Technology Tools Used by ICE: Robots, Spyware, and Artificial Intelligence to Target Immigrants
ICE's Expansion of High-Tech Tools Raises Concerns
The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been expanding its arsenal of high-tech tools, according to various reports. These tools include facial-recognition systems, phone-unlocking devices, public-records databases, spyware, and even robots.
One such robot, purchased by ICE for about $78,000, is a small, dexterous model from Icor Technology. Equipped with a rotating claw arm and a wide-angle camera, this robot can open doors, climb stairs, and deploy chemical grenades or smoke devices.
ICE has also invested in software to help agents recover digital evidence and generate forensic reports. The agency has a contract with Magnet Forensics worth $3 million for such software licenses.
Moreover, ICE has been using products from data analytics firm Palantir. In a previously reported deal, Palantir secured a $95.9 million contract with ICE. The company's Investigative Case Management (ICM) system, worth $18.5 million, is another addition to ICE's toolkit.
Business Insider reported a Palantir project called "ImmigrationOS," a tool designed to streamline selection and apprehension operations, provide near real-time visibility into departures, and track visa overstays.
ICE has also been using tools from companies like Cellebrite, Anduril Industries, and Palantir Technologies, which have contracts with ICE for supplying data collection systems, spyware, and tactical systems for enforcement operations. Notably, Magnet Forensics merged with Grayshift, maker of GrayKey, a device widely used by law enforcement to bypass locks on mobile phones. The technology can also perform face detection, searches, and includes a location-monitoring capability described as "WebLoc."
Forbes reports that ICE has spent more than $5 million on Cobwebs' social-media and dark-web monitoring software over time, including a recent $2 million purchase of a product called Tangles. Tangles and related tools can ingest historical communications, mobile forensics, location data, financial records, and web intelligence to assemble profiles of people of interest.
ICE has also been using facial-recognition technology extensively. The agency previously bought "forensic software" for $1.1 million and nearly $800,000 in facial-recognition enterprise licenses from unspecified companies. ICE has also signed a contract worth $3.75 million with Clearview AI, a company known for building large face-matching databases.
However, the practical status of some of these high-tech tools in field operations remains unclear. For instance, TechCrunch's account of ICE's $2 million contract with Israeli spyware maker Paragon Solutions in September 2024 revealed that the practical status of Paragon's system in field operations remained unclear. The federal government issued a "stop work order" for review, but the contract was later reactivated.
The use of robots in tactical operations by ICE has not been confirmed. However, the acquisition of a robot capable of performing various tasks suggests a potential shift towards more automated immigration enforcement methods.
This expansion of high-tech tools has raised concerns about privacy and civil liberties. Critics argue that these tools could be misused to target certain immigration communities or violate individuals' privacy rights. As ICE continues to invest in these technologies, it is crucial to ensure that they are used responsibly and transparently.
