“I am concerned that border patrol and other federal enforcement agencies now have my license plate and personal information, and that I may be detained or arrested again in the future,” she wrote. “I am concerned about further actions that could be taken against me or my family. I have instructed my family to be cautious and return inside if they see unfamiliar vehicles outside of our home.”
Cleland said she hasn’t performed any observation of federal agents since January 10, but has “continued to engage in peaceful protests” and is “assessing when I will return to active observations.”
We contacted the Department of Homeland Security about Cleland’s declaration and will update this article if we get a response.
Extensive use of facial recognition
Federal agents have made extensive use of facial recognition during President Trump’s immigration crackdown with technology from Clearview AI and a face-scanning app called Mobile Fortify. They use facial recognition technology both to verify citizenship and identify protesters.
“Ms. Cleland was one of at least seven American citizens told by ICE agents this month that they were being recorded with facial recognition technology in and around Minneapolis, according to local activists and videos posted to social media,” The New York Times reported today, adding that none of the people had given consent to be recorded.
ICE also uses a variety of other technologies, including cell-site simulators (or Stingrays) to track phone locations, and Palantir software to help identify potential deportation targets.
Although Cleland vowed to continue protesting and eventually get back to observing ICE and CBP agents, her declaration said she felt intimidated after the recent incident.
“The interaction with the agents on January 10th made me feel angry and intimidated,” she wrote. “I have been through Legal Observer Training and know my rights. I believe that I did not do anything that warranted being stopped in the way that I was on January 10th.”
Source: arstechnica.com
