Tag: dhs

Homeland Security Spying on Reddit Users

Homeland security field agents are scouring the social media site Reddit, monitoring the communications of law-abiding Americans critical of the agency.

The spying is revealed in a January intelligence bulletin produced by the Border Patrol and leaked to me. The subject of the report is Reddit user “Budget-Chicken-2425,” who is not a narco-trafficker, gang member, or terrorist. Just someone concerned about federal overreach.

The report centers on Budget-Chicken’s call for a protest near a Border Patrol facility in Edinburg, Texas. Though the report acknowledges that anti-ICE protests throughout Texas have been “generally lawful” and that there’s no evidence of any threat posed by Budget-Chicken’s call, any protest whatsoever near the border patrol facility is said to “warrant continued monitoring.”

To quote directly from the intelligence bulletin:

“At this time, there is no specific reporting of planned violence targeting DHS personnel or facilities linked to this protest call; however, any demonstration in proximity to USBP [United States Border Patrol] RGV [Rio Grande Valley] facilities may present operational, safety, and reputational risks that warrant continued monitoring.”

Budget-Chicken’s offending Reddit post was on the r/RioGrandeValley channel. Titled “Join me in protest against ICE,” the post is just a few sentences long, calling on “neighbors, family and community” to “be witnesses and to spread awareness” by protesting a Border Patrol station.

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As Radical Rhetoric by Sanctuary Politicians Leads to Unprecedented 1,300% Increase in Assaults Against ICE Officers, Adam Schiff Deceptively Editing DHS X Post

As the radical rhetoric by sanctuary politicians like Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) has led to an unprecedented 1,300% increase in assaults against ICE officers and a 3,200% increase in vehicular attacks, Schiff is on the hot seat after deceptively editing a Department of Homeland Security X post.

The original DHS post shared, “Want affordable housing? Help report illegal aliens in your area. Call 866-DHS-2-ICE.”

“If you are an illegal alien, you can take control of your departure using http://DHS.GOV/CBPHOME.”

Schiff shared the post, but deceptively edited it while, ironically, referencing Nazi propaganda, while doing a full Goebbels impression.

In his post, Schiff shared, “‘Turn in your neighbors, and life will be better for you.’”

“Logic circa 1930s Germany, now DHS policy.”

Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin slammed Schiff noting, “Wow. A sitting U.S. Senator manipulated and erased half of @DHSgov’s tweet.”

“Why does @AdamSchiff want to hide from the public that DHS is offering those in the country illegally $2,600 and a free flight home to self deport?”

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“Kristi Noem and Stephen Miller are F*cking Liars” – UNHINGED Chuck Schumer Goes on Profane Tirade Amid Homeland Security Funding Battle

Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer recently went on an insane social media rant, calling Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller “f*cking liars” and demanding they be ousted from the Trump Administration. 

“Any administration that allows them to continue in office is rotten to its core,” Schumer said following the death of Alex Pretti, a violent anti-ICE rioter in Minneapolis. “The vote on appropriations is coming up Thursday night, and Democrats will not let the Republicans move forward if ICE and DHS funding are in the bill.”

This came as Democrats threatened to shut down the government if Republicans did not agree to defund the Department of Homeland Security.

Per Fox, “The deal brokered between the two would have the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill stripped from the broader six-bill package. Schumer and Democrats have been adamant that if the bill were sidelined, they’d vote for the remaining five, which includes funding for the Pentagon.

“Their agreement also tees up a short-term funding extension, known as a continuing resolution (CR), for two weeks to keep the agency funded while lawmakers negotiate restrictions on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE),” the report continues.

The government is partially shut down through the weekend until House lawmakers return on Monday to pass the Senate’s package. If Democrats get the restrictions they want, say goodbye to mass deportations.

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The Minneapolis Shootings Underline the Advantages of Body Cameras, Which DHS Has Been Slow To Adopt

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is reviewing body camera footage of the encounter that culminated in Minneapolis protester Alex Pretti’s death on Saturday. That footage could help clarify the circumstances in which a Border Patrol agent and a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer fatally shot Pretti.

When Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent Jonathan Ross killed Minneapolis protester Renee Good on January 7, by contrast, he used his cellphone rather than a body camera to record the encounter. Although Vice President J.D. Vance claimed the resulting video confirmed that Ross shot Good in self-defense, it does not actually show what was happening when Ross fired his gun. It is not clear whether other ICE agents at the scene were wearing body cameras, but it seems unlikely, since the local ICE office does not have any.

