Trump’s DHS is using an obscure law to secretly snoop on journalists, non-profits and unions: ‘It’s outrageous’
Summary
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under President Trump used an uncommon law meant for customs investigations to secretly get private information on journalists, non-profits, and unions without court approval. This included obtaining six months of phone records for a journalist without her knowledge and trying to access YouTube account data after a judge denied a search warrant.Key Facts
- DHS obtained six months of phone records for journalist Georgia Fort without notifying her.
- Federal prosecutors twice tried to get search warrants for YouTube data of journalists Georgia Fort and Don Lemon, but a judge denied both requests.
- After the judge’s denial, DHS used a different law (19 USC 1509) about customs imports to request the same data without court approval.
- The DHS required Google to keep the summons secret.
- Experts said the customs law does not apply to domestic cases like protests or social media posts.
- DHS’s actions bypassed judicial oversight, raising concerns about government power and press freedom.
- T-Mobile gave the government phone records after reviewing the legal request but did not explain why.
- Journalists worry this could expose confidential sources and damage press protections.
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