DHS Admits Using Anonymous Pro-Israel Site to Target Activists for Deportation in Court Testimony

In a notable federal trial on Wednesday, university groups are contesting the Trump administration’s initiatives to deport pro-Palestinian activists. The trial, which is taking place in Boston, saw officials from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) discuss the origins of the names of students targeted for deportation.

Peter Hatch, a senior DHS official, testified that many names flagged for analysis came from an anonymous group known as Canary Mission, which maintains a database of individuals alleged to have expressed anti-Israel and antisemitic views. During the proceedings, U.S. District Judge William Young pressed Hatch on how many of the student names were sourced from Canary Mission.

Hatch confirmed that a significant number were obtained from the website, while also noting that names came from multiple other sources. In response, Canary Mission stated it has not collaborated with DHS, asserting its database is publicly available and that it has had no contact with either the current or past administration.

The plaintiffs in the case—comprising the Harvard faculty chapter of the American Association of University Professors, the Middle East Studies Association, and several other scholarly groups—argue that these deportations infringe upon First Amendment rights. Hatch explained that a specialized “tiger team” was formed to evaluate potential national security threats posed by student protestors, and some agents were reassigned to focus on these investigations.

Canary Mission has faced scrutiny not only for its database but also for its approach to documenting individuals involved in pro-Palestinian activism. Critics have accused the group of doxxing and harassment, claiming it casts activists as supporters of terrorism.

The Middle East Studies Association has voiced concerns regarding Canary Mission’s depictions of events, branding them as “anti-Israel” or “pro-Hamas” and linking them to violence. Even among pro-Israel advocates, Canary Mission has generated controversy; an open letter from 2018 signed by multiple groups denounced its actions as counterproductive to the shared goal of combating anti-Semitism on campuses.

The trial is expected to continue into next week, following the administration’s arrests of several students whom it labeled as national security threats, which were later deemed a violation of free speech rights by the courts.