DHS Still Trying To Investigate Facebook ICE Community Watch Group
I wrote last night about how DHS was coming after "antifa" and anyone they claim is an extremist. They recently subpoenaed Meta for information on a Facebook and Instagram community watch group that monitored the ICE activity in their area. A motion to quash the subpoena was made in federal court, but DHS isn't giving up. They don't want the content (which was made public) - they want the information they need to identify individuals, which Meta needs to be fighting to protect. It's so important that when a media company like Meta gets a subpoena, that they notify the user and give them a chance to fight back in court before they comply with it.
DHS in their response says: "John Doe runs Facebook and Instagram accounts that have tracked United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) agents and posted pictures and videos of agents’ faces, license plates, and weapons, among other things. The summonses do not request any information regarding the content of the accounts, which are public. However, Respondent is entitled to investigate information it received indicating that John Doe, through his social media accounts, is threatening ICE agents to impede the performance of their duties, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 115a1B. "
I'm watching this case closely, and hoping the court will quash the subpoena because these DHS threats against citizen reporting chill the freedom of speech guaranteed under the First Amendment.
Here's the full 16-page response that DHS filed:
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cand.458146/gov.uscourts.cand.458146.28.0.pdf
