Whistleblower says Trump demanded FBI probe into protesters over a TikTok he saw

A former FBI intelligence official, Jill Fields, has alleged in a whistleblower complaint that former President Donald Trump demanded the FBI investigate anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protesters in Southern California in early 2025. According to Fields, she believed the move violated FBI law and policy. The investigations were reportedly opened following Trump's demands, which came from the president's response to a TikTok video he saw showing protesters against ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in Alhambra, California.

The protests featured demonstrators using bullhorns to warn neighbors about the presence of immigration-enforcement officers. Fields' disclosure claims that FBI policy prohibits opening investigations based solely on First Amendment-protected activity, and the squad did not have evidence of a crime at the time. The investigations were conducted despite FBI Director Kash Patel allegedly informing top FBI leaders that Trump was angry about the incident and wanted the protesters investigated and arrested.

Democratic Senator Alex Padilla, citing the whistleblower complaint, questioned the Justice Department on the number of investigations into protestors and whether Trump had directed other similar investigations. Fields' complaint also detailed two separate incidents in which she stated that White House officials demanded the FBI investigate and arrest anti-ICE protesters.

Both instances were based on First Amendment-protected activity, which Fields emphasized should not warrant such investigations unless additional actions took place beyond speech. She alleges that she was stripped of her team and lost support from FBI leadership, eventually resigning from the bureau.