Wyden Blasts Kristi Noem for Abusing Subpoena Power to Unmask ICE Watcher

US Government Abuses Subpoena Power to Unmask Critics, Says Senate Democrat

In a scathing rebuke, Senator Ron Wyden has accused the Trump administration of abusing its power to unmask social media accounts monitoring immigration agents. The move is part of a broader effort by federal authorities to silence critics and stifle free speech.

The case centers on an attempt by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to reveal the identity of MontCo Community Watch, a Facebook and Instagram account tracking immigration authorities in Pennsylvania. The agency invoked its authority to investigate tariffs and import duties, despite having no connection to the account's content.

In 2017, The Intercept reported that CBP had similarly tried to unmask a Twitter user who was critical of President Trump. After public outcry and Wyden's intervention, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rescinded its summons and launched an internal investigation.

A subsequent report by the DHS Office of Inspector General found that CBP's actions in 2017 exceeded its authority and proposed reforms to prevent similar abuses in the future.

Wyden has now written to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, calling on her to cease what he describes as "manifestly improper use" of customs law to reveal the identities of social media accounts. He warns that such actions may be unconstitutional and threaten free speech.

The move follows another attempt by CBP this year to unmask an Instagram account sharing First Amendment-protected imagery of ICE agents in public. Both cases have been met with criticism from civil liberties groups and advocates for press freedom.

As the situation continues to unfold, Wyden's warning serves as a reminder that even in a democratic society, the abuse of power can have serious consequences for free speech and the rule of law.

I'm no expert, but it seems like the US Government is trying to unmask people who are just saying "Hey, what's up with all these tariffs?!" Like, chill, guys! You can't silence critics with a fancy summons paper . It's like me trying to get my fave YouTube channel to remove a video of me doing a funny dance . Not gonna happen! The government needs to keep its cool and remember that freedom of speech is, well, FREE .

this is super worrying - it sounds like they're using customs laws to snoop on people who are just speaking out, which is not right . I mean, isn't social media supposed to be a safe space where you can say whatever you want without being tracked or punished? the fact that CBP was trying to unmask MontCo Community Watch for no reason other than they were critical of Trump's immigration policies is just ridiculous . it's like they're using their power to silence critics, which is basically the opposite of what democracy is all about .

I don’t usually comment but... it's so messed up when the government uses its power to silence people who are just speaking out. Like, what's wrong with being critical of someone in charge? The whole point of having an immigration agency is to regulate and make sure people are following the rules, not to stifle free speech.

And I don't get why CBP had to use customs law to investigate this account, it just doesn't add up. If they were really concerned about tariffs or import duties, couldn't they have just asked for info from MontCo Community Watch like a normal agency? It's not like they're dealing with something super sensitive here.

I'm glad Senator Wyden is speaking out against this and pushing for reforms to prevent similar abuses in the future. We need more politicians like him who actually care about protecting our rights as citizens, not just lining up with whatever party leader is in charge

omg this is soooo worrying... like what even is the point of having social media accounts if the government can just use customs laws to get people's info?! i mean i get that they wanna keep an eye on ppl monitoring immigration agents but it's not right to silence critics or stifle free speech. like we're in a democratic society and all that jazz... i feel so bad for montco community watch, they were just trying to do their job and report some suspicious activity... shouldn't the government be able to handle its own affairs without getting all dramatic about it?!

omg u no?? so like the us government is literally abusing their power rn... they keep trying 2 unmask ppl who are just exercising their right 2 free speech on social media but now a senator is calling them out for it and i think he's got a point lol like wyden says the customs law they're using is not even relevant 2 the issue at hand which is monitoring immigration authorities online and it's super concerning cuz if they can do this to ppl who r just speaking out against them then what's next??

omg this is so worrying i mean think about it if they can just unmask anyone who criticizes them online what's next? will we lose our right to free speech altogether? it's like they're trying to silence us before we even say anything negative about them... and for what? to avoid criticism? that's not how democracy works

anyway i'm loving the fact that senator wyden is speaking out against this he's like a true champion of free speech and our online rights i just hope his words don't fall on deaf ears

