Laz Pieper of Coin Center argues that the Department of Homeland Security’s predictive-policing approach should be stopped, describing it as unconstitutional and un-American. In an opinion piece published by CoinDesk on September 18, 2026, Pieper focuses on the use of Americans’ spending habits to infer their political views. He characterizes targeting people on that basis as an abuse of the financial system. The commentary raises concerns about how financial information may be interpreted and used in policing, particularly when spending behavior is treated as an indicator of political outlook. The source does not provide details on a specific DHS program, enforcement action, market impact or proposed policy alternative. The article is presented as Pieper’s argument and does not establish that the described approach has been adopted or implemented. The issue is relevant to broader discussions about financial privacy, political expression and the potential use of transaction data by government authorities.
