ICE Expands Use of Advanced Surveillance and Data Tools
Key Points
- ICE signed a contract with Clearview AI for facial‑recognition tools supporting child‑exploitation investigations.
- A multi‑million‑dollar deal with Paragon Solutions provides spyware‑related hardware and software to ICE.
- LexisNexis supplies ICE with public‑records and data analytics, enabling millions of background searches.
- Palantir’s Investigative Case Management system lets ICE filter migrants by numerous data attributes.
- Palantir is developing "ImmigrationOS" to give real‑time visibility into self‑deportations and visa overstays.
- These contracts illustrate ICE’s expanding reliance on commercial surveillance technologies.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has broadened its technological arsenal, securing contracts with facial recognition firm Clearview AI, Israeli spyware maker Paragon Solutions, data broker LexisNexis, and analytics giant Palantir. These agreements provide ICE with capabilities ranging from identifying individuals in child‑exploitation cases to accessing extensive public‑records databases and sophisticated case‑management systems. The contracts, some valued in the millions, reflect a continued reliance on commercial surveillance tools to support immigration enforcement and related investigations.
Facial Recognition Partnerships
ICE signed a contract with Clearview AI to support its Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) division. The agreement enables the agency to use facial‑recognition technology for identifying victims and offenders in child sexual exploitation cases and assaults against law‑enforcement officers. Clearview AI has previously supplied ICE with forensic software and enterprise licenses, indicating an ongoing relationship.
Spyware Contract with Paragon Solutions
ICE entered into a multi‑million‑dollar contract with Israeli spyware company Paragon Solutions. The deal includes a fully configured proprietary solution covering license, hardware, warranty, maintenance, and training. After a prior stop‑work order, the contract was reactivated, though the exact operational status remains unclear.
Public Records and Data Analytics via LexisNexis
ICE continues to rely on LexisNexis for access to public‑records and commercial data. The agency uses LexisNexis’s Law Enforcement Investigative Database Subscription (LEIDS) to conduct background checks and monitor migrants. Over a seven‑month period, ICE performed more than 1.2 million searches using LexisNexis tools, and the agency has paid millions for the subscription.
Palantir’s Case‑Management System
Palantir Technologies has signed multiple contracts with ICE, including a large‑scale agreement for an Investigative Case Management (ICM) database. The system allows ICE to filter individuals based on immigration status, physical characteristics, criminal affiliation, and location data. Palantir is also developing a tool called “ImmigrationOS,” intended to streamline selection and apprehension operations and provide near real‑time visibility into self‑deportations and visa overstays.
Implications for Immigration Enforcement
These technology contracts collectively expand ICE’s capacity to identify, track, and investigate individuals across a wide range of data points. The integration of facial‑recognition, spyware, public‑records searches, and advanced analytics underscores a growing dependence on commercial surveillance tools to support immigration enforcement and related law‑enforcement activities.