Lawsuit Alleges Nationwide Intimidation of ICE Observers

A new federal lawsuit led by Common Cause alleges that DHS and other federal agencies surveilled, intimidated and retaliated against people who peacefully observe and record immigration enforcement. Minneapolis resident Michael Khalili says his Global Entry privileges were revoked after a confrontation with immigration agents, later restored after press inquiries, and that he was subsequently detained at an immigration checkpoint and subjected to unusually frequent law-enforcement database queries. He stopped documenting ICE activity after officers photographed him, threatened possible charges and his family feared federal agents could arrest him at home. Khalili and the advocacy group argue that such conduct violates observers’ First Amendment rights, while citing bystander videos as important evidence that challenged inaccurate claims by the current Trump administration about a fatal shooting involving an immigration observer. The lawsuit seeks to hold the federal government accountable for what it describes as a broader campaign against immigration-enforcement observers.