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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has requested tech companies provide personal information, including names, email addresses, telephone numbers, and other identifying data, behind social media accounts that “track or criticize” Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), The New York Times reports.
According to the outlet, DHS has sent hundreds of administrative subpoenas to Google, Reddit, Discord, and Meta for the information.
The DHS is trying to identify Americans who oppose ICE raids by sending tech companies legal requests for the names, email addresses, telephone numbers and other identifying data behind social media accounts that track or criticise the agency. https://t.co/R7C34SBZB4
— Louisa Loveluck (@leloveluck) February 16, 2026
More from The New York Times:
Google, Meta and Reddit complied with some of the requests, the government officials said. In the subpoenas, the department asked the companies for identifying details of accounts that do not have a real person’s name attached and that have criticized ICE or pointed to the locations of ICE agents. The New York Times saw two subpoenas that were sent to Meta over the last six months.
The tech companies, which can choose whether or not to provide the information, have said they review government requests before complying. Some of the companies notified the people whom the government had requested data on and gave them 10 to 14 days to fight the subpoena in court.
“The government is taking more liberties than they used to,” said Steve Loney, a senior supervising attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania. “It’s a whole other level of frequency and lack of accountability.” Over the last six months, Mr. Loney has represented people whose social media account information was sought by the Department of Homeland Security.
The department said it had “broad administrative subpoena authority” but did not address questions about its requests. In court, its lawyers have argued that they are seeking information to help keep ICE agents in the field safe.
“When we receive a subpoena, our review process is designed to protect user privacy while meeting our legal obligations,” a Google spokeswoman said in a statement, according to the outlet.
“We inform users when their accounts have been subpoenaed, unless under legal order not to or in an exceptional circumstance. We review every legal demand and push back against those that are overbroad,” the statement continued.
Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), a former undocumented immigrant, said he would introduce legislation to prohibit the DHS from “maliciously” obtaining a user’s personal information.
“DHS is using administrative subpoenas to obtain thousands of YOUR records from major companies. These subpoenas are signed by DHS staff—not a judge—and are being used to target immigrants, advocates, and journalists,” he said.
DHS is using administrative subpoenas to obtain thousands of YOUR records from major companies.
These subpoenas are signed by DHS staff—not a judge—and are being used to target immigrants, advocates, and journalists. @RonWyden and I are introducing legislation to ensure… pic.twitter.com/ZlksbtCgP5
— Adriano Espaillat (@RepEspaillat) February 17, 2026
TechCrunch noted:
This echoes other recent reporting, with Bloomberg pointing to five cases in which Homeland Security sought to identify the owners of anonymous Instagram accounts, with the department withdrawing its subpoenas after the owners sued. And a Washington Post story described Homeland Security’s growing use of administrative subpoenas — which do not require the approval of a judge — to target Americans.