Tristan Lee
@tristanl.ee
Journalist @decoherence.media using open sources to expose far-right networks
Other bylines @bellingcat.com @texasobserver.org
Other bylines @bellingcat.com @texasobserver.org
Pinned
Tristan Lee
@tristanl.ee
· Oct 27
Welcome to Decoherence Media, an independent nonprofit founded by @jennefer.bsky.social and @tristanl.ee that investigates authoritarian and anti-democratic movements using open-source and data-driven methods.
Welcome to Decoherence Media!
We're an independent, journalist-founded nonprofit investigating authoritarian and anti-democratic movements using open-source and data-driven methods.
decoherence.media
I'm excited but a bit sad to announce that I've left Bellingcat to start a nonprofit investigative outlet focused on the far-right. We're called Decoherence Media, and we're launching today.
Reposted by Tristan Lee
If you've appreciated my investigative reporting this week on homeless policy and the fascist ICE prosecutor, you're going to love the investigation I've got coming out tomorrow.
January 14, 2026 at 11:58 PM
If you've appreciated my investigative reporting this week on homeless policy and the fascist ICE prosecutor, you're going to love the investigation I've got coming out tomorrow.
January 14, 2026 at 11:27 PM
One of Patriot Front's early videos is them vandalizing an anti-ICE occupation in San Antonio. When it comes to immigration, there's little daylight between the policy goals of Patriot Front and those of ICE.
January 14, 2026 at 10:36 PM
One of Patriot Front's early videos is them vandalizing an anti-ICE occupation in San Antonio. When it comes to immigration, there's little daylight between the policy goals of Patriot Front and those of ICE.
The corollary of this is that many far-right groups have gotten less militant: they know ICE is doing the dirty work of terrorizing minority communities, so they don't have to.
Alongside their own propaganda, Patriot Front members put up posters encouraging readers to call the ICE tip line.
Alongside their own propaganda, Patriot Front members put up posters encouraging readers to call the ICE tip line.
January 14, 2026 at 10:29 PM
The corollary of this is that many far-right groups have gotten less militant: they know ICE is doing the dirty work of terrorizing minority communities, so they don't have to.
Alongside their own propaganda, Patriot Front members put up posters encouraging readers to call the ICE tip line.
Alongside their own propaganda, Patriot Front members put up posters encouraging readers to call the ICE tip line.
Reposted by Tristan Lee
When we say "explicitly neo-Nazi" we mean channels that fly swastikas and praise Hitler. That's the zone of internet where DHS is apparently finding inspiration for their X posts. It's ultra unlikely they would have ever encountered that song if they weren't in that space, imo.
Our researchers found at least 450 posts on Telegram dating back to 2020 that shared the song mentioned in this reporting.
Nearly all the posts we found were from explicitly neo-Nazi and white supremacist channels. And a review of our datasets found it hasn't circulated much outside those circles.
Nearly all the posts we found were from explicitly neo-Nazi and white supremacist channels. And a review of our datasets found it hasn't circulated much outside those circles.
January 14, 2026 at 8:13 PM
When we say "explicitly neo-Nazi" we mean channels that fly swastikas and praise Hitler. That's the zone of internet where DHS is apparently finding inspiration for their X posts. It's ultra unlikely they would have ever encountered that song if they weren't in that space, imo.
"Separating families" isn't quite the same as "Family"
January 14, 2026 at 6:05 AM
"Separating families" isn't quite the same as "Family"
Reposted by Tristan Lee
Doing more digging on the list dumps I’ve been able to find of this and yeah the “leak” angle here is complete bullshit. It’s a scrape of anybody that has had ICE, Border Patrol, FBI in their linkedin profiles combined with a dump of Brady List databases.
Someone inside DHS leaked the names of 4,500 ICE and CBP officers to a nonprofit that tracks ICE. About 80 percent of those name are active.
www.rawstory.com/ice-agents-d...
www.rawstory.com/ice-agents-d...
Whistleblower drops 'largest ever' ICE leak to unmask agents: 'The last straw'
A Department of Homeland Security whistleblower has released the identities of about 4,500 ICE and Border Patrol employees Tuesday in what has been called potentially the largest agency data breach fo...
www.rawstory.com
January 14, 2026 at 3:58 AM
Doing more digging on the list dumps I’ve been able to find of this and yeah the “leak” angle here is complete bullshit. It’s a scrape of anybody that has had ICE, Border Patrol, FBI in their linkedin profiles combined with a dump of Brady List databases.
