Lawsuit Targets Secret DHS Surveillance of Immigration Monitors

The plaintiffs—including the Electronic Privacy Information Center and legal observers Nicole Cleland, Jacquelyn Ivey, and Anna Walker—allege that federal agencies have been systematically collecting photographs, license plate data, and social media information from people engaged in First Amendment-protected activities. According to the complaint, these dossiers are stored in government systems and used to pressure dissenters, including the revocation of Trusted Traveler status for those who record ICE agents in public.

Court filings detail a nationwide dragnet beginning in 2025, utilizing drones, facial recognition, and body cameras to identify and track civilians. The suit highlights specific instances of intimidation, such as observers being labeled domestic terrorists in Maine or having agents follow them to their private residences in Minneapolis. Plaintiffs are seeking a court order to dismantle the surveillance policy and permanently prohibit the government from maintaining records on individuals for exercising their constitutional rights.