ICE's migrant hunt expands to social media

"The initiative, part of a series of recent contracts with technology companies, seeks to expand Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) ability to monitor people through their social media to levels that threaten to violate constitutional rights. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a solicitation seeking private companies to deploy at least 30 analysts to ICE monitoring centers in Williston, Vermont, near Canada, and in Santa Ana, California. The request is for a round-the-clock surveillance operation using the latest technology, including artificial intelligence, to support efforts to increase deportations."

"The government is requesting analysis and lead generation services that fulfill ICE's law enforcement mission to locate those who pose a threat to national security. The information collected will come from commercial and law enforcement databases, as well as other publicly accessible sources, including open media and social media platforms, whose monitoring will be integrated into ICE's workflow. The documents also indicate that AI will increase the efficiency of identifying individuals."

U.S. immigration authorities plan to hire dozens of analysts to gather personal information from posts, comments, and messages on Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, X, and other platforms to generate leads and intelligence for raids and deportations. The Department of Homeland Security seeks at least 30 analysts for round-the-clock monitoring centers in Vermont and California, using advanced technology and artificial intelligence to increase identification efficiency. Data sources will include commercial and law enforcement databases as well as publicly accessible media and social media, with monitoring integrated into ICE workflows to support enforcement of national security and deportation objectives.

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