US intel officials scramble to keep surveillance law running amid Iran war tensions

Source: CNN Politics

PUBLISHED Apr 13, 2026, 5:00 AM ET


With just days until a powerful surveillance law lapses, US national security officials are scrambling to prepare for potential blind spots in intelligence collection amid the US’ delicate ceasefire with Iran, current and former officials told CNN.

Some communications carriers that manage data for the surveillance program have privately warned the Trump administration they will cease collecting data on April 20, when the law is set to expire, if it is not renewed, according to US officials and private-sector officials familiar with the discussions. The companies fear they will face liability issues if they collect the data when the law is expired.

“We are going to go blind for a while and that’s incredibly concerning amid a war,” one former senior national security official said.

Now, White House adviser Stephen Miller and CIA Director John Ratcliffe are leading the Trump administration’s eleventh-hour push to convince skeptical Republican lawmakers to support a clean reauthorization of the law for 18 months. Even though the House is scheduled to vote on the bill this week, it is unclear whether GOP leadership can deliver the votes.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/13/politics/fisa-section-702-suveillance-law-expiration-congress