Mass Deportations Underway
President Donald Trump made immigration a cornerstone of his campaign, vowing unprecedented deportations. In his first eight months, around 350,000 people were deported, including 200,000 by ICE, more than 132,000 by Customs and Border Protection, and nearly 18,000 self-deportations, according to CNN.
Clearview AI Facial Recognition
ICE has relied on technology to identify and track immigrants. Clearview AI, known for scraping billions of online images, has contracts with ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations. The latest deal, worth $3.75 million, supports investigations into assaults against law enforcement and child sexual exploitation. Previous contracts totaled nearly $2 million.
Paragon Phone Spyware
In 2024, ICE signed a $2 million contract with Israeli spyware company Paragon Solutions. A Biden-era “stop work order” paused the contract, but it was reactivated under Trump. Paragon’s system provides license, hardware, maintenance, and training for digital surveillance. The software could support investigations ranging from immigration enforcement to human trafficking.
LexisNexis Data Access
ICE uses LexisNexis’ databases for legal research and public records checks. Over seven months in 2022, ICE conducted over 1.2 million searches through the Accurint Virtual Crime Center. The tool allows officers to investigate migrants before criminal acts occur. In 2025, ICE paid $4.7 million for continued access.
Palantir Surveillance Systems
Palantir provides ICE with powerful data analytics. The $18.5 million Investigative Case Management (ICM) system filters individuals based on immigration status, visa type, physical traits, criminal history, and location. Another tool, ImmigrationOS, tracks visa overstays and streamlines apprehension operations, supporting near real-time monitoring of targets.
Technology-Driven Enforcement
Together, these technologies enable ICE to conduct mass deportations efficiently, raising questions about privacy and civil liberties. Critics argue the systems allow preemptive surveillance of migrants, while ICE defends them as tools for public safety and law enforcement.
