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Report: ICE spending on AI surveillance tools soars to track immigrants

newsJun 24, 202616878

The Guardian reports ICE contracts for AI data brokers, analytics and facial recognition jumped from about $310 million to $513 million, reaching record levels in 2026. Much of the spending went to firms including Palantir and commercial data brokers to link mobile, social and camera data for locating and profiling migrants and cross-border suspects. Civil liberties groups and legal experts say the buildup increases risks of erroneous targeting, local police misuse, and a broader erosion of privacy and due process for immigrants and potentially the general public.

Matthew Guariglia
@mguariglia.bsky.social

In Ottawa, the police chief had to make a 7-minute video telling officers to stop using databases and surveillance tools to look up women they found attractive out in the world. This is a major problem *everywhere* and one that has only gotten worse as police have gotten access to more technology.

4127h ago
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