Ethical Hacking News
According to a recent court filing, DHS's investigative arm, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), has sent out an estimated 185,000 administrative subpoenas since the start of the Trump administration, sparking concerns about the potential for abuse of power and the erosion of civil liberties.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has sent out an estimated 185,000 administrative subpoenas since 2025. The number of administrative subpoenas has increased significantly, with a substantial increase since the start of the Trump administration. HSI's use of administrative subpoenas has been a subject of controversy, including a 2017 incident where a customs summons was used to unmask an anonymous Twitter poster. The increased use of administrative subpoenas has raised concerns about the potential for abuse of power and the erosion of civil liberties. Lawmakers and organizations such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) are calling for greater oversight and accountability mechanisms to prevent the misuse of these tools.
In recent years, the use of administrative subpoenas by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has raised significant concerns among civil liberties advocates and lawmakers. According to a recent court filing, DHS's investigative arm, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), has sent out an estimated 185,000 administrative subpoenas since the start of the Trump administration. This number represents a substantial increase in the use of these powerful but unchecked investigative tools, which have been used to unmask anonymous online critics and pursue broad customer records.
The figure of 185,000 administrative subpoenas since 2025 is a striking one, and it highlights the growing reliance on these warrantsless authorities by DHS. In comparison, ICE agents sent out around 170,000 of a type of administrative subpoena called a 1509 customs summons over the course of more than six and a half years between 2016 and mid-August 2022. The significant increase in the use of administrative subpoenas since 2025 suggests that DHS has become increasingly reliant on these tools to conduct investigations.
HSI's use of administrative subpoenas has been a subject of controversy in recent years. In 2017, the DHS inspector general admonished Customs and Border Protection's Office of Professional Responsibility for trying to use a customs summons to unmask an anonymous Twitter poster. However, the Trump administration has recently argued in court that because the Customs Service's powers were transferred to DHS following the passing of the Homeland Security Act, it can use that power to tackle its "broad investigative portfolio," which it says includes enforcing laws "broadly beyond legacy customs and immigration enforcement."
The increased use of administrative subpoenas has raised significant concerns about the potential for abuse of power and the erosion of civil liberties. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a nonprofit organization that has been filing Freedom of Information Act lawsuits against DHS, has argued that the use of administrative subpoenas by ICE and DHS has led to a "dragnet domestic surveillance program" that threatens the First Amendment rights of citizens. The EFF has also criticized the lack of oversight and accountability mechanisms in place to prevent the abuse of this powerful tool.
Lawmakers have also been critical of the increased use of administrative subpoenas. Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon has proposed legislation to curb the use of federal subpoenas, including consequences for officials who abuse surveillance authorities. Wyden has stated that Congress "desperately needs" to pass this legislation to prevent the misuse of administrative subpoenas and protect the rights of citizens.
In conclusion, the use of administrative subpoenas by DHS has raised significant concerns about the potential for abuse of power and the erosion of civil liberties. The estimated 185,000 administrative subpoenas sent out by HSI since 2025 highlight the growing reliance on these warrantsless authorities, and the need for greater oversight and accountability mechanisms to prevent their misuse.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/DHSs-Unchecked-Power-A-Growing-Concern-Over-Administrative-Subpoenas-ehn.shtml
https://www.wired.com/story/dhs-has-used-this-controversial-investigative-tool-185000-times-since-trump-took-office/
Published: Mon Nov 9 04:31:41 2026 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