The rollout of this "ICE leak" is not going well
January 14, 2026 at 5:44 AM
The rollout of this "ICE leak" is not going well
Is it just me, or does Vin Diesel look like Stephen Miller here?
January 14, 2026 at 5:38 AM
Is it just me, or does Vin Diesel look like Stephen Miller here?
Reposted by Tristan Lee
Periodic reminder that large data leaks often have misleading information that needs to be verified and corroborated, and that just drawing conclusions without doing so is irresponsible.
January 14, 2026 at 5:03 AM
Periodic reminder that large data leaks often have misleading information that needs to be verified and corroborated, and that just drawing conclusions without doing so is irresponsible.
Reposted by Tristan Lee
I read the news about the ICE leak just before falling asleep last night and woke up feeling like Christmas morning, but unfortunately a) it kind of seems like bullshit and b) the Bluesky Resistance is being extremely annoying about it.
January 14, 2026 at 4:52 AM
I read the news about the ICE leak just before falling asleep last night and woke up feeling like Christmas morning, but unfortunately a) it kind of seems like bullshit and b) the Bluesky Resistance is being extremely annoying about it.
Reposted by Tristan Lee
James Rodden, the fascist and racist ICE attorney I found last year, is back in the courtroom as of today.
ICE Prosecutor Who Runs Racist X Account Returns to Dallas Immigration Court
James Rodden, who the Observer identified last year as the operator of the account that routinely posted hateful statements, appeared to be back at work Tuesday.
www.texasobserver.org
January 14, 2026 at 12:51 AM
James Rodden, the fascist and racist ICE attorney I found last year, is back in the courtroom as of today.
Reposted by Tristan Lee
Yes, immigration agents not only took Arnoldo's phone, the 10th grader had to use Find My Phone to locate it — in a vending machine for used electronics, close to an ICE detention center.
Read the full story here:
www.propublica.org/article/vide...
Read the full story here:
www.propublica.org/article/vide...
January 14, 2026 at 12:47 AM
Yes, immigration agents not only took Arnoldo's phone, the 10th grader had to use Find My Phone to locate it — in a vending machine for used electronics, close to an ICE detention center.
Read the full story here:
www.propublica.org/article/vide...
Read the full story here:
www.propublica.org/article/vide...
Reposted by Tristan Lee
BREAKING: James Rodden, an ICE prosecutor who the Observer identified last year as the operator of an X account that posted “America is a White nation," “‘Migrants’ are all criminals,” and apparent praise of Adolf Hitler, appeared to be back at work Tuesday.
www.texasobserver.org/ice-prosecut...
www.texasobserver.org/ice-prosecut...
ICE Prosecutor Who Runs Racist X Account Returns to Dallas Immigration Court
James Rodden, who the Observer identified last year as the operator of the account that routinely posted hateful statements, appeared to be back at work Tuesday.
www.texasobserver.org
January 14, 2026 at 12:43 AM
BREAKING: James Rodden, an ICE prosecutor who the Observer identified last year as the operator of an X account that posted “America is a White nation," “‘Migrants’ are all criminals,” and apparent praise of Adolf Hitler, appeared to be back at work Tuesday.
www.texasobserver.org/ice-prosecut...
www.texasobserver.org/ice-prosecut...
Reposted by Tristan Lee
Condé Nast forgot to renew the trademark for Gourmet and so a group of journalists grabbed it and are relaunching the food magazine as a worker-owned co-op. Love it. [gourmetmagazine.net]
Gourmet Magazine
Gourmet is a worker-owned publication about food and the people who make and consume it.
gourmetmagazine.net
January 13, 2026 at 4:22 PM
Condé Nast forgot to renew the trademark for Gourmet and so a group of journalists grabbed it and are relaunching the food magazine as a worker-owned co-op. Love it. [gourmetmagazine.net]
Reposted by Tristan Lee
NEW: Police—sheriffs, Texas state cops, and even ICE—can follow the location of your smart phone without a warrant.
Yet, we know little about how this software has been used.
via @texasobserver.org + @pulitzercenter.org
www.texasobserver.org/texas-police...
Yet, we know little about how this software has been used.
via @texasobserver.org + @pulitzercenter.org
www.texasobserver.org/texas-police...
Texas Police Invested Millions in a Shadowy Phone-Tracking Software. They Won’t Say How They’ve Used It.
