Labor groups sue Trump admin over social media surveillance of noncitizens

US Labor Groups Join Forces in Fight Against Trump Admin's Social Media Surveillance of Immigrants

In a bid to curb the Trump administration's social media surveillance of visa holders and other immigrants who are in the country lawfully, a group of labor unions has banded together to sue the government. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of the American Federation of Teachers, the Communications Workers of America, and the United Auto Workers, alleges that the administration's practice of scouring social media platforms for posts that can be used to deport visa holders constitutes an assault on the First Amendment.

The union members claim that their speech is being "chilled" by the threat of adverse immigration action if the government disapproves of anything they have expressed or will express. Moreover, members have reportedly limited their union-facing activity for fear of retributive immigration consequences. This chilling effect highlights the tension between free speech and national security concerns.

The lawsuit seeks a court order to purge any records created so far under the administration's program, which aims to monitor social media activity that can be used as a basis for targeting immigrants. The plaintiffs also ask for an injunction to block the administration from engaging in "viewpoint-based investigation and surveillance."

Notably, the Trump administration has recently revoked six visas over social media posts critical of slain MAGA activist Charlie Kirk, demonstrating its willingness to use surveillance against individuals whose views it disagrees with. Furthermore, the administration plans to establish two round-the-clock centers to monitor social media activity that can be used as a basis for targeting immigrants.

The court's ruling on this case could set a crucial precedent regarding free speech and immigration policies in the US. The question remains whether the government will be held accountable for its actions in suppressing dissenting voices, particularly those of immigrant communities who have traditionally been marginalized.

As one Republican politician has remained silent on the issue despite their own history of promoting conspiracy theories about social media censorship, the administration's stance raises concerns about the erosion of free speech and the silencing of opposition.

I'm so with these unions!!! They're fighting for our rights as Americans... and I mean it . This social media surveillance is a total overreach by the Trump admin. Who are they to decide what's "allowed" on our personal accounts? It's like, hello! We have the right to express ourselves, even if we disagree with the gov't .

And can you believe those six visas got revoked just because people spoke out against Charlie Kirk? That's some serious chill vibes . I'm all for free speech, but not when it comes at the expense of innocent lives. We need to stand up for these unions and make sure our gov't isn't trampling on our rights .

The fact that the administration is creating round-the-clock centers to monitor social media activity just takes it to a whole new level . It's like they're trying to control what we can say and think online. We need some serious accountability here, and I'm glad these unions are taking a stand .

It's interesting how some politicians are remaining silent on this issue . Like, where's the outrage when it comes to social media censorship? Don't they care about our freedom of speech? I guess that's just not an issue for them... or so we thought .

The court's ruling on this case is gonna be super important . It's all about setting a precedent and holding those in power accountable for their actions. Let's hope justice prevails and these unions win their fight !

I think this is a super concerning development. The government can't just chill people's freedom to express themselves because they don't agree with something or someone. It's like they're creating a culture of fear where people are too scared to speak up, even when they know it's the right thing to do.

From a data perspective, this is also super interesting. I mean, who does the government think it is to be monitoring social media activity and using that info to target immigrants? It's like they're trying to control people's conversations and dictate what they can and can't say.

The fact that union members are limiting their activities because of this makes sense though. You don't want to risk losing your job or facing immigration issues just for expressing an opinion, even if it's a unpopular one.

I wish more politicians would speak out against this kind of surveillance state mentality. It feels like they're trying to silence dissenting voices and stifle free speech, which is basically the opposite of what our country is supposed to be about.

Overall, I think this lawsuit could lead to some major changes in how the government approaches social media surveillance and immigration policies. Fingers crossed!

