A Border Patrol whistleblower has exposed what internal documents describe as a sweeping and largely hidden Immigration and Customs Enforcement surveillance effort that targets not only immigrants but also American citizens, casting routine migration as a national security threat while embedding intelligence gathering deep inside detention operations.
The disclosures were shared by an “outraged” Border Patrol official with investigative journalist Ken Klippenstein, who reported that the files reveal “the dizzying scope” of ICE activities under the Trump administration. According to the documents, ICE operations increasingly frame every unauthorized border crossing as a potential act of terrorism or transnational crime, a shift that critics say is designed to justify aggressive enforcement and expanded surveillance powers.
One nationwide campaign detailed in the leak is known internally as Operation Abracadabra. Documents describe a central objective of the operation as “tying every individual who crosses the border illegally to a foreign terrorist organization [or a] transnational criminal organization.” The language suggests a systematic effort to erase distinctions between immigration violations and terrorism, effectively treating all undocumented migrants as security threats.
Another operation, code-named Benchwarmer, outlines how ICE gathers intelligence far beyond standard interrogation practices. A document describing the program states that, in order to “collect information not normally gained,” ICE has placed “plainclothes agents… in transport vans, sally ports, processing areas, and detention cells to gather important tactical intelligence and or information.” The practice places undercover agents in close proximity to detainees at moments when individuals are most vulnerable and least aware they are being surveilled.
Klippenstein reported that internal opposition to ICE’s conduct has intensified in the wake of the killing of Renee Nicole Good, who was shot and killed last week in Minneapolis by ICE officer Jonathan Ross. According to Klippenstein, dissent “has spread throughout the Department of Homeland Security,” particularly after Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem falsely accused Good of “domestic terrorism,” a claim cited in articles of impeachment introduced Wednesday by Democratic lawmakers.
The fallout has also reached the Justice Department. Klippenstein reported that half a dozen federal prosecutors resigned “over pressure to investigate Renee Good’s widow,” and that FBI officials are “increasingly split” over efforts by the White House to associate Good with extremist activity.
In his reporting, Klippenstein argued that public coverage has failed to capture the broader implications of ICE’s transformation. “The media is telling a certain story about ICE, giving the blow by blow on the most public horrors but never quite seeing the bigger picture that it’s part of a larger war,” he wrote.
That broader war, according to the documents and internal sources, extends well beyond immigration. ICE operations under Trump’s second administration have increasingly included surveillance of critics, monitoring of social media activity, and the use of facial recognition technology to identify U.S. citizens without their consent. Civil liberties advocates warn these practices blur the line between immigration enforcement and domestic intelligence gathering.
Dissent has also surfaced within ICE itself. Time reporter Philip Wang documented growing unease among current and former agents following Good’s killing and the administration’s response, including claims of “absolute immunity” for Ross. One former ICE agent with more than 25 years of experience told Wang, “I’m embarrassed. The majority of my colleagues feel the same way. It’s an insult to us… to see what they’re doing now.”
Much of the internal concern centers on the agency’s rapid expansion. The Trump administration has pushed to recruit and deploy more than 10,000 new ICE agents as part of what Trump has described as the “largest mass deportation operation of illegal immigrants” in U.S. history. Critics argue that the recruitment surge, which includes $50,000 signing bonuses and racially charged messaging, has produced poorly trained officers operating with a sense of impunity.
“When thousands of over-militarized immigration agents descend on American communities akin to an invading military force, it seeks to terrorize us, actively harms public safety, and raises the likelihood of violence,” said Vanessa Cárdenas, executive director of America’s Voice, in a statement Wednesday. She added, “Meanwhile, the mass deportation agenda is diverting money, manpower, investigative attention, and resources away from real threats—like child exploitation, drug trafficking investigations, and… disaster preparedness funding—all for the purpose of becoming foot soldiers in Stephen Miller’s anti-immigrant crusade.”
As internal dissent grows, a separate whistleblower disclosure has intensified public controversy. The founder of ICE List, a website that publishes the names of ICE and Border Patrol agents involved in enforcement operations, said a DHS employee leaked personal information on nearly 4,500 federal workers.
Dominick Skinner told the Daily Beast that after Good’s killing, a DHS whistleblower provided data on roughly 2,000 frontline enforcement agents and an additional 2,500 employees in support roles. “It is a sign that people aren’t happy within the U.S. government, clearly,” Skinner said. “The shooting [of Good] was the last straw for many people.”
ICE List launched in June last year during the height of Trump’s immigration crackdown. Skinner said not all collected information is published and that exceptions are made for certain roles. “We will make exceptions on a case-by-case basis, the best examples of which will be those who work in childcare within the agency, and nurses,” he said.
The site has drawn condemnation from lawmakers and DHS leadership. Rep. Marsha Blackburn introduced the Protecting Law Enforcement from Doxxing Act last year, while Noem and DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin have warned that ICE personnel face heightened threats. McLaughlin claimed agents have experienced an 8,000 percent increase in death threats and a 1,300 percent increase in assaults.
“The disgusting doxxing of our officers put their lives and their families in serious danger,” McLaughlin said in a statement to the National News Desk. “Our law enforcement officers are on the frontlines arresting terrorists, gang members, murderers, pedophiles, and rapists.”
As whistleblower revelations, resignations, and leaked documents continue to surface, the disclosures point to an immigration enforcement system that has expanded far beyond border control. What emerges is an intelligence-driven operation that increasingly treats migration, dissent, and surveillance as interconnected fronts, reshaping the role of ICE with consequences that extend well beyond immigration policy.
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