A Canadian man who has publicly criticized the Trump administration has initiated legal proceedings against U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, seeking to prevent the government from accessing his personal information held by Google.
Lawsuit Alleges Unlawful Data Request
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) announced on Monday that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had issued a summons to Google for records belonging to the plaintiff, who posted online criticism regarding the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis in January. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court of Northern California where Google is headquartered, aims to quash the summons.
The plaintiff, identified as John Doe in court documents to protect his privacy and that of his family, regularly posts strong criticisms of President Trump and his policies on social media, including X, with his posts collectively garnering over 100,000 views.
Scope of the Summons
The DHS summons, issued on February 14, 2026, demands extensive information from the Gmail account linked to Doe’s X profile, covering a period from September 1, 2025, to February 4, 2026. According to the complaint, the request seeks “vast swaths of information,” including Doe’s name, address, physical movements, browsing history, communication records, and associated financial details such as credit card and bank account numbers. The ACLU noted that Google has the capability to collect such data and often does.
Legal Basis Questioned
The summons was issued under DHS’s administrative authority without court approval, citing a customs enforcement law. However, Doe is a Canadian citizen residing in Canada, has not entered the U.S. since 2015, and has no business dealings within the country. The lawsuit argues that this legal basis is inappropriate for targeting a foreign national who has no connection to U.S. customs enforcement.
The complaint highlights a pattern during the Trump administrations of attempting to unmask social media critics. During the first Trump administration, DHS’s Inspector General found that officials improperly used customs enforcement laws to identify social media users, leading to a lawsuit by Twitter. In the current administration, several social media users have challenged similar administrative subpoenas, prompting DHS to withdraw some before court review.
