WASHINGTON — The Department of Homeland Security's inspector general is investigating whether immigration officials violated policies when they created a secret list of journalists, attorneys, and activists to be stopped at the southern border for questioning — as Democratic members of Congress demanded answers.

"We are writing to express our great concern about a US Customs and Border Protection list the agency is using to stop, detain, question, and search 59 reporters, attorneys, and advocates, most of whom are US citizens, at the southern border," the chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, Rep. Bennie Thompson, wrote in a letter to the agency's commissioner on Thursday.

"Further, we are requesting information about this troubling practice, which raises serious legal and constitutional questions," Thompson added, demanding a copy of the list, an explanation of why the individuals were included, any copies of "dossiers" compiled, and what actions were taken against them.

On Wednesday, NBC's San Diego affiliate, which first reported on the list, said it may have been created in response to media coverage about the caravan of immigrants that traveled to the border from Central America at the end of 2018.

Included in the list were at least one attorney, 10 journalists — including one who did freelance work for BuzzFeed News — and 47 people designated as "organizers" or "instigators." Passport photos and notes about the individuals, such as whether they'd been arrested or interviewed, were also kept.

Democrats in Congress on Thursday blasted US immigration officials for the list, with one calling the revelations "McCarthyism."



"This immigrant activist hit list is an alarming and intimidating tactic by CBP," Florida Rep. Darren Soto, a member of the Hispanic Caucus, told BuzzFeed News. "It is McCarthyism at its best."

Andrew Meehan, CBP's assistant commissioner of public affairs, said Thursday that the list was created after "assaults against Border Patrol Agents" in November and January. He said it "identified individuals who may have information relating to the instigators and/or organizers of these attacks."



"Efforts to gather this type of information are a standard law enforcement practice," Meehan said. "CBP does not target journalists for inspection based on their occupation or their reporting. CBP has policies in place that prohibit discrimination against arriving travelers and has specific provisions regarding encounters with journalists."

He said that the DHS investigation was initiated in February.

