Technology Expands ICE's Capacity for Abuse

Reps. Delia Ramirez and Hank Johnson held a shadow hearing on July 15 examining ICE's use of surveillance technology, where witnesses warned the data would be used to "profile and intimidate people in ways that chill protest, limit access to essential services, and undermine rights to privacy." Human Rights Watch says ICE relies on surveillance platforms built by private companies including Palantir, cites a reported $10 million ICE payment for Clearview facial recognition to investigate assaults on agents, and describes Mobile Fortify, a DHS application that compares face and fingerprint scans against government databases. HRW documented ICE agents surveilling observers and protesters during immigration operations in Minnesota in December 2025 and January 2026 — including agents apparently driving to observers' homes and scanning faces with Mobile Fortify.