Ice Is Swiftly Expanding Its Sprawling Surveillance Apparatus

Within days of Trump’s presidential win, ICE sought out contractors to enlarge, transform, and modernize the agency’s ability to track, monitor, and surveil noncitizens.

By Maurizio Guerrero, Prism

The U.S. federal agency in charge of detaining and deporting immigrants is poised to expand to unprecedented levels the sprawling surveillance apparatus left by the Biden administration.

Within days of President Donald Trump’s victory in November, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) posted several notices on the federal procurement website seeking contractors to provide technological tools to enlarge, transform, and modernize the agency’s capabilities to track, monitor, and surveil noncitizens.

ICE, an agency with a long record of rights violations, torture, and abuse in its detention facilities and deportation practices, now has the full support and power of the Trump administration, which on the campaign trail promised to carry out mass deportations. Just days into the Trump administration, ICE has carried out immigration raids nationwide and rescinded previous guidance regarding sensitive locations, allowing the agency to carry out immigration enforcement at schools, hospitals, and places of worship.

ice officials stand by to deport migrants

These actions come on the heels of the passage of the Laken Riley Act, which allows ICE to deport people accused of committing minor crimes such as shoplifting, even if they are not found guilty, violating the constitutional right to due process. The bill was approved with the support of Democratic lawmakers, including 10 senators and 48 House representatives.

Animated by Trump’s nativist zeal, ICE’s likely dramatic expansion of surveillance is also fueled by the interests of private contractors, incentivized to ensnare as many people as possible to increase their profits.