'No Kings’ Protests, Citizen-Run ICE Trackers Trigger Intelligence Warnings

As protests continue to swell crossed nan United States successful consequence to fierce Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions, civilians are turning to homebrew integer devices to way ICE arrests and raids successful existent time. But restricted authorities documents, obtained by nan nonprofit watchdog Property of nan People, show that US intelligence agencies are now eyeing nan aforesaid devices arsenic imaginable threats. A rule enforcement investigation involving nan maps is besides apparently underway.

Details astir Saturday’s “No Kings” protest—specifically those successful California—are besides nether watch by home intelligence centers, wherever analysts regularly administer speculative threat assessments among federal, state, and section agencies, according to an soul alert obtained exclusively by WIRED.

A late-February bulletin distributed by a Vermont-based location fusion halfway highlights respective websites hosting interactive maps that let users to driblet “pins” indicating encounters pinch ICE agents.

The bulletin is based connected accusation initially shared by a US Army threat monitoring halfway known arsenic ARTIC. While it acknowledges that astir of nan users look to beryllium civilians moving to debar interaction pinch national agents, it nevertheless raises nan specter of “malicious actors” perchance relying connected specified open-source transparency devices to physically target rule enforcement.

ARTIC, which operates nether nan umbrella of nan Army’s Intelligence and Security Command, could not beryllium instantly reached for comment.

Property of nan People, a nonprofit focused connected transparency and nationalist security, attempted to get further specifications astir nan maps utilizing nationalist records laws. The group was informed by nan Northern California Regional Intelligence Center (NCRIC) that each applicable accusation is “associated pinch progressive rule enforcement investigations.”

The NCRIC did not instantly respond to WIRED’s petition for comment.

“Law enforcement is sounding nan siren complete implausible, hypothetical risks allegedly posed by these ICE ambush search platforms,” Ryan Shapiro, executive head of Property of nan People, tells WIRED. “But transparency is not terrorism, and nan existent information threat is militarized concealed constabulary invading our communities and abducting our neighbors.”

The documents place maps and accusation shared crossed Reddit and nan website Padlet, which allows users to collaborate and build interactive maps. An “OPSEC” informing concerning nan maps was besides separately issued successful February by nan Wisconsin Statewide Intelligence Center (WSIC). That study indicates nan sites are being treated arsenic a “strategic threat” and are nether monitoring by a typical operations division.

WSIC, which could not beryllium instantly reached for comment, warned successful its study astir persistent online threats aimed astatine ICE officers, highlighting posts connected societal media apps for illustration X and TikTok that see messages calling for Americans to stockpile weapons and “shoot back.” While immoderate posts were judged to incorporate “explicit threats,” astir look to bespeak cathartic outrage complete nan Trump administration’s punitive migration enforcement tactics, pinch intelligence analysts noting that galore of nan users were “discussing hypothetical scenarios.” Nevertheless, nan analysts flagged nan sheer measurement and reside of nan contented arsenic a genuine serviceman information concern.

Each archive is marked for rule enforcement eyes only—a informing not to talk specifications pinch nan nationalist aliases press.

A abstracted study obtained by WIRED and dated mid-May shows nan Central California Intelligence Center (CCIC) monitoring plans for nan upcoming “No Kings” protests. It identifies Sacramento, Fresno, and Stockton, among dozens of different protestation sites. The accusation is wide disposable online, including connected nan No Kings website.

The bulletin notes nan protests are promoted arsenic a “nonviolent action,” but says nan agency plans to nutrient further intelligence reports for “threat liaison officers.” It concludes pinch boilerplate connection that states nan CCIC recognizes nan correct of citizens to assemble, speak, and petition nan government, but frames nan request to stitchery intelligence connected “First Amendment-protected activities” arsenic basal to “assuring nan information of first responders and nan public.”

Roughly 2,000 protests are scheduled to return spot nationwide concurrent pinch a subject parade successful Washington, DC, expected to characteristic 6,600 US Army soldiers, 150 subject vehicles, including 28 M1 Abrams tanks, rocket launchers, and precision-guided missiles.

Protests person erupted successful Los Angeles and cities nationwide complete nan past week successful consequence to a Trump-ordered migration crackdown and nan deployment of national troops, including Marines and National Guard units, to support rule enforcement.

Demonstrators are pushing backmost against what they position arsenic an authoritarian show of force—as surveillance drones alert overhead and armored vehicles rotation done immigrant-heavy neighborhoods. Tensions person flared betwixt protesters and police, fueling concerns astir surveillance, civilian liberties, and nan legality of utilizing subject unit to suppress civilian unrest.

The usage of military-grade instrumentality and limits connected unit authority person emerged arsenic cardinal flashpoints successful a broader statement complete executive powerfulness and migration enforcement.

The No Kings organizers framework nan demonstrations arsenic a nationwide time of defiance: “From metropolis blocks to mini towns, from courthouse steps to organization parks, we’re taking action to cull authoritarianism—and show nan world what populist really looks like.”