Chicago-area resident sues Trump officials over Facebook shutting down popular ICE sighting page

Cicero small business owner Kassandra "Kae" Rosado alleges U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem coerced Facebook into disabling the page, violating her First Amendment rights.

Feb. 12, 2026 at 10:23pm

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The founder of one of the largest Facebook pages to track and report federal immigration activity in the Chicago area during the Trump administration's Operation Midway Blitz is fighting back after Facebook disabled the page in October. Cicero small business owner Kassandra 'Kae' Rosado has filed a lawsuit alleging U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem coerced Facebook into removing the popular 'ICE Sighting-Chicagoland' page, violating Rosado's First Amendment rights.

Why it matters

This case highlights the ongoing tension between the government's efforts to restrict the sharing of information about immigration enforcement activities and the public's First Amendment right to freely share such information. The lawsuit raises questions about the extent to which the government can pressure private platforms to censor disfavored speech.

The details

Rosado started the 'ICE Sighting-Chicagoland' Facebook page in January 2025 to keep individuals and small businesses informed about where U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was operating in Chicago. The page grew to almost 100,000 members by October, with thousands of posts and comments per day from members sharing information about violent encounters and arrests across the city. However, on October 12, right-wing activist Laura Loomer tagged Noem and Bondi in a post claiming the page was 'getting people killed.' The next day, Loomer said a DOJ source told her the government had contacted Facebook executives to demand the removal of 'ICE tracking pages.' Noem and Bondi then announced the page's removal on social media, calling the page's users 'anti-ICE radicals.' Facebook notified Rosado that the page was disabled for violating community standards, despite previously telling her the handful of removed posts 'don't hurt your group.'

  • Rosado started the 'ICE Sighting-Chicagoland' Facebook page in January 2025.
  • The page grew to almost 100,000 members by October 2025.
  • On October 12, 2025, right-wing activist Laura Loomer tagged Noem and Bondi in a post claiming the page was 'getting people killed.'
  • On October 13, 2025, Loomer said a DOJ source told her the government had contacted Facebook to demand removal of 'ICE tracking pages.'
  • On October 14, 2025, Noem and Bondi announced the page's removal on social media.

The players

Kassandra "Kae" Rosado

A Cicero small business owner who founded the 'ICE Sighting-Chicagoland' Facebook page.

Pam Bondi

The U.S. Attorney General during the Trump administration.

Kristi Noem

The U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security during the Trump administration.

Laura Loomer

A right-wing activist and Trump ally who claimed the Facebook page was 'getting people killed.'

Mark Hodges

An Indiana resident who created the app Eyes Up, which allowed users to record and view videos of ICE officers committing potential civil rights violations.

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What they’re saying

“By censoring our group, the government continues to erode our trust. They silenced not only my voice, but the voices of nearly 100,000 other community members.”

— Kassandra "Kae" Rosado, Founder, ICE Sighting-Chicagoland Facebook page (Statement)

“ICE tracking apps put the lives of the men and women of law enforcement in danger as they go after terrorists, vicious gangs and violent criminal rings.”

— Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary, Department of Homeland Security (Statement)

What’s next

The lawsuit asks the court to declare that Bondi and Noem's coercion of Facebook and Apple suppressed disfavored speech, which violates the First Amendment.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing battle over the public's right to freely share information about government activities versus the government's efforts to restrict the spread of such information, especially when it comes to sensitive topics like immigration enforcement. The lawsuit raises important questions about the limits of government influence over private platforms and the boundaries of free speech.