by Foreign Affairs Specialist Michael A. Weber on “ ‘Transnational Repression’ and U.S. Policy: In Brief.”
Transnational repression occurs when governments extend their reach beyond borders to attempt to silence or eliminate critics living in other countries. The CRS cited a report that the three authors published with New Lines Institute, “What the U.S. Can Do to Address Transnational Repression Within Its Borders,” in July 2025. In this New Lines report, Grossman, Bromund, and Jardine offered a comprehensive survey of U.S. policy responses to transnational repression, recommendations for further reforms, and criticisms of current U.S. approaches.
Among these criticisms was a summary of the provisions of the FY2022 National Defense Authorization Act related to transnational repression and INTERPOL abuse, commonly known as the TRAP provisions (for Transnational Repression Accountability and Prevention). The three authors concluded that “Since [the] passage [of the Act], the Justice Department has not abided by its spirit or legal requirements.”
The CRS pointed to this analysis as arguing “that the reports [published under the Act] have failed to adhere to specific reporting requirements set forth in the law,” which is certainly the case. It is disappointing – to say the least – that Congress’s most significant legislative initiative in this area has been frustrated by the deliberate refusal of the Executive Branch to carry out its provisions. Congress could take a significant step forward by pressing the administration to fulfill the legal requirements of the TRAP provisions, which is a central recommendation of the New Lines report.
More broadly, the CRS report is a useful summary of the issue of transnational repression, U.S. policy responses, options for Congress, and pending legislation. While the report is obviously not intended to be comprehensive, its conclusions that Congress could assess “the impact of reforms undertaken by INTERPOL to protect against the misuse of INTERPOL systems and U.S. actions to support such reforms” and examine “U.S. immigration policies and actions” are on target and will add momentum to Congress’s attention to the issue.
The GYH authors are proud that their New Lines report has been featured in this analysis by the Congressional Research Service. With recent publications by the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe citing Dr. Bromund’s research, it marks a further official recognition of GYH’s thought and legal leadership on the issue of transnational repression and the necessary responses to it.
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*Disclaimer: This information is presented for the purposes of general education and does not constitute legal advice.
