Overview
- Recent reporting shows DHS issued hundreds of administrative subpoenas to Google, Meta, Reddit and Discord to obtain identifying data for accounts that criticized ICE or shared agents’ locations.
- Government officials and tech employees say Google, Meta and Reddit complied with some requests, while companies assert they review demands and sometimes notify users to allow 10–14 days to contest.
- Unlike warrants, these subpoenas come directly from DHS without prior judicial approval, reflecting a marked increase from past, rarer use tied to serious crimes.
- Justice Department counsel told a federal court the effort falls within DHS authority to investigate threats to its officers, framing the requests as necessary to protect ICE agents.
- The ACLU is representing targeted users and argues the practice chills protected speech, citing a case where Meta notified Montco Community Watch, a court hearing followed, and DHS withdrew the subpoena.