US Immigration Agency Boosts Spending on Weapons and Surveillance

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) is significantly increasing its investments in weapons and surveillance technology, according to procurement records reviewed by AFP. This expansion comes during a period marked by the agency’s intensified focus on deporting a record number of unauthorized migrants from the United States. Reported expenditures in these areas have reached levels far exceeding those seen during both the Biden administration and the previous Trump presidency.

Since January 20, 2023, ICE has allocated more than $70 million to procure items categorized as “small arms, ordnance, and ordnance accessories.” In stark contrast, the agency spent only $9.7 million on similar items during the same period in the previous Trump administration, which lasted until January 20, 2021. Just in September 2024, ICE placed orders totaling $10 million for firearms and magazines from Quantico Tactical Incorporated, along with an additional $9 million for long guns and accessories from Geissele Automatics.

Surveillance Spending Escalates

In addition to its weapons acquisitions, ICE has also ramped up spending on surveillance technologies. In September 2024, the agency spent $3.75 million on software and services from Clearview AI, a company known for its facial recognition technology. Over the past nine months, ICE has secured contracts with firms like Magnet Forensics and Cellebrite, which develop tools for extracting data from mobile devices. Furthermore, the agency signed a $30 million contract with Palantir to create an “Immigration OS,” designed to identify unauthorized migrants and track those considering voluntary return to their home countries.

Interestingly, ICE has reinstated a $2 million contract with Paragon, a provider of spyware services, which had previously been scrutinized by the Biden administration under an executive order aimed at limiting purchases that may compromise national security.

Concerns Over Privacy and Civil Liberties

Rights advocates are raising alarms about the implications of ICE’s extensive surveillance capabilities. The agency is actively soliciting proposals to establish a social media monitoring center staffed with nearly 30 analysts. This center is intended to provide continuous monitoring to gather “real-time and mission critical person-specific information” from online communications. Cooper Quintin, a Senior Staff Technologist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, expressed concerns about the impact of such surveillance on free expression.

“If people know that ICE is monitoring social media for allegiance to their home country, that’s going to chill people’s willingness to say anything publicly,” Quintin explained. Moreover, the potential to purchase data from third parties raises further issues, allowing for extensive surveillance without the need for warrants.

ICE has not publicly responded to requests for comment regarding these developments.

The surge in ICE’s budget, which has been enabled by a recent Congressional allocation, underscores this trend. The Republican budget approved in July 2023 provided ICE with an operating budget of $75 billion over four years, averaging $18.8 billion annually. This marks a substantial increase from the agency’s operating budget of $9.6 billion in the previous fiscal year.

While other federal departments face budget constraints due to a government shutdown, ICE and its parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security, have largely remained unaffected. Notably, the Office of Detention Oversight, responsible for monitoring standards at detention facilities, has been temporarily closed due to these circumstances.

As ICE continues to expand its arsenal and surveillance capabilities, the implications for civil rights and the balance of power in law enforcement remain critical points of discussion among advocates and policymakers alike.