Meta has removed a Facebook group used to monitor the presence of U.S. immigration agents in Chicago after a request from the Department of Justice (DOJ), the company confirmed on Tuesday. The decision came amid escalating tensions surrounding federal immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump’s administration.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a post on X that “following outreach” from the DOJ, Facebook took down what she described as a “large group page” used to “dox and target” Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents operating in the city. Doxxing refers to the public sharing of individuals’ personal information online, often with malicious intent.
Meta stated that the group “was removed for violating our policies against coordinated harm.” The social media giant said its decision was not political but based on platform safety standards that prohibit organized efforts to endanger individuals or groups.
The removal follows a broader effort by the federal government to pressure tech companies to curb the use of online platforms for tracking or exposing immigration agents. About 200 ICE officers are currently stationed in Chicago as part of a nationwide enforcement drive aimed at identifying and deporting undocumented immigrants.
Earlier this month, Apple and Google also complied with DOJ demands to remove mobile applications that allowed users to flag or report sightings of immigration agents in real time. Those apps, popular in cities like Los Angeles, Houston, and Chicago, were taken down just hours after the government requested their removal.