A man from Los Angeles, accused of using his X (formerly Twitter) account to reveal the identities and raid locations of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, potentially setting the stage for violent interference in immigration enforcement, has now signaled he might be criminally charged.
Jack Quillin is believed to be the person behind the “LAScanner” account, which posted live updates and maps of ICE activity, effectively guiding rioters to raid sites.
The chaos began on Friday night, when rioters ambushed federal agents in the Los Angeles fashion district during an immigration enforcement operation. The agents were forced to shelter inside a federal building for over two hours as the Los Angeles Police Department took time to respond.
Violence continued into Saturday, with rioters again targeting federal agents in Paramount as they prepared for further raids. Several ICE vehicles were damaged, and agents were hurt when rioters threw large rocks at them, smashing windshields.
Beyond exposing ICE locations, the LAScanner account also published personal information about individual agents, including their names, home addresses, family details, and hotel stays.
Quillin, who has a past felony conviction for stalking, appeared to admit running the account before shutting it down on Saturday night. In the aftermath, he tried to walk back the doxxing campaign, insisting he hadn’t intended to provoke violence.
“LA25 riots are getting WILD,” read a post from LA Scanner as a third night of unrest gripped Downtown Los Angeles. In another post, Quillin wrote, “I genuinely hope this doesn’t end in anybody losing their life — but it’s starting to feel like it might,” before he resumed sharing sensitive details.
As rioters hurled large stones and Molotov cocktails from an overpass near Route 101 at officers from the LA County Sheriff’s Department, Quillin deactivated the account and admitted he may soon face legal trouble.
“I want to formally apologize. I should not have shared the locations of ICE raids and will not do so going forward,” Quillin said. “I have reached out to authorities to take responsibility, and they are reviewing my actions to see if any laws were broken. If I have broken the law, I will fully cooperate and turn myself in.”
Quillin added that he is now experiencing the same kind of doxxing he had previously directed at others. “To anyone I put in harm’s way, I am truly sorry. That was never what I wanted,” he said.
The account’s deletion coincides with new revelations about the financial and organizational roots of the ongoing riots in Los Angeles County.
One key group suspected of fueling the riots is reportedly funded by taxpayers, while another has ties to the Chinese Communist Party, according to Data Republican.
The latter organization, the Coalition of Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), has received tens of millions in government funding during President Joe Biden’s administration. CHIRLA held a rally last week protesting ICE operations that have targeted illegal immigrants, including those convicted of serious, violent crimes.
