A senior official at US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has acknowledged in federal court that his office used information from controversial pro-"Israel" blacklisting websites to investigate and potentially deport international student activists. The revelation, reported by The New York Times, has intensified scrutiny over the targeting of pro-Palestine voices on US campuses.

Peter Hatch, assistant director of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) at ICE, testified Wednesday that agents under his direction used data from Canary Mission and Betar, sites long accused of doxxing and harassing pro-Palestine activists. His admission marks the first known instance of a US official publicly confirming the government's use of such platforms in immigration enforcement.

Hatch was called to testify during a federal trial examining the Trump administration’s detention and deportation of international students who had been publicly critical of "Israel". Attorneys for the plaintiffs, including academic associations, argue that the arrests were part of a coordinated effort to silence dissent against the administration’s pro-Israeli policies. Government lawyers deny any formal policy targeting activists.

US President Donald Trump, along with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other top officials, has repeatedly labeled pro-Palestinian protests on US campuses as threats to national security, often conflating them with support for the Palestinian Resistance movement Hamas. The demonstrations escalated after "Israel" launched its genocide in Gaza on October 7, 2023.

ICE formed secret unit based on blacklist leads

According to Hatch, a specialized “tiger team” was created in March under pressure to quickly analyze a flood of leads, many of them sourced from Canary Mission’s database. Hatch explained that HSI, normally focused on tackling criminal networks such as traffickers and child exploiters, was diverted to address the sudden volume of politically charged cases.

“It was a list that made accusations or asserted a lot of information like, these protesters are involved in violent activities, are condoning or supporting violence, possibly even terrorist organizations,” Hatch told the court.

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He admitted to a high-level meeting with the Department of Homeland Security, where his team was instructed to fast-track reports that would assist the State Department in deciding on detentions or visa revocations. “We are in a world where taking months to do things is not acceptable,” he said.

Over 5,000 names flagged, hundreds investigated

Hatch confirmed that his office reviewed the names of more than 5,000 individuals linked to these blacklists. He stated that analysts produced between 100 and 200 reports on noncitizen protesters, which were then submitted to the State Department.

Pressed by the court, Hatch insisted there was no formal partnership with Canary Mission or Betar, though he acknowledged that ICE did not verify how individuals ended up on the lists. “We were getting names and leads from many different sources,” he said.

Judge William G. Young of the US District Court in Massachusetts expressed concern over the scale of the operation, asking, “So that’s over 5,000 people, is that right?” Hatch replied, “Yes, sir, which shows why we needed a tiger team.”

Fear and retaliation on US campuses

The government's use of pro-"Israel" blacklist sites appears to confirm long-standing fears among student activists and civil rights groups. For years, organizations like Canary Mission have been accused of serving as unofficial “watchlists” used to intimidate and penalize those critical of "Israel’s" policies.

Faculty members also testified about the climate of fear that has gripped campuses. Nadia Abu el-Haj, a professor of anthropology at Barnard College and Columbia University, said she found her own name on Canary Mission’s website following campus protests. She noted that while she felt protected as a US citizen, her international students were increasingly afraid to speak out.

She recounted the cases of Fulbright scholar Ranjani Srinivasan, who went into hiding after her visa was revoked, and of Mahmoud Khalil and Mohsen Mahdawi, green card holders and protest leaders at Columbia, who were detained for months. Abu el-Haj emphasized that both men had consistently denounced antisemitism and removed anyone espousing hate from their events.

'Yes. but I’m a US citizen'

Under cross-examination, a Justice Department lawyer attempted to downplay the chilling effect by pointing out that Abu el-Haj continued to speak publicly in support of the protests. Her response was unwavering, “Yes. But I’m a U.S. citizen.”

Activists have accused Canary Mission of acting as a “road map” for government surveillance and retaliation. The group publicly celebrated the arrest of Khalil, prompting attorneys to file Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests probing its possible connection to ICE.

Canary Mission, when contacted anonymously by The Times, denied any direct contact with US authorities and claimed its goal was to document “hatred of the U.S.A., Israel and Jews.”