H.R.2065 - Unmasking Hamas Act of 2025
H.R.2065 was introduced on 03/11/2025 by Addison McDowell (R-NC). It is currently pending before the House Judiciary Committee, and has 12 co-sponsors on a partyline basis.
Related legislation: N/A
Bill Summary: H.R. 2065 aims to amend Title 18 of the United States Code by enhancing criminal penalties for individuals who commit certain offenses while in disguise, including wearing masks. The bill establishes that anyone who interferes with another person’s constitutionally protected rights while in disguise may face up to 15 years in prison (equivalent to the maximum federal penalty for voluntary manslaughter). It further imposes an additional two-year prison sentence for anyone who destroys property within U.S. special maritime or territorial jurisdiction while disguised. The bill asserts that these measures are necessary to deter anonymous acts of violence and intimidation, especially those perceived to be tied to extremist ideologies or foreign influence.
Context: In its opening lines, the Bill makes clear its intent: to conflate legitimate and peaceful protest regarding U.S. foreign policy and the actions of the State of Israel with antisemitism and support for America’s adversaries. This Bill as written would have criminalized the Boston Tea Party, whose participants famously disguised themselves as native Americans. H.R. 2065 may be targeted initially against Palestinian speech, but will apply to all protests in which individuals wear masks of any form, including protestors who are wearing medical masks to protect themselves from airborne illnesses including COVID-19. While H.R. 2065 claims to promote public safety and protect property, its context and language raise significant concerns about selective enforcement, civil liberties, and political motivation. The bill specifically references Palestinian rights protests and links them to terrorism, antisemitism, and foreign influence, effectively painting an entire protest movement with a broad and stigmatizing brush. Additionally, violent protests and vandalism are already criminal offenses under existing law.
American Values Analysis: In one of the earliest expressions of American freedom, the participants in the Boston Tea Party famously wore disguises to carry out their act of political protest and boycott. H.R. 2065 undermines this tradition and the American values of free expression by exploiting concerns about public safety to target and suppress speech in support of Palestinian rights and criticism of Israeli government’s violence against civilians. Violence and property damage are already illegal under existing law; this bill creates a redundant , discriminatory legal framework aimed at chilling political dissent by escalating penalties for demonstrations tied to a specific viewpoint. In a democracy grounded in freedom, justice, and equal rights, weaponizing the law to punish one category of political expression undermines constitutional protections and threatens the rights of all communities to protest injustice.
American Interest Analysis: H.R. 2065 undermines American interests by using federal law to criminalize dissent on a foreign policy issue, risking the U.S.’s credibility as a defender of free expression and democratic freedoms worldwide. By creating special penalties for speech and protest critical of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians, while violence and vandalism are already prohibited, the bill signals a politicized, authoritarian approach to law enforcement. This not only harms public trust at home but weakens America’s standing abroad as a nation that protects human rights, free speech, and pluralism in public debate.
A New Policy’s Recommendation: OPPOSE
A New Policy opposes H.R.2065 because it manipulates false narratives regarding protest against U.S. support to Israel to create an expansive set of sanctions with broader implications.
For more information please contact: Tariq Habash, (202) 770-0055, info@anewpolicy.org
