Shirin Sinnar, a professor of law at Stanford University, tells the Daily Dot that simply having high-level officials stating that antifa is a terrorist group can have many consequences regardless of if Trump is actually able to officially label.

She says it can change how law enforcement and Trump’s supporters behave toward these protesters and can cause people to become afraid to protest.

“You’re not going to know the details of the laws that are available or not when high-level officials are branding it in that way,” Sinnar says. “It can make people change their behavior—not just those who are engaging in violence but broader movements who are worried about being painted with the same brush.”

Sinnar says she’s also specifically worried about Attorney General Barr having FBI Joint Terrorism Task Forces investigating activists who may or may not identify as antifa.