This whole thing is just super concerning for me - I mean what happens when we start policing people's speech because it goes against our interests? It's like, I get where they're coming from with national security concerns but this isn't the way to do it. Free speech is supposed to be a fundamental right not something that gets taken away when someone says something you don't agree with. And what's really scary is how these new centers are going to track down and potentially deport people just because of their views... I'm worried about where this kind of surveillance will lead - will we lose the ability to even have dissenting voices?

this is a big deal , i mean think about it - they're basically using your online presence to deport people who just happen to have differing opinions or views that aren't aligned with their agenda . it's like, you can't even share an article or post without worrying that the gov'll use it against you . and now they wanna set up these round-the-clock centers to monitor social media? it's a total invasion of privacy, imo . i'm all for free speech, but at the same time, we gotta be careful not to let people spew hate or misinformation online . somehow, we need to find that balance and protect our rights without putting the country at risk .

I'm so down for this! I think it's a huge step that labor unions are banding together to fight back against this crazy surveillance program. It's like, what even is the logic behind monitoring social media posts by visa holders? Don't they have better things to do than police people's online activity? And now they're revoking visas over some dude Charlie Kirk... that's just ridiculous!

The thing is, it's not just about free speech; it's about setting a precedent for how we protect our rights as citizens. If the government can chill people's speech by threatening immigration consequences, what's next? I mean, they're already having two 24/7 centers monitoring social media... that's some serious Big Brother vibes!

I'm all for holding the admin accountable for their actions, especially when it comes to silencing marginalized voices. We need more transparency and oversight on this program. If the courts rule in favor of the unions, it'll be a huge win for free speech and dissenting voices everywhere!

This is a super scary situation for anyone who's outspoken online, you know? I mean, Trump's already got a history of being kinda... intense about his views, but this is just ridiculous. If they're gonna start monitoring social media to deport people, that's basically fascism . What's next? Are we gonna get "viewpoint-based" warrants too? This lawsuit better win, or else I don't know what the future holds for free speech in the US... it's not looking good

This is getting crazy... Like I get where they're coming from, freedom of speech is key, but at the same time, we gotta keep our country safe, right? It's like, what's the balance point here? Shouldn't be able to just criticize the government and face deportation? That's not how it works in a democracy. And now they're monitoring social media, that's just creepy... Don't get me wrong, I think the unions have a right to sue, but we gotta make sure this doesn't set a bad precedent for silencing dissenting voices. It's like, if my opinion gets fact-checked and I'm deported, what's next?

im all for freedom of speech its crazy that the gov is trying to silence people who are just expressing their opinions online. i mean even if you disagree with someone, they should be able to share their thoughts without fear of deportation . its like, what's next? monitoring our browsing history or something? this whole thing is kinda scary tbh and makes me wonder about the state of free speech in the us right now

This is getting really shady... I mean, who wouldn't want to report someone for just expressing an opinion? It's like they think the government has the right to police our thoughts and words just because they don't agree with us. Newsflash: we're not talking about national security here, we're talking about people being bullied into silence. The fact that six visas were revoked over social media posts is just outrageous. It's chilling (pun intended) to think about how this could affect everyday people who are just trying to make their voices heard. We need more transparency and accountability from our government, not less.

I'm all for this lawsuit, it's like they're trying to silence people who are just sharing their opinions online . I mean, what's next? The government monitoring our TikTok comments too? It's gotta be a bit unsettling knowing that our speech is being scrutinized based on who we know or what we believe in.

I'm also kinda curious about why no one from the Trump side has spoken out against this, it's like they're all just sitting back and letting this happen... It raises some serious questions about free speech and our government's accountability. I guess we'll have to wait and see how this plays out in court

Ugh, this is just getting outta hand . I mean, I get it, national security is a thing, but come on! The government can't just start monitoring people's social media activity because they don't like what they're saying. That's like, the ultimate chill on free speech . And now we're seeing these union groups banding together to fight back against it? Respect!

I mean, think about it, if the government can do that to a bunch of random people who just happen to disagree with them... what's gonna stop 'em from doing it to you or me? It's like, we're living in some dystopian sci-fi movie here .

And don't even get me started on these visa revocations over social media posts. Like, what's the point of having a free press if you can just revoke someone's visa for expressing an opinion that doesn't align with yours? It's just not right.

