## A New Era of Enforcement: Trump’s Immigration Crackdown and the Rise of Surveillance Tech
Upon his return to the Oval Office, President Donald Trump has positioned aggressive immigration enforcement as a cornerstone of his administration, vowing an unprecedented surge in deportations. In just one year, official data reveals that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection have removed over 350,000 individuals from the country, underscoring a significant escalation in enforcement efforts.
ICE has emerged as the central pillar of this expansive removal strategy, conducting widespread operations that target homes, workplaces, and public spaces in pursuit of undocumented residents. This aggressive stance has ignited a firestorm of protests and robust resistance from communities across the United States.
Beyond physical raids, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is leveraging the intensified deportation mandate to challenge established legal precedents. This includes tactics such as forcible entry into private residences to make arrests without judicial warrants—a practice legal experts contend directly infringes upon Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures. At the heart of this formidable enforcement machinery lies a suite of sophisticated surveillance technologies.
## The Digital Eye: Technologies Fueling Mass Deportations
### Covert Cell-Site Simulators
One of the key tools in ICE’s digital arsenal is the **cell-site simulator**. These clandestine surveillance devices masquerade as legitimate cellular towers, cunningly tricking nearby mobile phones into connecting with them. Once a connection is established, law enforcement agencies can pinpoint the location and identify phones within the vicinity, and potentially even intercept calls, text messages, and internet traffic.
These sophisticated gadgets are commonly known as “stingrays,” a name originating from one of the earliest models manufactured by U.S. defense contractor Harris (now L3Harris). They are also referred to as IMSI catchers, capable of recording a phone’s unique International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI), which can then be used to identify the device’s owner.
In a move indicative of their expanded use, ICE has entered into contracts exceeding $1.5 million over the past two years with TechOps Specialty Vehicles (TOSV). This company specializes in outfitting custom vans for law enforcement agencies. A significant contract, valued at over $800,000 and dated May 8, 2025, specifically outlines TOSV’s provision of “Cell Site Simulator (CSS) Vehicles” to bolster the Homeland Security Technical Operations program. TOSV President Jon Brianas clarified that while his company does not produce the simulators themselves, they are responsible for integrating these devices “into our overall design of the vehicle.”
The deployment of cell-site simulators has long been a lightning rod for controversy. By design, these devices indiscriminately collect data from all phones in their operational range, inevitably sweeping up information from countless innocent individuals. Furthermore, authorities have, on occasion, deployed them without first securing a judicial warrant. Compounding these concerns, law enforcement agencies have sometimes sought to shroud their use of this technology in secrecy during legal proceedings, even opting to accept plea bargains or drop cases entirely rather than reveal details about their use of cell-site simulators. A notable 2019 court case in Baltimore brought to light prosecutorial instructions to dismiss cases rather than breach non-disclosure agreements with the technology’s manufacturers.
### The Rise of Facial Recognition
Perhaps the most recognized name in facial recognition today is **Clearview AI**. For years, the company has touted its ability to identify virtually any individual by cross-referencing faces against an immense database of images harvested from the internet.
Recent reports by 404 Media confirm that ICE has secured a new contract with Clearview AI to support its law enforcement division, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). This partnership is aimed at “identifying victims and offenders in child sexual exploitation cases and assaults against law enforcement officers.” Government procurement records show this contract, finalized just last week, is valued at $3.75 million.
This isn’t ICE’s first engagement with Clearview AI. In September 2024, the agency acquired “forensic software” from the company in a $1.1 million deal. A year prior, ICE had invested nearly $800,000 in “facial recognition enterprise licenses” from Clearview AI. The company itself has not provided a statement regarding these developments.
In addition to Clearview AI, ICE agents are also equipped with a facial recognition application known as **Mobile Fortify**. This app enables federal agents to identify individuals in public spaces by scanning their driver’s license photos against a vast repository of 200 million images, largely compiled from state driver’s license databases.
### The Unveiling of Paragon Phone Spyware
In September 2024, ICE signed a significant $2 million contract with Israeli spyware developer **Paragon Solutions**. However, the agreement immediately hit a snag when the Biden administration issued a “stop work order,” initiating a review to ensure compliance with an executive order governing the government’s use of commercial spyware.
This order left the contract in a state of indefinite suspension for nearly a year. Just last week, however, the Trump administration rescinded the stop work order, effectively reinstating the agreement with Paragon.
The practical implications and current operational status of Paragon’s relationship with ICE remain ambiguous. While last week’s records indicate the contract covers “a fully configured proprietary solution including license, hardware, warranty, maintenance, and training,” it is plausible that the system’s hardware installation and agent training have yet to be completed, suggesting a potential delay before ICE can fully implement Paragon’s capabilities.
Furthermore, it is unclear whether this advanced spyware is destined for use by ICE itself or by HSI, the agency whose investigative scope extends beyond immigration to encompass a broader range of serious crimes, including online child sexual exploitation, human trafficking, and financial fraud.
