US Customs Agency Under Fire for Unmasking Social Media Accounts Tracking Immigration Agents
Senator Ron Wyden has sent a stern letter to the Department of Homeland Security, urging it to cease its alleged abuse of customs law to unmask social media accounts tracking immigration agents. The move comes as part of an ongoing effort by the Trump administration to silence critics and crack down on dissenting voices.
In October, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a summons to Meta, forcing the company to disclose the identity of MontCo Community Watch, a Facebook and Instagram account that tracks the actions of immigration authorities. The move was met with resistance from a federal judge, who temporarily blocked Meta from disclosing user data in response to the summons.
Wyden's letter highlights this case, as well as an earlier attempt by CBP to unmask the operator of a Twitter account critical of President Donald Trump. In 2017, the department issued a legal demand to Twitter based on its authority for "ascertainment, collection, and recovery of customs duties," despite having no apparent connection to the importation of merchandise or customs duties.
An investigation by the DHS Office of Inspector General found that CBP had initially claimed it needed the account's identity to investigate possible criminal violations, but ultimately relied on its legal authority for a dubious reason. The report concluded that the agency may have exceeded its authority and proposed reforms, including a new policy requiring summonses to be reviewed for "legal sufficiency."
Wyden's letter argues that DHS is abusing its customs investigatory authority to repress First Amendment protected speech. He calls on the department to cease its actions and ensure compliance with statutory limitations on the use of 19 U.S.C. § 1509.
This case is part of a broader pattern of authoritarianism and censorship under the Trump administration, as highlighted by The Intercept in recent reports. Critics argue that the government is using its power to silence dissenting voices and undermine press freedom, with devastating consequences for democracy.
As The Intercept continues to investigate these developments, it relies on your support to remain independent and unbiased. Join our mission to defend democracy and hold those in power accountable.
Senator Ron Wyden has sent a stern letter to the Department of Homeland Security, urging it to cease its alleged abuse of customs law to unmask social media accounts tracking immigration agents. The move comes as part of an ongoing effort by the Trump administration to silence critics and crack down on dissenting voices.
In October, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a summons to Meta, forcing the company to disclose the identity of MontCo Community Watch, a Facebook and Instagram account that tracks the actions of immigration authorities. The move was met with resistance from a federal judge, who temporarily blocked Meta from disclosing user data in response to the summons.
Wyden's letter highlights this case, as well as an earlier attempt by CBP to unmask the operator of a Twitter account critical of President Donald Trump. In 2017, the department issued a legal demand to Twitter based on its authority for "ascertainment, collection, and recovery of customs duties," despite having no apparent connection to the importation of merchandise or customs duties.
An investigation by the DHS Office of Inspector General found that CBP had initially claimed it needed the account's identity to investigate possible criminal violations, but ultimately relied on its legal authority for a dubious reason. The report concluded that the agency may have exceeded its authority and proposed reforms, including a new policy requiring summonses to be reviewed for "legal sufficiency."
Wyden's letter argues that DHS is abusing its customs investigatory authority to repress First Amendment protected speech. He calls on the department to cease its actions and ensure compliance with statutory limitations on the use of 19 U.S.C. § 1509.
This case is part of a broader pattern of authoritarianism and censorship under the Trump administration, as highlighted by The Intercept in recent reports. Critics argue that the government is using its power to silence dissenting voices and undermine press freedom, with devastating consequences for democracy.
As The Intercept continues to investigate these developments, it relies on your support to remain independent and unbiased. Join our mission to defend democracy and hold those in power accountable.
just read that US Customs Agency is under fire for unmasking social media accounts tracking immigration agents 
its like they think silencing critics is a good idea 
i mean who needs freedom of speech when you can just spy on ppl online 
this whole thing reeks of authoritarianism and censorship 
gotta wonder what other ways the Trump admin is trying to crack down on dissenting voices 
. And now we gotta worry about our social media accounts being unmasked? That's just plain creepy. 
, I'm getting major flashbacks of the Nixon era when they were messing with journalists left and right... Fast forward to 2025 and it's like we're living that drama all over again 
. The whole thing just feels so fishy - CBP trying to unmask these social media accounts like they're some kind of enemies of the state 
I'm totally freaked out by this news... like, what's going on with the US government? 
That's not democracy, that's authoritarianism.
Isn't that just a fancy way of saying they want to shut down dissenting voices? I don't think so... we need more free speech, not less. 
This is getting out of hand. I mean, who gives the thumbs up to unmasking someone's online activity just because they're talking trash about a politician? 
And what's next? Unmasking everyone who's ever tweeted something negative about the administration? 
. And let's not forget, this all started under the Trump administration, where the "rule of law" seems to be more of a suggestion than a hard and fast rule 
. We need more voices like him in Washington, holding those in power accountable for their actions 
as we see more cases like this, it's becoming increasingly clear that there are people in power trying to stifle dissenting voices 
... can't even share a thread without worrying about getting doxxed? like i get it, tracking immigration agents is serious business, but unmasking social media accounts just feels like overkill to me 
. and now wyden's all up in arms about it, and honestly, it kinda feels like the foxes are guarding the henhouse 
.
Social media accounts should be free from fear of being tracked or exposed, especially when those accounts are highlighting issues with immigration policies. 
), I think it's really important to hold those in power accountable for their actions and ensure that they're not abusing their authority. 
It's like they think they're above the law or something. And don't even get me started on how ridiculous it is that they're trying to use customs laws to track people down just because they're criticizing them. I mean, come on! That's not how democracy works, folks. We need to stand up for our rights and fight back against this kind of authoritarianism, or we'll be living in a dystopian nightmare 
Can you believe that the department is already rewriting its policies to cover their tracks? It's like they're trying to sweep everything under the rug and pretend it never happened. No way, Jose! We need to keep pushing back against this kind of nonsense and holding those in power accountable 
. I mean, come on, who are they to unmask social media accounts tracking immigration agents? It's not like these accounts are doing anything wrong in themselves - they're just exercising their right to free speech and holding those in power accountable.