The US Department of Homeland Security is seeking access to neighbourhood "rapid response" Signal group chats as part of its defence against a lawsuit alleging it violated protesters' First Amendment rights. Lawyers for the protesters say the request itself amounts to a further infringement of that right, since it would force activists to surrender private communications used to organise lawful monitoring of immigration enforcement activity.

The case, Hilton v Noem, was filed in federal court in Maine, with plaintiffs accusing DHS of unlawfully surveilling them, including one who says agents scanned her face and logged her licence plate while she observed ICE operations. Through discovery, the government has demanded records of protests attended, communications reflecting plaintiffs' views on law enforcement, and details of Signal chats used to track ICE activity since January 2025. Protesters' attorneys have withheld the larger community chats and redacted sensitive details, while government lawyers have questioned plaintiffs about who organised the chats and who took part. DHS and the Department of Justice declined to comment, though civil liberties lawyers argue no one should have to forfeit associational rights to pursue a constitutional claim.