Polisario Front Terrorist Designation Act of 2026
Key claim: The Polisario Front Terrorist Designation Act of 2026 (HR9982) would designate the Polisario Front as a terrorist organization and has been referred to the House Committees on Foreign Affairs and the Judiciary.
Abstract
(HR9982 · 119th Congress) Latest action (2026-07-30): Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Why this matters
An FTO designation of the Polisario Front would activate a suite of trade and export-control consequences under existing frameworks: blocked property of designated persons, criminal exposure for material support, and effective denial of BIS/State export licenses for transactions touching the group. For importers, exporters, and financial intermediaries operating in North and West Africa, this raises due-diligence obligations around Western Sahara–linked counterparties even before any designation is finalized.