New Tools for Tracking Undocumented Immigrants Spark Concern
There's been a significant investment in new surveillance technology by the department responsible for immigration enforcement. The department is said to be spending millions on these tools as part of their larger policy for widespread deportations.
Document reviews reveal that this department plans to spend over $300 million on various monitoring and tracking technologies. This includes tools for monitoring social media, facial recognition, reading license plates, and tracking locations.
The Potential Impact
As these new surveillance systems are put into play to identify and locate undocumented individuals, advocates for civil liberties are sounding the alarm. They are concerned that these technologies could lead to an increase in domestic surveillance that goes beyond just immigrants. It's feared that these systems may also end up affecting U.S. citizens and legal residents.
This initiative has received a fair share of criticism from privacy and rights organizations. They argue that the push for this technology, as part of a larger effort for immigration enforcement, could erode privacy protections and make powerful surveillance tools a norm for federal agents.
These tools are likely to become an integral part of the department's efforts to carry out a strict and aggressive plan for mass deportations.
Important Details
The department responsible for homeland security has awarded a contract worth over $139 million to a tech company for a core surveillance and enforcement platform. This system is used to track immigration cases. The contract, which started recently and is set to continue for a few years, covers operation, maintenance, and custom software enhancements. The total value could rise to about $159 million if all options are exercised.
Another contract, worth $3.75 million, was awarded to a company specializing in facial-recognition software. This contract, which can be extended for a couple of years, has a potential value of more than $9.2 million. This project is largely funded through the immigration department's user fee and operations accounts.
The homeland security department emphasized that any technology they use has to comply with their policy and privacy requirements. They did not comment on specific vendors or operational tools.
It's reported that the immigration department is deploying or expanding the use of mobile biometric applications. These tools allow agents to capture fingerprints and facial images on the spot, potentially identifying people in public spaces by accessing government databases.
Privacy Concerns
Since 1974, the Privacy Act has prohibited the federal government from creating a centralized database of Americans' information to prevent misuse and surveillance. However, the immigration department has signed broad data sharing agreements with agencies like the Social Security Administration, the IRS, and the Department of Health and Human Services. They justify this access by citing executive orders on immigration enforcement and fraud prevention.
While the Privacy Act allows law enforcement to pursue specific investigations, it does not permit bulk collection. However, the immigration department's agreements seem to allow for exactly that. They can request up to 50,000 records per month, including addresses, banking data, and contact information. In the first four months, they requested over a million records from the IRS. Critics argue that this could weaken privacy protections for US residents.