Exclusive: ICE Tracking Protesters in Internal Database, Anonymous Officials Reveal
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been tracking the names of protesters in an internal database for several months, according to two agency officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive operations. The revelation contradicts recent public denials by Department of Homeland Security leadership and raises significant questions regarding the surveillance of U.S. citizens exercising First Amendment rights.
According to the officials, the internal repository is not limited to immigrants but includes extensive data on demonstrators deemed “agitators.” The database reportedly contains names, photographs, locations, license plate numbers, and detailed notes on “actions that provoked suspicion.” The initiative is described as an intelligence-gathering effort intended to identify patterns and build federal criminal cases against individuals for “impeding law enforcement” or “interfering with police operations.”
The existence of such a database has been a flashpoint in recent congressional hearings. During testimony before the House Homeland Security Committee on Tuesday, Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons categorically denied that the agency maintains records on American citizens. “I can assure you there is no database that is tracking United States citizens,” Lyons told lawmakers, responding to questions about alleged civil liberties violations. DHS spokespeople have similarly stated that the department does not maintain a list of “domestic terrorists,” though they acknowledged tracking specific threats to officer safety.
However, the anonymous accounts from within the agency align with reports from the ground. In one widely circulated incident in Portland, Maine, a federal agent was recorded telling a local demonstrator that she would be added to a “nice little database” and was now “considered a domestic terrorist.” Similarly, in Minneapolis, Becky Ringstrom, a U.S. citizen, was arrested and charged with impeding a law enforcement operation after agents reportedly tracked her vehicle for 45 minutes while she attempted to film them. Ringstrom was told by arresting officers that her information would be entered into a federal system.
Legal experts warn that if such a database exists, it could represent a significant overreach of federal power. “The collection of data on individuals solely for protesting government policy would chill lawful speech and deter civic participation,” said a representative from a civil liberties advocacy group. The discrepancy between the on-the-record denials and the anonymous admissions suggests a deepening rift within the agency as it carries out the administration’s intensified enforcement mandates.
As of Wednesday, the Department of Homeland Security has not issued a revised statement addressing the specific claims made by the two officials regarding the months-long tracking operation.
* whtc.com
* marketscreener.com
* senate.gov
* youtube.com
* fedscoop.com
