The continued campaign to threaten personnel working for the government, and homeland security in particular, has reached a new level as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have become the target of a campaign in Southern California to release their personal information. Written in Spanish with the warning “CAREFUL WITH THESE FACES, flyers displaying names and other personally identifiable information (PII) of ICE and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents were posted around Southern California and Los Angeles neighborhoods.
Activists’ practice of releasing personal information, whether online, or via flyers or other means of public exposure, is not unprecedented. Doxxing – the malicious online publication of private information without a person’s consent – is the newest and most prevalent form in the digital age. The practice is not considered “free speech” because it can violate privacy and safety, and lead to real-world harm. Releasing a law enforcement officer’s PII also is illegal in most jurisdictions – whether online or on flyers – as it’s considered a form of harassment or intimidation, and meant to obstruct the officer’s duties. A number of states also have passed laws specifically addressing doxxing in addition to laws against harassment and intimidation.
The flyers accuse ICE of “racially terrorizing” migrant communities and criticize the agency’s deportation practices. Federal officials report that anti-ICE activists are working to disrupt ICE operations not only in Los Angeles but in other areas as well. Immigrant rights activists also have reportedly been following ICE agents and monitoring their operations.
With volunteers using bullhorns and sirens to warn immigrants when ICE is in their area, “Advocates go right to the edge of a law against impeding federal law enforcement to avoid criminal prosecution,” said John Fabbricatore, former head of ICE’s Denver enforcement and removal division. The identity of the group responsible for creating and distributing these flyers remains unknown, though ICE has launched an investigation to find out.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has responded strongly to these actions: “These pathetic activists are putting targets on the backs of our law enforcement as they shield MS-13, Tren de Aragua and other vicious gangs that traffic women and children, kidnap for ransom and poison Americans with lethal drugs. These individuals will be held accountable for obstructing the law and justice.”
California Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones criticized the activists’ actions, warning that “Whenever anyone — politicians, members of the public, or criminals themselves — interferes with law enforcement’s actions, it creates serious risks and dangers for everyone involved.”
The flyers come after the Trump administration expanded ICE’s authority by lifting restrictions on conducting arrests in previously protected locations such as schools, healthcare facilities, and places of worship. This policy shift has intensified fears within immigrant communities, particularly among undocumented individuals.
PII Disclosure: Not a New Tactic
This is not the first time ICE or DHS has had to deal with disclosure of agents’ or personnel’s PII from political extremists amid intense criticism of immigration policies. The “outing” began during President Trump’s first term with those disagreeing with government positions targeting sitting officials. In June of 2018, DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen was targeted by activists at her Northern Virginia home, where protesters held signs while chanting through megaphones and playing recordings of crying children. Nielsen also was harassed while at dinner in a DC Mexican restaurant, with a video later posted by the group Democratic Socialists of America.
Similarly, ICE agents and personnel were targeted during that same time frame. As a result, in June 2020, “the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) approved ICE’s request to be identified as a “security/sensitive” agency for Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) purposes. This designation ensures that OPM withholds all relevant personally identifiable information (PII) of all ICE personnel where it processes FOIA requests moving forward.” According to an internal memo provided to The Nation, “The increase in threats, intimidation, and doxing directed at ICE personnel in recent years underscored the need for this designation.”
DHS Will Not Back Down
In 2018, DHS agencies also experienced pushback in the form of “cubicle activism,” where employees insisted that their companies end partnerships with ICE and other governmental entities involved in implementing policies they consider unethical, asserting that moral principles should take precedence over commercial interests. In July 2018, McKinsey & Co.’s managing director Kevin Sneader announced in a letter to employees that the firm had severed ties with ICE due to the immigration policies. Tech workers from companies such as Salesforce, Microsoft, Amazon and Google also pushed their CEOs to end their work for ICE and other agencies.
However, even with the present situation’s heightened tensions over immigration enforcement, the Trump Administration, ICE and its federal partners are not backing down. Trump’s Department of Justice sued Chicago, Cook County and the state of Illinois last month, alleging that ‘sanctuary’ laws in the nation’s third-largest city thwart federal efforts to enforce immigration laws, according to the Associated Press.
Border Czar Tom Homan has warned that leaks of information within law enforcement agencies will lead to prosecution. This statement followed reports that a specific ICE raid in Los Angeles was canceled after intelligence about the operation was leaked to the media. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem posted on X that two individuals within DHS had been identified last Friday for leaking information and would be referred “to the @DOJ for felony prosecution.”
As tensions surrounding immigration enforcement continue, the Trump administration maintains its commitment to enforcing immigration laws. ICE has arrested over 32,000 since January 21, and, as Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons stated, “We have returned ICE to its core mission, which is arresting people who violate our immigration law. Secretary Noem and I are changing the culture of ICE to one of action and accountability.”