The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has confirmed it is operating surveillance drones over protests in Los Angeles, prompting renewed concerns over government monitoring of First Amendment activity.
The agency acknowledged deploying MQ-9 Predator drones—the same type used in military operations—over the city in support of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal partners. These drones are capable of high-altitude, wide-area surveillance, and their use comes amid intensifying protests against immigration raids and detentions under the Donald Trump’s administration.
Related posts
In a statement to 404 Media, which first reported the drone flights, CBP stated the drones were used to provide “aerial support of their operations” and were “not engaged in the surveillance of First Amendment activities.” Instead, the agency claims the drones are intended to enhance “officer safety surveillance when requested by officers.”
However, footage posted by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on social media Monday appeared to show drone-captured video of protesters in LA. The footage, stamped with a CBP Air and Marine Operations watermark, included zoomed-in shots of demonstrators on the streets, raising questions about the nature and scope of the surveillance.
Tensions escalated after reports from the Los Angeles Times revealed that an LAPD helicopter flying over protests allegedly warned demonstrators, saying:
“I have all of you on camera. I’m going to come to your house.”
The LAPD has not responded to media requests for comment, including from The Guardian US.
This is not the first instance of federal surveillance of protests. During the George Floyd demonstrations in 2020, DHS reportedly deployed drones over 15 U.S. cities, collecting over 270 hours of footage. At the time, LAPD was also found to have sought Ring doorbell footage from Amazon to gather protest-related video.
While CBP and DHS maintain that their drone use is for officer safety, civil liberties advocates warn that such aerial surveillance risks chilling public participation in constitutionally protected protest activities and blurring the line between legitimate law enforcement and political monitoring.
