DHS Lied About Why It Wanted To Search Activist's GrapheneOS Phone
New court records reportedly show that DHS targeted Stop Cop City activist Samuel Tunick at an Atlanta airport because he was under investigation for suspected "terrorist activities." However, the CBP officers told him instead that they wanted to search his phone for child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Tunick, who is not accused of terrorism or any other crime beyond allegedly wiping his…
According to new court records, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) targeted activist Samuel Tunick at an Atlanta airport due to his involvement in the Stop Cop City movement. However, CBP officers misled Tunick, claiming they wanted to search his phone for child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Tunick, who faces up to five years in prison, was not suspected of terrorism or any other crime besides allegedly deleting data from his GrapheneOS phone during the encounter.
An email from an HSI official revealed that Tunick was under investigation for suspected terrorist activities, but the email was sent with the intention of searching his phone for CSAM. Matthew Dodge, Tunick's lawyer, stated that this case is an extremely rare use of an obscure law, previously only seen in a drug trafficking case.
Tunick's lawyers argue that evidence should be thrown out, emphasizing that the unfounded accusations were a pretext for a fishing expedition into the contents of his devices.
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