DHS Agents Reportedly Threatened Legal Observers With 'Domestic Terrorist' Database While Using Purportedly AI-Enabled Surveillance During ICE Operations
Two plaintiffs alleged that DHS personnel used purportedly AI-enabled surveillance to identify people recording immigration enforcement and threatened to add them to a "domestic terrorist" database or watch list. The complaint reportedly includes video in which an agent appears to reference a "database," and another alleged warning that agents would "come to your house later tonight." DHS has reportedly denied that such a database exists while acknowledging threat monitoring.
- Date it happened
- 2026-01-21
- Organisation involved
- Surveillance technology developers, United States Department of Homeland Security
- Product, system or model
- Facial recognition systems, Surveillance technology, Automated license plate readers (ALPR)
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