Feds Crack Down on Instagram Accounts Exposing Immigration Agents

Feds Seek to Unmask Instagram Accounts That Identified Immigration Agents The Department of Homeland Security has issued an administrative subpoena to Meta, the parent company of Instagram, seeking information about several accounts that identified immigration agents in a recent social media post. The move comes after StopICE.net, a community defense group with nearly 500,000 subscribers, shared a video on its Instagram account naming and shaming a Border Patrol agent who had been spotted at recent immigration raids in greater Los Angeles. According to sources, the subpoena was issued on September 3, just one day after the post about the agent, identified as Georgy Simeon, went live. The video included a montage of photos of Simeon, some with his face uncovered and others with a gaiter over the bottom half of his face. The caption read: "Let's welcome Georgy Simeon to the wall of shame." "We're not surprised by this move," said Maria Fernanda Cervantes, a community organizer with Long Beach Rapid Response, one of six Instagram accounts tagged as collaborators on the video. "We've been documenting these raids and exposing the agents involved for months now. It's only natural that they would try to silence us." The post about Simeon was part of a larger effort by StopICE.net to crowdsource alerts about immigration raids around the country. The group has become a go-to resource for communities affected by these raids, providing critical information and support to those in need. "This is not just about one agent or one raid," said Cervantes. "It's about the systemic violence and trauma that these agents inflict on our communities every day. We're not going to let them silence us." The subpoena marks a significant escalation in the government's efforts to crack down on social media accounts that have been critical of immigration enforcement policies. In recent months, several other social media accounts have been targeted by the Department of Homeland Security, including one that was shut down after it posted a video criticizing the agency. As the situation continues to unfold, community leaders are calling for greater transparency and accountability from the government. "We need to know what's going on behind closed doors," said Cervantes. "We need to know why they're trying to silence us and what they plan to do next." The Department of Homeland Security has not commented publicly on the subpoena or its intentions. Meta, the parent company of Instagram, also declined to comment. In the meantime, StopICE.net remains committed to its mission of exposing immigration enforcement policies and supporting affected communities. "We're not going anywhere," said Cervantes. "We'll keep fighting for justice and accountability, no matter what." *Reporting by Theintercept.*