ICE’s Use of Surveillance Technology Raises Privacy Concerns

 Posted on February 04, 2026 in Your Rights

The actions taken by government officials to address concerns related to immigration have become one of the most pressing issues affecting people in the United States. Operations conducted by federal agents working for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and other agencies under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have affected people in major cities. Agents have been rounding up and detaining people who are suspected of being illegal or undocumented immigrants, and they are taking steps to deport these people from the United States.

As people have watched ICE’s operations, they have been shocked by the actions of agents. Many agents have used unnecessary violence when detaining suspects or confronting protesters, and their actions have led to the deaths of two American citizens in Minneapolis, Minnesota. However, in addition to the excessive force used by agents, concerns have also been raised about the use of surveillance technology by ICE and other DHS agencies. As these agencies gather and process large amounts of information, they may violate the privacy rights of American citizens and others who get swept up in their dragnets.

Issues related to privacy may not only affect immigrants who interact with the federal government. The use of surveillance systems can also play a role in many criminal cases. As law enforcement agencies use these technologies, they may violate people’s rights. Constitutional violations will need to be addressed correctly during criminal cases, and an attorney who has a strong understanding of the ways these technologies are used and the steps that can be taken to protect a person’s rights can provide an effective defense.

Facial Recognition Technology Used by ICE

In 2025, Congress passed a bill that provided ICE with $75 billion in funding, making it the most well-funded federal law enforcement agency. The agency has used this funding to implement a wide variety of new tools and technologies, including facial recognition systems.

ICE is now using an app called Mobile Fortify that allows agents to use smartphones to scan the faces of people they have detained, compare their images with information in government databases, and determine whether they have a criminal history or have encountered immigration officials in the past. This tool is meant to allow agents to quickly and easily identify people and determine whether they should be detained.

Privacy advocates have raised concerns about the use of facial recognition technology, noting that agents may scan people without their consent and search through a wide variety of publicly available information, such as social media posts, to track people’s movements and activities. This technology is notoriously unreliable, especially when identifying people with darker skin complexions. False positives may result in people being detained and mistreated when they are in the United States legally. 

License Plate Readers and AI Tools Raise Additional Concerns

Another issue that has been raised by privacy advocates involves the use of cameras to scan license plates, creating a database tracking the movements of vehicles that may be used by ICE, other federal agencies, or local law enforcement officials to identify and locate suspects. Flock, a company that has installed cameras in more than 5,000 communities throughout the country, provides access to license plate data to law enforcement, but journalists have uncovered security issues that have allowed this data to be accessed by the public.

Concerns have also been raised about ICE’s use of AI systems to process data. Palantir, a government contractor, has provided federal agencies with AI tools that are meant to search through government databases and identify locations where ICE may conduct operations to locate and detain suspected undocumented immigrants. 

As government agencies use these tools to gather information and undertake operations, a large number of people may become involved due to misidentifications or incorrect information. ICE agents and other government officials may engage in violence or violations of people’s rights, and more and more people will be affected, regardless of their immigration status or whether they have criminal histories. Advocates for privacy rights and criminal justice are working to bring the practices followed by federal officials to light, make sure people’s rights are protected, and stop the government from committing violations that may affect people’s privacy and safety.

Contact Our Hartford Criminal Defense Lawyers

While the use of facial recognition, license plate readers, AI tools, and other technologies by ICE may affect people involved in immigration cases, these technologies may also play a role in many criminal cases. At Woolf & Ross Law Firm, LLC, our Connecticut criminal defense attorneys can review the procedures followed by law enforcement to identify violations of people’s rights and determine the ideal defense strategies that may be used in these cases. We work to help our clients resolve criminal cases successfully while making sure their rights are protected. Set up a free consultation today by contacting us at 860-290-8690.