U.S. President Donald Trump's threatened crackdown on the finances and activities of liberal nonprofits and groups opposed to his agenda is a multiagency effort with top White House aide Stephen Miller playing a central role, according to officials.

The Trump administration plans to deploy America's counterterrorism apparatus — including the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and the Justice Department — as well as the Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department against certain left-wing groups it accuses of funding and organizing political violence, the officials said.

The effort marks an escalation in the administration's efforts to target domestic opponents, raising alarm among civil rights groups and Democratic leaders about the use of executive power.

Three White House officials, four Department of Homeland Security officials and one Justice Department official were interviewed to produce the first comprehensive account of how decisions are being made, forces deployed, and operations coordinated in the crackdown.

All of the administration officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations more freely. Miller is deeply involved in reviewing government agencies' investigations into the financial networks behind what the administration labels "domestic terror networks," which include nonprofits and even educational institutions, a White House official said.

The Trump administration has released some examples of what it alleges are incidents of left-wing violence, but it has provided