Dozens of bills and executive orders that aim to restrict high-profile protests have been introduced in at least 31 US states and in the federal government since November 2016. According to the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law, Fifteen have been enacted including a critical-infrastructure pipeline bill in Oklahoma and similar bills in Iowa and Louisiana. Human rights and environmental advocates believe that these bills are aimed at criminalizing protest, intimidating demonstrators, and portraying environmental activists as terrorists.

Activists have alleged that Energy Transfer Partners and local authorities are using the new law to crack down on protests against the Bayou Bridge pipeline, as at least nine people have been arrested within weeks of the law's entry into force.  A spokeswoman for Energy Transfer Partners, has said that "while we respect that there are a variety of opinions about pipeline infrastructure, we do not tolerate illegal activity on our right-of-ways, nor activities that would put our workers in danger," and that the company hires private security to protect its workers. ETP spokeswoman Alexis Daniel has also said, "any claims that our company or our security contractors have inappropriately monitored protestors in false."