So yeah, I'm all for this lawsuit and the efforts to hold the government accountable for their actions. We need to make sure that our First Amendment rights aren't being trampled on like they're some kind of disposable thing .

its crazy what they're doing to these people just because they have a different opinion... like isnt freedom of speech supposed to be a thing in america ? i mean come on, if you dont agree with someone's views, does that really justify watching their every move online ? thats just not right , especially when its immigrants who are being targeted . what if they were american citizens and had the same opinions ?.

I'm not surprised to see labor unions taking action against the Trump admin's social media surveillance of immigrants. It's a clear chill on their freedom of speech . I mean, who wouldn't want to express themselves online without fear of being targeted for deportation? The fact that they're limited their union activity is a huge red flag .

This whole thing feels like a slippery slope - if the admin can monitor social media posts to deport immigrants, where does it end? It's all about the balance between national security and free speech. I'm not sure what the court's ruling will bring, but I hope they hold the admin accountable for their actions .

The whole thing is also kinda weird that some politicians are staying silent on this issue... like, come on guys . It's been out in the open for ages - the admin is using social media surveillance to silence dissenting voices. We need more transparency and less politics .

I'm so worried about this ... as a union member myself, I've seen how the fear of retribution can silence people from speaking out. It's like, we're already on thin ice when it comes to our work-life balance and fair wages – do we really need the government breathing down our necks, monitoring our social media? It feels like they're trying to control what we say and do, and that's a huge red flag for me . And can you believe they revoked visas over someone's opinion on Charlie Kirk? That's just ridiculous ... I mean, I get that national security is important, but can't we find ways to address the issue without going after free speech?

I'm not surprised that labor groups are taking a stand against this ridiculous surveillance program . It's like they're trying to stifle dissenting voices before they even have a chance to speak up . Newsflash: our First Amendment rights aren't just for the 1% of people who are activists or outspoken; they belong to all of us, especially immigrants who've been living in this country lawfully .

It's not about national security; it's about the administration trying to silence anyone who disagrees with them . And let's be real, if you're a Republican politician who's silent on this issue, that just raises more eyebrows . We need to hold our government accountable for respecting free speech and protecting all Americans' rights, not just the ones they agree with .

I'm literally shaking my head over this one... like, what's next? Are we gonna start monitoring ppl's Netflix history to figure out who's being anti-govt? It's already bad enough that they're using social media surveillance against immigrants, but now they wanna take it to the next level? Viewpoint-based investigation and surveillance is basically just a fancy term for "we don't like what you think, so we're gonna chill on your rights". I mean, come on, can't they just focus on actual security threats instead of trying to control people's opinions?

I'm low-key surprised that this is still a thing in 2025... shouldn't we have gotten better by now? The idea that our government can just surveil people for speaking out against them because they don't like what's being said is, like, super concerning . But at the same time, I'm not surprised that some ppl are still pushing back against this kinda thing .

I think it's dope that labor groups are banding together to fight for these rights . We need more orgs speaking up and standing up for marginalized communities . And can we talk about how messed up it is that ppl are literally getting deported for what they've posted online? Like, shouldn't we have some basic protections in place for free speech? .

This whole thing just feels like a big ol' mess . I'm rooting for the labor groups and hoping the courts will make some progress on this . We need to start prioritizing human rights over national security concerns .

man this is getting serious u can't just spy on ppl's social media posts like that it's like they're trying to control what we say online lol what if they start monitoring our tweets during a union meeting or somethin? i'm glad the unions are fighting back, but it's kinda scary how far this admin is willing to go to silence ppl with opposing views can't let them chill our speech just cuz they don't like what we're saying

I'm all for people having their voices heard, but at what cost? The gov is already being super watchful over our online activities so this new move is straight up creepy . I mean, who gets deported for expressing a differing opinion on Twitter? That's not freedom of speech, that's fear-mongering! It's got to stop, we need to make sure everyone can express themselves without being held back by the gov.