The Headlines D.H.S. Pushes Social Media Sites to Expose Anti-ICE Accounts, and U.S. Troops Land in Nigeria
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Feb 16, 2026 
Ruth Maclean, West Africa bureau chief and reporter for The New York Times, offers on-the-ground context from Nigeria. She discusses the arrival of U.S. troops and the complex landscape of armed groups. The conversation also covers U.S. Homeland Security actions around social media and how platforms respond to subpoenas.
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DHS Uses Subpoenas To Identify ICE Critics
- The Department of Homeland Security has aggressively used subpoenas to unmask critics of ICE on major platforms.
- Tech firms sometimes notified account holders and gave 10–14 days to challenge requests in court.
Subpoenas Broadened Beyond Serious Crimes
- Such subpoenas were historically reserved for serious crimes like child trafficking but are now used more broadly.
- The Trump administration is using them to tamp down criticism and identify Americans speaking against ICE.
Safety Rationale Underpins Data Requests
- DHS claims it seeks identities to protect ICE agents in the field.
- That rationale accompanies actions like telling protesters they were identified with facial recognition and pushing for arrest databases.