DHS Pushes Meta to Unmask Instagram Accounts Calling Out Immigration Agents

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a subpoena to Meta in an effort to obtain information about Instagram accounts that posted images identifying a Border Patrol agent involved in immigration raids, according to a report by The Intercept.

The subpoena followed a September 2 post by StopICE.net, a nation-wide mobile alert system that allows users to report and receive real-time alerts about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids. The post included photos of an agent identified by a name badge as "G. Simeon." along with a video, set to the soundtrack of Z-Ro's Crooked Officer and a caption that read: "Let's welcome Georgy Simeon to the wall of shame."

The post was shared in collaboration with several community defense groups, including Long Beach Rapid Response. The next day, DHS sent an administrative subpoena to Meta requesting subscriber names, emails, and phone numbers for multiple accounts, including @stopicenet, as The Intercept reports.

Lawyers for StopICE.net's developer, Sherman Austin, who filed a motion to quash in federal court under the pseudonym "John Doe," argued the subpoena was "without lawful authority" and intended to "chill free speech critical of the government." The Intercept shared a comment by Matthew Kellegrew of the Civil Liberties Defense Center, which represents Austin, who called the DHS actions "a patent, open attempt to chill free speech."

DHS justified the request as part of a "criminal investigation" concerning "officer safety." However, legal experts questioned the move. David Greene of the Electronic Frontier Foundation told the news site it was "a stretch, at best" to use immigration statutes to obtain data about social media posts, while Lindsay Nash, a professor at Cardozo School of Law, added that using such provisions to target speech "seems both concerning and attenuated from the purpose of the statute."

The subpoena comes amid DHS's broader campaign to counter what it describes as threats to immigration officers. Earlier this week, the department cited a "1,000% increase" in assaults on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, linking the trend to rhetoric by public officials and activists.

Austin, who has publicly acknowledged creating StopICE.net, described the government's move as "retaliatory" and said it attempts to paint reporting on ICE activity as criminal. Meta informed him it would comply with the subpoena unless a lawsuit was filed, later extending the deadline for compliance to September 19.