US Congresswoman Claudia Tenney has joined a growing bloc of lawmakers backing legislation to formally classify the Polisario Front as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), becoming the tenth member of Congress to support the initiative.
Her endorsement marks another step in a campaign that has accelerated since February and is increasingly framed in Congress as a response to the group’s alleged ties to Iran, Hezbollah and Russia.
Tenney, a New York Republican, announced her support on March 9. Her move follows the March 3 endorsement by Republican Congressman Don Bacon, a former US Air Force general and cybersecurity specialist, whose backing helped shift the debate onto security terrain.
Bacon’s support came just days after endorsements from Representatives Zachary Nunn on February 24 and Pat Harrigan on February 13, both with military backgrounds. Their involvement has reinforced the framing of the Polisario as a destabilizing actor with alleged links to Iranian proxy networks.
The legislation was introduced on June 24, 2025 by Representatives Joe Wilson and Jimmy Panetta. It would require the US administration to formally designate the Polisario a terrorist group.
Republican Senator Ted Cruz has also announced plans to introduce a Senate version of the bill. During February hearings on North Africa and the Sahel, Cruz accused the Polisario of undergoing a “Houthization” process, adding that the Algeria-backed group has connections to Iranian drone technology and arms supply chains benefiting jihadist groups in the Sahel.