Both incidents underline the importance of body cameras in resolving questions about the use of force by law enforcement officers. But although body cameras have been widely adopted by state and local law enforcement agencies, their use by DHS personnel is spotty and inconsistent. That could change as a result of negotiations between the Trump administration and Democratic legislators, who are demanding several reforms, including a body camera mandate for all immigration agents, as a condition of approving DHS funding.

So far, the only publicly available video record of the Good and Pretti shootings consists of cellphone footage. In both cases, that evidence discredited the Trump administration’s initial justifications, which portrayed Good and Pretti as would-be murderers. The videos suggest that Good, contrary to what President Donald Trump and other officials said, did not deliberately try to run Ross over with her SUV. And they show that Pretti, who had a carry permit, never drew his pistol or “attacked those officers,” contrary to what DHS Secretary Kristi Noem claimed.

The cellphone videos nevertheless leave several questions unanswered. Some of those questions are legal: Did the officers reasonably believe, given “the totality of the circumstances,” that the use of deadly force was necessary to protect themselves, their colleagues, or the general public? But there are also policy questions: What sort of rules or training would help prevent outcomes like these?

Body camera footage could help answer those questions by providing a more complete record of the events preceding the shootings and by showing what the officers were seeing, hearing, and saying. Consider the account of the Pretti shooting that CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) offered in a report to Congress on Tuesday.

After “CBP personnel attempted to take Pretti into custody,” the OPR report says, “Pretti resisted CBP personnel’s efforts and a struggle ensued. During the struggle, a [Border Patrol agent] yelled, ‘He’s got a gun!’ multiple times. Approximately five seconds later, a [Border Patrol agent] discharged his CBP-issued Glock 19 and a [CBP officer] also discharged his CBP-issued Glock 47 at Pretti. After the shooting, a [Border Patrol agent] advised he had possession of Pretti’s firearm. The [Border Patrol agent] subsequently cleared and secured Pretti’s firearm in his vehicle.”

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Homan Promises ‘Justice is Coming’ to Those Funding and Organizing Interference with ICE Operations in Minneapolis

Border Czar Tom Homan told reporters Thursday that “justice is coming” for those who fund and organize efforts to disrupt immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis.

Real America’s Voice reporter Ben Berquam asked Homan, “Can you talk to us about what’s being done with the leadership on these Signal chats, on these WhatsApp chats, that are organizing the attacks against you, the obstruction against you? Are we going to be arresting those individuals, as well?”

Homan responded, “About the organization and the funding of the attacks on ICE, I’m not going to answer a lot about that, because I’m not gonna show our hand, but they’ll be held accountable. Justice is coming.”

He went on to state, “We’ve got to all remember … what started this. Four years of an open border, when millions of people were let into this country, unvetted.”

“The politicians that are continually attacking us — where were they the last four years, when the number of women and children sex-trafficked went to an all-time high? Where were they when a quarter of a million Americans died from fentanyl coming across the border?” Homan said.

“Now, we’re just trying to respond to what happened the last four years, and keep this country safe. And we’re arresting a lot of public safety threats and taking them off the streets.”

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Rioter Arrested After Laying Traps to Disable ICE Vehicles

The Department of Homeland Security has announced the arrest of an anti-ICE agitator who was reportedly using caltrops to deflate federal vehicles.

The individual was apparently detained after obstructing law enforcement by employing homemade tire deflating devices. The objects were constructed using hose and large screws. Officials found a bag full of the devices in the individual’s possession during the arrest.

One individual online reported that MS Now briefly showed some of the caltrops in the roadway, but quickly cut away without mention.

Independent reporter Andy Ngo, who has widely covered riots in far-left cities, claimed on X that this move was ripped directly from the Antifa playbook.

“The rioters in Minnesota are using the Antifa tactics from 2020,” Ngo said on X. “Antifa distribute[d] guides on making these sharp nail devices. They were regularly thrown across streets in Portland to slow down [Portland police].

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DHS: Minneapolis Holding 1,370 Criminal Illegals, Refuses to Turn Them Over for Deportation

Senior Trump administration officials and Fox News hosts sharply criticized Minnesota’s Democratic leadership during a Fox News segment addressing violent protests, alleged interference with federal immigration enforcement, and an ongoing Department of Justice investigation tied to recent unrest in Minneapolis.