I'm really worried about this one . I mean, who gets to decide what's 'manifestly improper' use of customs law? It sounds like our government is playing fast and loose with our rights just because they don't agree with what someone is saying online . And it's not just social media accounts - what happens when they start targeting bloggers or journalists? That's when things get really scary . We need more oversight on this stuff, you know? The whole point of having a free press and being able to speak our minds without fear of retribution is lost if the government can just use their power to silence us .

gotta say, this is super concerning! the government using customs laws to unmask ppl just cuz they're critical of them? it's like, totally not right . i mean, we already have enough red tape and bureaucratic hurdles, do we really need to make social media accounts and bloggers feel like they're living in a spy novel?

and what's with the Trump admin trying to stifle free speech even after they're out of office? seems like they just wanna keep silencing dissenting voices and keeping the narrative under control . senator wyden is totally on point by calling this "manifestly improper use" of power .

as someone who's all about activism and pushing for change, it's heartbreaking to see our institutions of power abusing their authority like this . we need more ppl speaking out against this kind of behavior and demanding accountability .

this is just getting outta hand cbp can't just use tariffs laws to silence ppl on facebook or instagram. it's like they think we all live in a dictatorship where you gotta be careful what u say or else... doesn't matter if the tweets r protected 1st amendment or not, just cuz u don't like what someone said, shouldn't mean u get to unmask them and honestly, it's not even about the tweets themselves, it's about the principle of it all. can't let ppl in power abuse their authority like this and crush dissenting voices

man this is so crazy like what happened with the CBP trying to unmask MontCo Community Watch in 2017 was already shady enough but now it's like they're getting bolder every year . and senator wyden is right on point, this is a total abuse of power and we need more people like him to speak out against this kind of thing . I remember when Twitter was still that new platform back in 2017 and people were already worried about government overreach then now it's even worse with social media being such a huge part of our lives . anyway, let's hope wyden gets some answers from DHS sec noem and that this doesn't become a pattern .

this is getting outta hand gotta call it like it is - CBP is basically a secret police force who think they're above the law. Unmasking people just 'cause you disagree with them is not only creepy, but also a clear abuse of power . The fact that this has been happening for years and nobody's done squat about it is a huge red flag . Wyden's all right to call out DHS on this one

this is getting outta hand... i mean, come on, they're using customs laws to unmask people just 'cause they're critical? what's next? them using it to track down ppl who post stuff about healthcare or climate change? that's not how we're supposed to work in a democracy. we need more transparency and less intimidation tactics from our gov. where's the proof that CBP even needs this power to start with? are they just making it up as they go along?

idk how these people think they can just use customs laws to silence critics . it's like they're trying to create this " national security" excuse for everything. newsflash: social media accounts aren't exactly top-secret intel operations . montco community watch is basically just a group of concerned citizens reporting on cbp activities in pennsylvania - no need for that kinda power play . wyden's right to call out cbp's abuse of authority, but it's about time someone does . this isn't exactly rocket science...

I mean, like, I totally get why Senator Wyden is upset about this, but at the same time... isn't it kinda his job to be concerned about government overreach? And what's up with CBP trying to unmask these accounts in the first place? It's not like they're doing anything illegal or anything... I'm all for free speech and press freedom, but shouldn't they just focus on real issues rather than harassing people online? And isn't it kinda weird that Wyden is so quick to jump into this case now that his own party is in the White House? Like, is he just trying to be a hero or what? Anyway, I guess it's good that someone's speaking out against this nonsense...

I'm getting worried about this gov stuff... like, remember when we used to just talk freely online without worrying about all this? I mean, I know we're living in 2025 now, but it feels like they're trying to control everything . This CBP thing is super shady - what's next? They gonna start tracking our memes too ? I'm not saying Senator Wyden is being dramatic or anything, but this whole situation just smells like abuse of power to me... and we all know how that can get ugly . Free speech is what America's all about, right?