Federal immigration authorities are reportedly collecting information on anyone filming their actions in public, raising First Amendment concerns and drawing criticism from civil rights advocates.
A video captured in Maine this week shows a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer taking pictures of a alleged legal observer’s car. When asked why, the officer responded, “Because we have a nice little database, and now you’re considered a domestic terrorist”.
This incident is part of a broader pattern in which federal immigration authorities have allegedly labeled individuals engaging in First Amendment–protected activities—like monitoring ICE operations—as potential domestic terrorists. An independent federal law enforcement source told journalist Ken Klippenstein that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) “has ordered immigration officers to gather identifying information about anyone filming them”. This data collection reportedly includes checking social media, license plates, and criminal histories, and is shared with DHS intelligence units.
ICE agent asked why he's taking pictures of a legal observer's car, replies: "Cuz we have a nice little database and now you're considered a domestic terrorist. So have fun with that." pic.twitter.com/IbyRqycSc2
— Ken Klippenstein (NSPM-7 Compliant) (@kenklippenstein) January 23, 2026
Despite these reports, DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin denied that a “domestic terrorist” database exists, stating in an emailed comment, “There is NO database of ‘domestic terrorists’ run by DHS. We do of course monitor and investigate and refer all threats, assaults and obstruction of our officers to the appropriate law enforcement”.
The Maine video mirrors other instances across the country where federal immigration officers have confronted citizens who recorded them. In November 2025, Oregon resident Berenice Garcia-Hernandez was detained for approximately seven hours after photographing ICE vehicles near a Gresham Chick-fil-A. Federal agents allegedly smashed her car window and used excessive force during the detention.
Similar patterns have emerged elsewhere. In Minnesota, volunteer monitors of ICE activities faced aggressive federal enforcement actions. Brandon Sigüenza, one such volunteer, described being surrounded, arrested, and detained for hours despite following First Amendment protections. A federal judge recently ruled that plaintiffs (Court Filing 1, Court Filing 2) in this case were likely to succeed in their claims that federal officers targeted them for exercising their free speech rights.
Experts have raised alarms over the Trump administration’s domestic terrorism focus. In September 2025, a presidential memo directed federal law enforcement to monitor ideologies allegedly fueling domestic terrorism, including “anti-Americanism, anti-capitalism, and anti-Christianity; support for the overthrow of the United States Government; extremism on migration, race, and gender”. Critics argue that such classifications risk criminalizing constitutionally protected activity.
David Bier, Director of Immigration Studies at the Cato Institute, noted that DHS systematically intimidates people filming ICE and DHS officers, feeding information into databases for potential law enforcement use. He explained, “ICE agents film arrests both to feed the DHS social media blitz and to identify them. They upload information to their databases and see if they have outstanding warrants or are here illegally.”
