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FBI Tracks Signal Chats of Immigration Activists
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), serving as the main domestic investigative branch of the U.S. Department of Justice, tracked a private Signal group chat utilized by immigration advocates in New York this spring, as revealed by recently disclosed documents outlining the agency's method of accessing discussions that aided volunteers in organizing courthouse surveillance activities.
The papers, obtained via public records requests, detail the timing of the surveillance, the areas it targeted, and the reasons federal authorities stated the chat presented a threat.
The FBI has been tracking a Signal group chat utilized by immigration activists, as noted in the findings. These findings suggest that the bureau acquired information from a "courtwatch" Signal group connected to volunteers monitoring public sessions at three federal immigration courts in the city. These courts have previously been accused of violating immigrants' due process rights.
A collaborative "situational information report" issued by the FBI and NYPD, dated August 28, 2025, featured parts of the encrypted conversation and referred to the individuals involved as "anarchist violent extremist actors." The document was shared with law enforcement agencies across the country. The records were acquired by the transparency organization Property of the People.
Activist organizations have increased their court observation activities following an increase in arrests at courthouses by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Following Donald Trump's inauguration, ICE implemented a policy that permitted these arrests, a procedure which the Biden administration later limited due to worries that it disrupted "the equitable management of justice."
Throughout the nation this year, immigration cases have often been dropped during court sessions, enabling federal officers to detain people in courthouse corridors.
A new Associated Press report revealed that the DHS has established "deportation traps" in these areas. In September, a federal officer was caught on camera pushing a woman to the ground at a New York courthouse, leading to an unusual criticism from the DHS.
The FBI report fails to clarify how agents were able to access the encrypted Signal conversation. Signal's platform generally restricts access unless law enforcement is actively participating in the chat, receives messages that have been forwarded, or acquires an unlocked device. The FBI mentioned that the data was obtained from a "reliable source with strong access."
As per the memo, a person attended a Signal debrief meeting at the end of May and talked about courtwatch efforts around federal buildings located at 26 Federal Plaza, 201 Varick Street, and 290 Broadway, which are all sites of immigration courts in Manhattan.
The office outlined the conversations as centered around gathering media related to law enforcement personnel and explaining how volunteers gain access to federal courtrooms, including what to communicate to security officers.
The memo also stated that the person has promoted violence in other private conversations, although it did not present any proof or specific instances. The FBI did not address specific questions regarding the monitoring. DHS and the NYPD refused to explain their involvement. ICE did not reply to requests for information.
Immigration court proceedings, managed by the Department of Justice, are accessible to the public and do not necessitate registration for attendees.
It remains uncertain which particular groups were under observation, as New York's courtwatch initiatives include volunteers from various immigrant rights and community-based organizations. One such volunteer, New York City comptroller Brad Lander, who was detained by ICE in June within an immigration courthouse, spoke out against the monitoring. He remarked that this approach echoed past misconduct during the tenure of J Edgar Hoover.
Dr. Ryan Shapiro from Property of the People also criticized the monitoring, stating it demonstrated "the Trump administration's deep disregard for the most basic democratic rights."
A representative from the Department of Justice supported the overall strategy of the immigration courts, stating that the administration is "reinstating integrity" following what it called a "de facto amnesty" during Biden's tenure.
Former senior intelligence advisor at the DHS, Spencer Reynolds, stated that the FBI's surveillance aligns with a broader trend of the government criminalizing protected speech and viewing immigrant rights activists as dangers. He connected this to other measures, such as the examination of "know your rights" workshops and a Trump-era executive order that classified "antifa" as a domestic terrorist group.
Reynolds cautioned that this kind of monitoring could undermine confidence among activists and parallels previous governmental actions aimed at disrupting the civil rights movement and Muslim groups following the 9/11 attacks.
As he stated, initiatives such as courtwatch are legal and based on constitutional rights, but authorities still portray fundamental oversight activities as hazardous, sparking worries about the effect on personal freedoms over time.
(The Guardian UK)
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