DHS whistleblower leaks personal data of 4,500 ICE and Border Patrol agents

A DHS whistleblower allegedly leaked personal data of approximately 4,500 ICE and Border Patrol employees to ICE List, a website that publishes the names of federal immigration agents. The disclosure occurred in January 2026 following the fatal shooting of Renee Good on Jan. 7, 2026, during an immigration enforcement incident in Minneapolis. The leaked dataset includes roughly 2,000 frontline immigration enforcement agents and 150 supervisors, along with approximately 2,500 employees in supporting roles such as administrative and technical positions.

The leaked information includes names, work email addresses, phone numbers, job titles, and background details such as previous employment history. ICE List founders say they use artificial intelligence to verify identities before publishing agent information. The website had previously maintained information on approximately 2,000 federal immigration enforcement personnel before this leak more than doubled their database. The leak represents the largest exposure of federal law enforcement personnel data in recent history.

ICE List was founded by DSDominick Skinner, an Irish resident living in the Netherlands who operates the website as a volunteer-run project dedicated to identifying ICE and Border Patrol personnel. The organization describes its mission as exposing immigration enforcement agents to public scrutiny and accountability. Skinner told reporters the leak provides crucial information for communities targeted by immigration enforcement and enables people to know who's conducting raids in their neighborhoods.

The leak came days after RNRenee Nicole Good, 37, was fatally shot by an ICE agent on Jan. 7, 2026, during an immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis. The shooting sparked massive protests and demonstrations against ICE's occupation of the city. Anti-ICE protesters have used agent identification to organize rallies outside agents' homes and workplaces. Immigration enforcement unions called the leak doxxing that endangers agents and their families by making them targets for harassment and violence.

Shortly after the leak, ICE List's website was hit by a major cyberattack allegedly originating from Russia that temporarily halted access to the database. The Daily Beast reported the cyberattack prevented the public from accessing the newly leaked agent information for several days. Security experts noted the Russian cyberattack was unusual given Russia's typical lack of interest in protecting U.S. law enforcement. The attack raised questions about potential coordination between Russian actors and U.S. government interests.

Federal law enforcement officials are investigating the source of the leak and have opened a criminal probe into the DHS whistleblower. Leaking personal information of federal law enforcement officers can violate multiple federal statutes including the Privacy Act and laws protecting officer safety. However, whistleblower protection laws may shield the leaker if they can demonstrate the disclosure was made to expose government wrongdoing or illegal activity. The investigation is examining whether the leak followed proper whistleblower channels.

Immigration enforcement unions representing ICE and Border Patrol agents called for immediate action to remove the data and prosecute the whistleblower. They argue the leak puts thousands of agents and their families at risk of targeted violence and harassment. However, civil rights organizations counter that ICE agents conducting immigration enforcement operations should expect public scrutiny and that transparency about who's conducting raids is essential for community safety and accountability.

The leak highlights tensions between government transparency and officer safety in immigration enforcement. Unlike local police who typically operate openly in their communities, ICE agents often conduct operations with limited public visibility. Civil liberties groups argue this secrecy enables abuses and makes it difficult for communities to know who's conducting immigration raids. Federal law enforcement argues anonymity protects agents from retaliation. The debate centers on whether immigration agents deserve more privacy protection than other public officials.