Lawsuit Alleges DHS Targeted Immigration Observers and Protesters with Surveillance and Retaliation
A federal lawsuit filed in the Southern District of California alleges that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) illegally used facial recognition technology, license plate readers, and other surveillance tools to identify individuals observing and protesting immigration enforcement actions during the Trump administration. The plaintiffs, including the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) and three individuals from Minnesota, South Carolina, and California, claim DHS retaliated by revoking their TSA PreCheck and Global Entry trusted traveler status. The suit cites incidents in Minneapolis where two observers were killed by federal agents in January 2026. It argues DHS violated the First Amendment, federal privacy law, and the Administrative Procedure Act by targeting peaceful observers and removing a 2023 facial recognition policy from its website without proper process. A DHS spokesperson denied that trusted traveler status is revoked for exercising First Amendment rights, citing low-risk traveler criteria.
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