Paragon has historically cultivated an image as an “ethical” and responsible purveyor of spyware. Now, the company faces a critical juncture regarding the ethical implications of partnering with Trump’s ICE. The past year has seen significant shifts for Paragon, including its acquisition by American private equity giant AE Industrial in December, with plans to merge it with cybersecurity firm RedLattice, as reported by Israeli tech news site Calcalist.
This merger appears to have progressed, as TechCrunch’s recent outreach to Paragon for comment on the reactivated ICE contract was redirected to Jennifer Iras, RedLattice’s new vice president of marketing and communications. Neither Iras nor RedLattice provided a response to inquiries for this article or prior reports, leaving questions about Paragon’s ongoing involvement and ethical considerations unanswered. The company has also faced entanglement in broader spyware controversies, a situation that further complicates its public image.## The Unseen Eye: How U.S. Agencies Harness Private Tech for Advanced Surveillance
In an era where digital footprints are ubiquitous, the boundaries of government surveillance are constantly expanding, often fueled by innovative technologies developed by private companies. This trend isn’t confined to any single nation; a recent scandal in Italy, for instance, saw the government facing accusations of spying on journalists and immigration activists, prompting tech firm Paragon to sever ties with the nation’s intelligence agencies. This international incident underscores a growing global concern: the ethical implications and vast capabilities of modern surveillance tools.
Within the United States, several federal agencies, particularly U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and its Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) arm, are significantly investing in cutting-edge technologies that allow unprecedented access to personal data, location history, and digital communications. These partnerships with private tech firms raise critical questions about privacy, civil liberties, and the future of digital security.
### Unlocking Digital Secrets: Phone Hacking and Data Extraction
The ability to access data from locked mobile devices represents a significant frontier in digital forensics. Law enforcement agencies are increasingly turning to specialized software and hardware to bypass security measures on smartphones.
#### Advanced Mobile Device Forensics with Magnet Forensics
In a notable move in mid-September, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the principal investigative arm of ICE, secured a substantial $3 million contract with Magnet Forensics. This agreement primarily focuses on providing HSI agents with essential software licenses. These licenses empower agents to efficiently “recover digital evidence,” meticulously “process multiple devices,” and generate comprehensive “forensic reports,” as detailed in the contract’s description.
Magnet Forensics is renowned in the field as the developer behind Graykey, a suite of sophisticated phone hacking and unlocking tools. Following its merger with Grayshift, the original creators of Graykey, in 2023, Magnet Forensics now spearheads the production of these devices. Graykey technology essentially allows law enforcement personnel to connect a locked mobile phone and gain access to its internal data, circumventing standard security protocols. While the implications for investigations are clear, Magnet Forensics chose not to comment on the contract when approached.
### Tracking Movements: The Pervasive Reach of Cellphone Location Data
Beyond individual devices, federal agencies are also acquiring tools that aggregate vast amounts of historical location data, offering a macro view of individuals’ movements and online activities.
#### Penlink’s “All-in-One” Surveillance Solutions
At the close of September, a report from 404 Media brought to light ICE’s acquisition of an “all-in-one” surveillance platform. This powerful tool provides the agency with the capability to sift through extensive databases containing historical cellphone location data, alongside social media intelligence. The system appears to integrate two distinct products, Tangles and Webloc, both developed by Penlink.
One of these tools boasts a “proprietary data platform” designed to “compile, process, and validate billions of daily location signals from hundreds of millions of mobile devices.” This capability enables both “forensic and predictive analytics,” according to a redacted contract obtained by 404 Media. While the specific tool isn’t named in the unredacted portions, its description strongly suggests Webloc. Forbes previously highlighted a case study illustrating Webloc’s capacity to scrutinize a specific geographic area, monitoring “trends of mobile devices that have given data at those locations and how often they have been there.”
#### The Data Broker Ecosystem and Warrantless Access
The collection of this granular cellphone location data is a complex, multi-layered process. Companies globally harvest this information through two primary methods: embedding software development kits (SDKs) into everyday smartphone applications, or via real-time bidding (RTB) in online advertising. RTB, where companies bid in milliseconds to display ads based on user demographics or location, inadvertently creates a byproduct of valuable personal data for ad tech firms.
Once amassed, this extensive pool of location data is then funneled to specialized data brokers. These brokers, in turn, sell access to this information to government agencies. This indirect acquisition method allows authorities to circumvent traditional legal requirements, such as obtaining warrants, by simply purchasing access to data that has already been aggregated by private entities.
#### Tangles: AI-Powered Open-Source Intelligence
The other component of Penlink’s offering, Tangles, is described as an “AI-powered open-source intelligence” (OSINT) tool. Its function is to automate the “search and analysis of data from the open, deep, and the dark web,” as detailed on Penlink’s official website. Forbes reported in September that ICE committed $5 million for these two Penlink tools. Penlink, like Magnet Forensics, did not respond to requests for comment regarding these contracts.