One sheriff who leads an anti-smuggling task force says the software helps “develop leads to eventually obtain probable cause.” Civil liberties experts say its use violates constitutional rights.
www.texasobserver.org
January 13, 2026 at 5:05 PM
NEW: Police—sheriffs, Texas state cops, and even ICE—can follow the location of your smart phone without a warrant.
Yet, we know little about how this software has been used.
via @texasobserver.org + @pulitzercenter.org
www.texasobserver.org/texas-police...
Yet, we know little about how this software has been used.
via @texasobserver.org + @pulitzercenter.org
www.texasobserver.org/texas-police...
Reposted by Tristan Lee
It's 10am in Minneapolis and rapid response is underwater, reports of chemicals deployed already.
As others have pointed out, the ratio of feds (with more arriving) to residents and square mileage here is extreme compared to what we experienced in Chicago.
We are in freefall.
As others have pointed out, the ratio of feds (with more arriving) to residents and square mileage here is extreme compared to what we experienced in Chicago.
We are in freefall.
January 13, 2026 at 4:06 PM
It's 10am in Minneapolis and rapid response is underwater, reports of chemicals deployed already.
As others have pointed out, the ratio of feds (with more arriving) to residents and square mileage here is extreme compared to what we experienced in Chicago.
We are in freefall.
As others have pointed out, the ratio of feds (with more arriving) to residents and square mileage here is extreme compared to what we experienced in Chicago.
We are in freefall.
Twitch sacer
‘Twitch streamer’ should be a protected class in that they are outside the protection of the law
January 13, 2026 at 7:08 AM
Twitch sacer
I did my undergrad at Western Washington University in Bellingham, and I only learned about the 1907 Bellingham race riot after I graduated.
January 13, 2026 at 3:13 AM
I did my undergrad at Western Washington University in Bellingham, and I only learned about the 1907 Bellingham race riot after I graduated.
OSINT challenge: what is Greg Bovino's true height?
January 12, 2026 at 7:45 PM
OSINT challenge: what is Greg Bovino's true height?
Reposted by Tristan Lee
Last week, Austin PD called ICE to turn in a woman from Honduras and her US-born 5 year-old daughter.
They only knew about them because the woman called 911 for help with a domestic disturbance. She needed help and they handed her over to ICE.
The police don’t care about protecting you.
They only knew about them because the woman called 911 for help with a domestic disturbance. She needed help and they handed her over to ICE.
The police don’t care about protecting you.
I keep seeing people asking why the police aren't arresting ICE or protecting people from ICE and I desperately need you to understand that the police aren't protecting you from ICE because protecting YOU is not and never has been their function and that's why we need to defund them.
January 12, 2026 at 4:48 PM
Last week, Austin PD called ICE to turn in a woman from Honduras and her US-born 5 year-old daughter.
They only knew about them because the woman called 911 for help with a domestic disturbance. She needed help and they handed her over to ICE.
The police don’t care about protecting you.
They only knew about them because the woman called 911 for help with a domestic disturbance. She needed help and they handed her over to ICE.
The police don’t care about protecting you.
Reposted by Tristan Lee
We still do not know the names of the ICE agents who killed Silverio Villegas González on September 12, 2025 outside of Chicago.
If you have any information, please reach out on Signal at @tpf.99.
If you have any information, please reach out on Signal at @tpf.99.
January 11, 2026 at 6:19 PM
We still do not know the names of the ICE agents who killed Silverio Villegas González on September 12, 2025 outside of Chicago.
If you have any information, please reach out on Signal at @tpf.99.
If you have any information, please reach out on Signal at @tpf.99.
Reposted by Tristan Lee
Bellingcat's @galen.reich.me.uk spoke to @pbump.com (How To Read This Chart Newsletter) about creating The Bellingcat Open Source Challenge with @merelzoet.bsky.social, explaining how each of the puzzles introduces you to new research techniques and tools: www.howtoreadthisch.art/unlocking-th...
Unlocking the mundane mysteries of the world
Congratulations; Hell Week is over. In preparation for Hell Week Redux, whenever it may arrive (next week), this week's newsletter flips data visualization on its head, focusing on a fascinating proje...
www.howtoreadthisch.art
January 12, 2026 at 1:24 PM
Bellingcat's @galen.reich.me.uk spoke to @pbump.com (How To Read This Chart Newsletter) about creating The Bellingcat Open Source Challenge with @merelzoet.bsky.social, explaining how each of the puzzles introduces you to new research techniques and tools: www.howtoreadthisch.art/unlocking-th...