During the discussion, Tricia McLaughlin condemned what she described as the left’s reaction to the protests and the treatment of worshipers whose First Amendment rights were violated.

“This is outright hysteria we are seeing from the left, and this should be the easiest thing in the world for Tim Walz and Mayor Frey to condemn. This shouldn’t be a Republican or Democrat issue. These are worshipers who are practicing their First Amendment rights to worship, and yet those rights were trampled on by these protesters who trespassed and began intimidating these Christians worshiping,” McLaughlin said.

She added, “So I’m glad to see the Department of Justice is taking this incredibly seriously, and I hope we see mug shot soon.”

Dana Perino introduced video of Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, noting, “Mayor Frey talked about protesters overall. He was on CNN on Sunday, watch.”

In the clip, Frey defended demonstrators and rejected claims of disorder.

“Invaded, under siege, occupied. You know, use whatever word or superlative that you want to attach. But the bottom line is, what is taking place is designed to intimidate. It is not fair, it’s not just, and it’s completely unconstitutional. They’re peacefully protesting. They’re standing up for one another,” Frey said.

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DHS Says ICE Officers Have “Federal Immunity.” The Law Is More Complicated.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), long seen as emblematic of dangerously expanding federal power, circulated a video clip asserting that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers enjoy “federal immunity” when performing their duties. Posted on Tuesday, the release comes amid widespread national attention and protests sparked by the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by ICE agent Jonathan Ross during an enforcement operation in Minneapolis on January 7. Good’s death has become a flashpoint in ongoing debates over immigration enforcement, federal use of force, and civil rights, with tens of thousands gathering in Minneapolis and rallies under the banner “ICE Out For Good” held in cities across the country in recent days.

The DHS reposted a clip of Stephen Miller, the White House chief of staff, delivering a message to ICE officers. Miller’s remarks carried a clear implication: Federal officers, he suggested, operate beyond the reach of state and local authority, and anyone who interferes commits a felony. That framing sits uneasily with constitutional text, legal precedent, and long-standing limits on federal power. While immigration enforcement is undeniably a federal responsibility, the Constitution does not grant federal officers blanket immunity from the law, nor does it erase the authority of state and local law enforcement, particularly that of elected sheriffs.

“Reminder”

In the clip, Miller delivered a blunt message to ICE officers. He framed it as both reassurance and warning at once. The language left little room for qualification:

To all ICE officers: You have federal immunity in the conduct of your duties. Anybody who lays a hand on you or tries to stop you or tries to obstruct you is committing a felony. You have immunity to perform your duties, and no one — no city official, no state official, no illegal alien, no leftist agitator or domestic insurrectionist — can prevent you from fulfilling your legal obligations and duties. The Department of Justice has made clear that if officials cross that line into obstruction, into criminal conspiracy against the United States or against ICE officers, then they will face justice.

Miller made the remarks during a period of intense tensions between federal immigration authorities and state and local officials in Illinois. At the time, DHS had launched Operation Midway Blitz, a large-scale enforcement campaign across the Chicago area beginning in early September 2025. The operation immediately triggered legal and political backlash.

That context matters, since the DHS’s “reminder” of the “federal immunity” coincided with active litigation challenging the legality of ICE’s conduct on the ground.

The Illinois Context

This Monday, the state of Illinois and the city of Chicago consolidated those disputes into a sweeping federal lawsuit against the DHS and senior ICE officials. The complaint spans 103 pages and accuses the administration of deploying what plaintiffs describe as unlawful and dangerous immigration enforcement tactics.

According to the filing, ICE agents conducted arrests without valid judicial warrants, detained individuals without probable cause, and carried out enforcement actions that violated both constitutional protections and long-standing federal court orders governing immigration arrests in the region. State and city officials characterized the federal presence as “coercive” and destabilizing. They argued that it bypassed established legal limits on federal law enforcement authority and violated the Tenth Amendment’s reservation of powers to the states.

DHS dismissed the lawsuit as “baseless.” Spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said the department was looking “forward to proving that in court.”

The Illinois complaint echoed earlier claims raised by civil-rights attorneys representing detainees. In separate federal filings, those attorneys alleged that ICE violated a binding consent decree that restricts when agents may conduct warrantless civil arrests. Those filings documented cases in which U.S. citizens and lawful residents were mistakenly detained, raising serious due-process concerns.

