Executive Summary
- A joint FBI and NYPD report classified NYC immigration activists as "anarchist violent extremist actors."
- Law enforcement reportedly used a sensitive source to monitor a private Signal group chat used by "courtwatch" volunteers.
- The surveillance follows President Trump's directive authorizing ICE arrests inside federal courthouses.
- NYC Comptroller Brad Lander condemned the operation as intimidation against legal transparency efforts.
Federal agents and local police reportedly monitored the private communications of immigration activists via the encrypted messaging app Signal, classifying the group as "anarchist violent extremist actors," according to a report by The Guardian.
The surveillance details were contained in a joint situational information report compiled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the New York Police Department (NYPD). The Guardian reported that law enforcement utilized a "sensitive source with excellent access" to infiltrate a May debriefing session held on Signal. The group under surveillance consisted of volunteer "courtwatchers" who monitor proceedings at three federal immigration courts in New York City.
The intelligence report reportedly justified the surveillance as a warning regarding "extremist actors targeting law enforcement officers and federal facilities." Specifically, the FBI alleged that during private encrypted exchanges, an unidentified individual instructed protest participants to engage in violence against law enforcement personnel. The document characterized the volunteers involved in these monitoring efforts as threats to public safety.
These developments occur amidst a shift in federal enforcement policy. President Donald Trump recently issued a directive authorizing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to conduct arrests within courthouses, a practice that had been restricted under the Biden administration to ensure the "fair administration of justice." Activists contend that the increased presence of ICE agents detaining immigrants at routine hearings necessitates independent monitoring.
New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, who was arrested in September while accompanying an immigrant to a courthouse, condemned the surveillance operations. In a statement to The Guardian, Lander defended the "courtwatch" mission as a transparency measure, stating that observing hearings is a "legal and non-violent act." He characterized the federal scrutiny as an intimidation tactic by the Justice Department.
A Department of Justice spokesperson declined to address the specific surveillance report but defended the administration's broader strategy. The spokesperson stated the department is focused on "restoring integrity" to the courts following the previous administration's policies, pledging to enforce federal immigration laws to safeguard national security.
Surveillance and Civil Liberties Implications
The categorization of advocacy groups monitoring public court proceedings as "violent extremists" signals a potential expansion in the scope of domestic intelligence gathering. This incident underscores the intensifying conflict between federal enforcement mandates and civil liberties organizations advocating for judicial transparency. As law enforcement agencies leverage sensitive sources to monitor encrypted communications, questions regarding the balance between officer safety and the privacy rights of political advocacy groups are likely to persist. It is important to note that the allegations of violent intent mentioned in the intelligence report are accusations, and all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.