The Communist Control Act of 1954, signed into law by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, declared the Communist Party of the United States (CPUSA) an "instrumentality of a conspiracy to overthrow the government" and effectively banned it from legal existence. This act was part of the broader anti-communist sentiment during the Second Red Scare, aimed at curbing perceived communist threats in the United States.
The law imposed severe restrictions on the Communist Party, denying it the right to have bank accounts, enter into leases, obtain judicial enforcement of contracts, sue or be sued in courts, appeal adverse court rulings, conduct business activity, or appear on any ballot. Despite these provisions, the act was more symbolic than effective, as the Communist Party continued to exist, albeit under significant government harassment.