The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has initiated efforts to remove a leaked dataset containing information on tens of thousands of its employees from the internet.

On Thursday, the Icelandic web hosting company FlokiNET revealed it had received a letter from cybersecurity firm ZeroFox, acting on behalf of the DHS. The letter demanded the removal of a website that had published what the DHS described as a "stolen" employee dataset, citing violations of service terms.

According to the letter, the leaked content "places more than 40,000 identifiable individuals at risk of harassment, stalking, and physical harm." The information pertains to employees from various DHS agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). These agencies have faced significant public scrutiny, particularly following President Donald Trump's mass deportation campaign initiated in 2025.

Despite the DHS's concerns, FlokiNET stated it refused to comply with the removal request. The company defended its stance by asserting that federal officers executing enforcement programs are not considered private individuals while on duty. FlokiNET argued that the public has a "legitimate interest" in knowing the identities of individuals involved in such work, under whose authority, and from which offices.

The database was initially posted online by Distributed Denial of Secrets (DDoSecrets), a group known for showcasing leaked government data. A hacker group identifying as the "Department of Peace" has claimed responsibility for obtaining and disseminating the DHS information. Since its initial publication, the data has been mirrored on other websites, including the domain icepi.cx mentioned in FlokiNET's correspondence, making its complete removal from the internet unlikely.

While FlokiNET publicly stated its refusal to remove the data, the company also noted that the website's registrar ultimately suspended the domain. However, the information has since reappeared on different online platforms.

The Trump administration has frequently cited safety risks as a reason for withholding the identities of DHS agents involved in specific operations. This leak and the subsequent attempts to take it down highlight the ongoing tension between government efforts to protect personnel and public interest in transparency regarding law enforcement activities.

The incident underscores the challenges authorities face in controlling the spread of leaked information in the digital age, especially when data is distributed across multiple platforms and jurisdictions. The DHS's aggressive approach to seeking takedowns indicates a high level of concern regarding the potential repercussions of the leak.