FBI launches investigation into citizens tracking ICE in Signal chats

The FBI has launched an investigation into the use of the chat app Signal by Minnesota residents to share information about investigations by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, which cracks down on illegal immigration.

FBI investigating MN Signal groups tracking ICE, Patel says

As ICE crackdowns intensify, residents are trying to evade investigations by sharing information about sightings of ICE agents. In recent days, group chats on the encrypted messaging app Signal have become particularly popular, with people sharing license plates and locations of vehicles believed to belong to the government.

FBI Director Kash Patel is not happy with this situation and has stated his intention to arrest those involved if it leads to violations of federal law or other regulations. He also stated, 'We want to determine whether they have endangered federal agents. We cannot allow people using Signal to set illegal traps for agents and put law enforcement at risk.'

Some have argued that such investigations violate free speech. Aaron Tarr, communications director for the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, said, 'The First Amendment protects citizens who share lawfully obtained information, such as the names of federal agents and the locations of their investigations, so that ordinary citizens can observe and document law enforcement activities and hold officers accountable when they misbehave.' He added, 'This administration has a poor track record distinguishing between protected speech and criminal activity, so these investigations should be subject to extremely strict scrutiny.'

While acknowledging that an investigation into the chat content raises concerns about free speech, Patel said, 'The FBI must balance First and Second Amendment rights with potential violations of federal law, but we must let the community know that we will not tolerate violence or violations of federal law.'

After Donald Trump's second term came to power in 2025, crackdowns on illegal immigration intensified, leading to growing resistance to the crackdown in the US, and even the creation of apps for sharing and issuing warnings about ICE sightings. One such app, ' ICEBlock ,' became so popular that it rose to the top of the App Store's free app rankings, but authorities requested its removal , stating that apps that encourage obstruction of investigations are unacceptable. The developer has filed a lawsuit against key figures in the Trump administration, claiming that the administration 'illegally exerted pressure.'

ICEBlock, an app that posts eyewitness accounts of illegal immigration crackdowns, sues the Trump administration - GIGAZINE