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ICE expands AI, data tools for immigrant tracking and deportation, report says
🇦🇷 Argentina /Technology

ICE expands AI, data tools for immigrant tracking and deportation, report says

From La Nación · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • A report indicates that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has expanded its use of artificial intelligence, data analytics, and digital systems to identify, track, and detain immigrants.
  • The study, titled “The Technology Behind ICE,” was conducted by Mijente, Just Futures Law, and Surveillance Resistance Lab, identifying tools like facial recognition and commercial data access.
  • ICE and CBP's contracts with 11 identified technology providers increased from over $310 million in 2025 to $513 million in 2026, a historic high, raising concerns about privacy and civil rights.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has significantly increased its use of artificial intelligence, data analytics, and digital systems to identify, track, and detain immigrants, according to a report by Mijente, Just Futures Law, and Surveillance Resistance Lab. The study, "The Technology Behind ICE: Oligarchs, Immigration Control, and the Threat to Democracy," details how federal agencies have integrated new digital capabilities to bolster their operations.

Key tools identified in the report include AI-powered data analysis, facial recognition, and access to commercial databases. These technologies allow ICE to collect, integrate, and analyze vast amounts of personal information at an unprecedented scale, accelerating identification processes used in immigration investigations. The report highlights that the integration of these capabilities enables access to user documents and photographs.

The technology behind ICE: oligarchs, immigration control, and the threat to democracy

— Mijente, Just Futures Law, and Surveillance Resistance LabThis is the title of the report detailing ICE's use of new technologies.

The research also points to a substantial increase in funding for these technologies. Contracts between ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) with 11 identified surveillance technology providers rose from just over $310 million in 2025 to $513 million in 2026, marking a historic high. This budget expansion is attributed in part to agreements with companies like Palantir and Anduril, which specialize in data analysis and AI systems used by government agencies.

However, the study raises significant concerns about privacy, state surveillance, and the protection of civil rights. Researchers warn that the rapid advancement of these technologies has outpaced public oversight mechanisms. The report cautions that the use of facial recognition, access to commercial databases, and automated processes in immigration procedures pose a threat to democratic principles and civil liberties.

collect, integrate, and analyze large volumes of personal information on an unprecedented scale

— ResearchersDescribing the capabilities of the new technologies employed by immigration authorities.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by La Nación in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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