United Voices for America is demanding immediate clarification from the Department of Homeland Security after reports suggested the agency may be moving to deny federal grant access to American Muslim nonprofits based on their criticism of Israel.

United Voices said using federal grants as a political loyalty test would be an abuse of government power and a direct threat to free speech and equal protection. “If a nonprofit can be punished for protected advocacy, then every community organization is vulnerable to political retaliation,” the organization said.

The organization called on DHS to publicly confirm whether such a plan exists, identify who authorized it, and explain what safeguards are in place to prevent viewpoint discrimination. United Voices also urged congressional oversight committees to demand answers and require written assurances that federal funding programs will not be weaponized against Muslim-led civil society.

United Voices noted that this kind of targeting aligns with a long-documented ecosystem of Islamophobia that pressures government institutions to treat mainstream Muslim civic participation as suspicious. For background on that network and its messaging strategy, see this report: Center for American Progress – “The Islamophobia misinformation experts” (PDF).