Suing separately is a group of journalists, news organizations, unions and protesters. They accused the federal government of violating the First Amendment, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and the Fourth Amendment’s ban on excessive force and unreasonable seizures, among other charges.

A judge in Chicago ruled that some of the arrests challenged in court were unlawful, finding that ICE failed to satisfy constitutional and procedural requirements. The court ordered detainees released and warned that continued violations could trigger further judicial oversight.

The Illinois litigation underscores the tension at the heart of DHS’s decision to resurface Miller’s remarks.

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DHS Expands Surveillance Reach With New Drone Office

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), long seen as emblematic of unconstitutionally expanding state power and surveillance, is increasing its capabilities again with a new office focused on drone and counter-drone technologies. The move adds another layer to a surveillance apparatus that already includes biometric tracking, AI systems, wide-area cameras, and data-fusion tools used across federal agencies. The announcement comes as the nation prepares for multiple high-profile events later this year.

The New Office

DHS explained in its press release:

Drones are transforming industries nationwide, but they are also increasingly exploited by malicious actors. The new DHS Program Executive Office for Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems will oversee strategic investments in drone and counter-drone technologies that can outpace evolving threats and tactics.

The language emphasizes speed, adaptability, and scale. DHS confirmed that the office is already operational and focused on rapid procurement and deployment across its components.

The department said it is finalizing a $115-million investment in counter-drone technologies.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem cast the initiative in geopolitical terms. “Drones represent the new frontier of American air superiority,” she said, adding that the new DHS entity will address both long- and short-term security needs of America:

[The new office] will help us continue to secure the border and cripple the cartels, protect our infrastructure, and keep Americans safe as they attend festivities and events during a historic year of America’s 250th birthday and FIFA [soccer’s World Cup venues in] 2026.

As reported by NextGov/FCW, the authority stems from the FY26 National Defense Authorization Act, which “extended DHS and the Justice Department’s counter-drone authorities until 2031.”

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DHS Invokes Immigration Enforcement To Justify Gathering Americans’ DNA

Government agencies inevitably turn enforcement responsibilities into opportunities to extend the security state. Every initiative to document, monitor, track, or otherwise spy on Americans starts with a mandate to ensure that people are obeying some rule or law. So it is with immigration policies, which fuel government efforts to gather biometric information not just on those who want to enter the country, but on citizens born and raised here. Fortunately, the scheme is getting pushback.

Massive Data Sweep Hiding in a Proposed Rule Change

On November 3 of last year, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposed a rule change allowing its agents to gather and store more biometric data on anybody associated with applications for “benefits” including family visas, Permanent Resident (green) Cards, and work permits. The DHS summary of the rule states, in part:

DHS proposes to require submission of biometrics by any individual, regardless of age, filing or associated with an immigration benefit request, other request, or collection of information, unless exempted; expand biometrics collection authority upon alien arrest; define “biometrics;” codify reuse requirements; codify and expand DNA testing, use and storage; establish an “extraordinary circumstances” standard to excuse a failure to appear at a biometric services appointment…

According to the proposal, the purpose of gathering biometric data, including fingerprints, photographs, signatures, voice prints, ocular images, and DNA (which is heavily emphasized by DHS) is “identity management” to verify that people are who they say they are.

Immigrants aren’t especially popular in certain U.S. circles at the moment, or perhaps it’s more accurate to say that leniency towards those who want to enter the country is unpopular. But the rule change also ropes in lots of Americans. The proposal specifies that “by ‘associated,’ DHS means a person with substantial involvement or participation in the immigration benefit request, other request, or collection of information, such as a named derivative, beneficiary, petitioner’s signatory, sponsor, or co-applicant.”

As attorneys Alessandra Carbajal, Lee Gibbs Depret-Bixio, and Ryan Mosser  note in an analysis, the new rule would affect not just immigrants but “U.S. citizens, nationals, and lawful permanent residents, regardless of age.” They add that “signatories for employers that serve as sponsors/petitioners may potentially be subject to biometrics requirements. This would mark a departure from current practice, where only foreign nationals seeking benefits typically provide biometrics.”

“This data collection would not be limited to just immigrants, it would also impact millions of American citizens,” agrees Institute for Justice (I.J.) attorney Tahmineh Dehbozorgi. “DHS is claiming this DNA collection is meant to serve one narrow purpose, but realistically, it is creating a vast genetic dragnet that endangers the Fourth Amendment rights of everyone, all without Congress’ approval.”

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