### Highways of Surveillance: Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs)
Monitoring vehicular movement offers another broad avenue for surveillance, with ICE extensively utilizing automated license plate reader (ALPR) technology.
#### Tracking Drivers Across the Nation
ICE’s reliance on ALPR companies enables the agency to track drivers across vast stretches of the United States, logging their destinations and travel times. Furthermore, ICE strategically leverages its existing relationships with local law enforcement agencies. These local departments often hold contracts with ALPR providers, such as the prominent surveillance company Flock Safety. By tapping into these existing networks, ICE can gain “backdoor” access to valuable immigration-related data.
Flock Safety stands as a dominant force in the ALPR market, operating over 40,000 license plate scanners nationwide. Its reach continues to grow through strategic partnerships, including collaborations with video surveillance giants like Ring. However, ICE’s practice of informally requesting data from local police departments has met with resistance in some areas, leading certain police forces to restrict federal agencies’ access to their ALPR data. Separately, the Associated Press has reported that Border Patrol maintains its own expansive network of ALPR cameras, further demonstrating the widespread adoption of this technology within federal law enforcement.
### Deep Dives into Personal Histories: LexisNexis’ Databases
For years, federal investigators have turned to comprehensive databases of public and legal records to aid their inquiries.
#### Unearthing Backgrounds and Predicting Activity
ICE has maintained a long-standing relationship with LexisNexis, a prominent data broker specializing in legal research and public records. This partnership has been instrumental in supporting ICE’s investigative work. In 2022, documents obtained through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests by two non-profit organizations unveiled the sheer scale of this reliance: ICE conducted over 1.2 million searches within a mere seven-month period using a LexisNexis tool called Accurint Virtual Crime Center. These searches were primarily focused on vetting the background information of migrants.
A year later, The Intercept revealed an even more controversial application: ICE was reportedly utilizing LexisNexis to identify “suspicious activity” and investigate migrants *before* any alleged crime had even occurred. Critics quickly denounced this program as enabling “mass surveillance.” Public records confirm that LexisNexis currently provides ICE with a “law enforcement investigative database subscription (LEIDS),” granting access to public and commercial data to bolster criminal investigations. This year alone, ICE has disbursed $4.7 million for this crucial service.
#### LexisNexis’ Stance on Data Use
Jennifer Richman, a spokesperson for LexisNexis, informed TechCrunch that ICE has been a user of the company’s “data and analytics solutions for decades, across several administrations.” Richman emphasized the company’s “commitment… to support the responsible and ethical use of data, in full compliance with laws and regulations, and for the protection of all residents of the United States.” She further highlighted LexisNexis’ extensive network, noting its partnerships with “more than 7,500 federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial agencies across the United States to advance public safety and security.”
### The Powerhouse of Data Analytics: Surveillance Giant Palantir
Among the most significant players in government data analytics and surveillance is Palantir, whose extensive contracts with ICE have drawn considerable attention and debate.
#### The Investigative Case Management (ICM) System
Palantir, a data analytics and surveillance technology behemoth, has secured numerous contracts with ICE over the past year. Its most substantial recent agreement, valued at $18.5 million from September 2024, is for a database system known as “Investigative Case Management” (ICM). While this specific contract is recent, Palantir’s involvement with ICM dates back to a larger $95.9 million deal signed with ICE in 2022. The Peter Thiel-founded company’s collaboration with ICE has a long history, tracing back to the early 2010s.
Earlier this year, 404 Media, a publication that has extensively documented the technological infrastructure supporting deportation efforts, including Palantir’s role with ICE, unveiled intricate details about the ICM database. The tech news site reported viewing a recent iteration of the database, which allows ICE to filter individuals based on an astonishing array of criteria, including immigration status, physical characteristics, criminal affiliations, and location data. A source familiar with the database described it to 404 Media as comprising “tables upon tables” of data, capable of generating reports that can, for example, identify individuals holding a specific visa type, who entered the country at a particular port, originated from a certain nation, and even possess a specific hair color – illustrating the hundreds of data points available for analysis.
#### Internal Justifications and “ImmigrationOS”
The profound capabilities of ICM and Palantir’s deep relationship with ICE have not been without controversy. This tension was highlighted when internal sources leaked an internal wiki from Palantir to 404 Media, revealing the company’s justifications for working with ICE during the Trump administration.
Beyond ICM, Palantir is also actively developing a new tool called “ImmigrationOS,” as disclosed in a $30 million contract reported by Business Insider. Documents, first brought to light by Wired, indicate that ImmigrationOS is designed to streamline the “selection and apprehension operations of illegal aliens,” provide “near real-time visibility” into self-deportations, and efficiently track individuals who have overstayed their visas.
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