The Countering Violent Extremism Campaign

The "Countering Violent Extremism" ("CVE") campaign -- piloted by federal agencies in Boston, Minneapolis and Los Angeles -- aims, according to the law enforcement agencies involved, to deter "vulnerable" individuals from "radicalizing." Like its model in the U.K., "PREVENT," CVE focuses predominantly on Muslims. It also targets intersecting communities like Black Lives Matter activists, LGBTQ communities and refugees, with the potential to expand. Among its methods is the recruitment of social services providers to identify individuals deemed potentially "vulnerable" to extremism based on their religious practice, dissent about foreign policy, low trust in law enforcement, or other supposed indicators. Attorney Shannon Al-Wakeel (HLS '10), executive director of Muslim Justice League (MJL), discussed what is known about CVE's deployment in the U.S., its observed impacts. and MJL's advocacy with some of the communities CVE targets.