- ICE uses Palantir AI tools to automatically sort and summarise public tips since spring 2023
- ICE's expanded budget enabled purchase of biometric tracking, spyware, drones, and phone location tools
- ICE officers use Mobile Fortify app for real-time facial and fingerprint biometric identification
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is using artificial intelligence (AI) tools supplied by Palantir Technologies to automatically sort and summarise public tips, according to a new document released by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The document shows that since spring last year, ICE has relied on an AI-powered system to process information sent to its tip line, where people report suspected immigration or criminal violations.
A bill, passed last year, turned ICE into the most well-funded law enforcement agency in the country, giving it billions of dollars to expand its operations. With its expanded budget, ICE has purchased a wide range of advanced surveillance tools, including biometric tracking systems, mobile phone location databases, spyware, and drones.
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These developments come as ICE stretches beyond its traditional role of enforcing immigration laws. The DHS has confirmed that ICE is now using facial recognition and other advanced technologies much more than before. These tools can help officers identify individuals, analyse large amounts of data, and track leads more quickly than traditional methods.
The DHS explained that ICE officers now carry a mobile app called Mobile Fortify that was developed by Japanese tech firm NEC in partnership. The app lets agents use a phone's camera to scan someone's face or contactless fingerprints, compare that biometric data in real time and retrieve information about that person's identity, including immigration status.
In addition to facial recognition, ICE also bought a mobile iris‑scanning app from a company called BI2 Technologies, which can read patterns in a person's eye from a short distance within seconds and link it to a biometric database, according to The New York Times.
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"He used facial recognition with another system and it confirmed I was a citizen. They then let me go," said one of the Minnesota residents.
Along with this, ICE is also using powerful vehicle-tracking technology known as License plate readers (LPRs). These are high‑speed cameras that automatically photograph the back of vehicles as they drive and read the license plates and turn those images into data, including state registration, time, date, and location of each scan.
ICE also uses a cell‑site simulator, commonly known as a Stingray. A Stingray pretends to be a real cell tower. So, nearby phones automatically connect to it, which allows officers to track a phone's general location in real time.
The agency is also increasing its use of drones as part of its expanding surveillance and enforcement toolkit, backed by new federal rules that limit other drones near its operations. In the fall of last year, ICE signed a $514,000 contract to buy new drones.
