Newly unsealed court records and live testimony from a federal trial in Boston reveal that Trump administration officials relied heavily on Canary Mission, a secretive pro-Israel website, to identify pro-Palestinian students and scholars for potential deportation. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) formed a special "tiger team" of intelligence analysts who built dossiers on approximately 100 foreign academics. More than 75% of the names came directly from Canary Mission, which has been accused of doxxing and labeling individuals as antisemitic or sympathetic to terrorism. Though DHS denies any formal collaboration with the site, officials admitted it was a key resource. Homeland Security's Peter Hatch confirmed the database held over 5,000 names, prompting the need for redeploying analysts from counterterrorism units to meet the workload.
The court proceedings also revealed deep White House involvement, including frequent strategy calls led by senior advisor Stephen Miller. State Department official John Armstrong testified that visa decisions were influenced by speech, chants, and political positions seen at pro-Palestinian rallies. The lawsuit, brought by university and academic groups, alleges that the government is implementing an "ideological deportation policy" that violates First Amendment protections. Although judges have blocked some deportations, the chilling effect is evident—foreign academics report withdrawing from public discourse, activism, and travel out of fear. The trial now moves forward under U.S. District Judge William Young, who must decide if the administration's actions constitute unconstitutional political targeting.