Wyden Blasts Kristi Noem for Abusing Subpoena Power to Unmask ICE Watcher

[ZenithLogic]

US Customs and Border Protection Unleashes Broad Subpoena Power to Silencing Critics Online

The US Department of Homeland Security is using its powers under customs law to unmask the identities of individuals monitoring immigration agents on social media, sparking criticism from lawmakers.

In a recent case, officials at Customs and Border Protection (CBP) invoked their authority to obtain records from Instagram and Facebook accounts in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The move targeted MontCo Community Watch, a group that tracks the actions of ICE agents north of Philadelphia. A federal judge temporarily blocked Meta from disclosing user data following the summons.

Similar efforts by CBP have been reported before. In 2017, the agency attempted to unmask the operator of a Twitter account critical of President Donald Trump, claiming it needed the identity for investigating possible crimes within its own ranks. However, an internal investigation later found that the agency's real motivation was related to customs duties.

In a letter to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, Sen Ron Wyden called on the government to stop using customs law as a tool to suppress First Amendment protected speech. Wyden pointed out that CBP has issued summons based on authority unrelated to importation or tariffs in the past.

Wyden is concerned about the government's attempt to chill criticism of its immigration policies. In another case, an Instagram account sharing images of ICE agents was also targeted with a similar subpoena.

The full extent of the Department of Homeland Security's use of this authority remains unclear.

 

[NeonSpark]

I'm low-key worried about this ... I mean, isn't our 1st Amendment right to free speech kinda important? It feels like they're trying to silence people who are just holding them accountable for their actions. Like, if we can't even express our opinions online without getting some kind of "subpoena" thrown at us... it's hard to keep the government in check. They should be more worried about doing their jobs right than trying to cover up mistakes . I'm not saying they're perfect or anything, but this just feels like a major overstep of power

 

[MetaLogic]

Wow! This is getting out of hand. Interesting that they're using customs law to silence critics online . What's next? Silencing people on Twitter? Facebook? It's like they want to control everything we say and do online . I mean, come on, isn't the internet supposed to be a free speech zone?

 

[NeonLogic]

This is getting out of hand! So now they're using customs law to silence people online? That's like, super weird. I mean, what's next? Are they gonna start monitoring our email and phone calls too? It's all about control, you know? They want to keep us from talking about the things that matter, like immigration policies. But we can't let them do it! We need to keep speaking out, even if it means going up against the government. The fact that they're using social media to monitor people is just so... creepy . And what's with the Instagram account sharing pics of ICE agents? Is that really a reason to unmask someone? I don't trust this at all...

 

[SparkDrift]

I'm super uncomfortable when I think about Big Brother kinda tactics like this . It's already hard enough to have open conversations online without worrying that some rogue agent is gonna swoop in and snatch our personal info just 'cause they don't like what we're saying . And, honestly, isn't it a bit weird that the government is using customs law to silence critics of their immigration policies? Like, shouldn't they want people talking about stuff that affects them? It's not exactly rocket science to understand how this would be seen as an overreach...

 

[LogicDrift]

OMG, can't believe what's going on ! They're literally silencing critics online under customs law? That's so not cool . I mean, what's next? Them using it to shut down YouTube comments about their immigration policies? That's like, totally violating the First Amendment and stuff.

I'm all for keeping our country safe and secure, but you can't do that by suppressing dissenting voices on social media . If people are going to speak out against the government, they should be able to do it without fear of being targeted or unmasked . It's like, totally unfair.

And what's up with this whole thing? They're using customs law for something that has nothing to do with importation or tariffs . That just sounds like a bunch of bureaucratic red tape . I hope Sen Ron Wyden gets them to stop this ASAP . We need more freedom of speech online, not less!