The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) requested that Google surrender a Canadian man's data, including his location and activity logs, after he criticized the Trump administration online following the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis.

Despite the man not having entered the US for over a decade, lawyers argue that the summons from DHS, under the guise of investigating customs issues, may be an attempt to use US-based tech companies to gather information beyond their jurisdiction. The lawsuit alleges violation of the customs law which enables the agency to request such records.

Speaking through his attorneys, the man revealed he was alarmed at first when Google notified him about the summons. He had posted passionate comments denouncing immigration enforcement agents following the killings and felt compelled to speak out for those in despair.

DHS has increasingly used similar methods during heightened immigration enforcement under the Trump administration. Critics and tech companies fear this could set a dangerous precedent, allowing the government to monitor online activity more extensively than before.