Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is planning to strengthen its online presence to detect potential threats or hostile comments targeting its personnel and facilities.
This initiative comes as agency officials and staff face increasing threats on digital platforms and social media, according to U.S. immigration authorities.
Through a request for information published last November, the federal agency is seeking companies specializing in online content analysis, using advanced technologies such as geolocation, psychological profiling, and facial recognition, according to The Independent.
In a detailed 15-page statement, ICE outlines its intention to expand surveillance to open sources, the dark web, and the deep web to identify potential threats. Authorities emphasize that immigration law enforcement personnel, their families, and ICE facilities are facing growing threats.
As a result, any individual who regularly criticizes ICE on social media or mentions a specific agent could be placed under surveillance. This move comes while the agency already holds a $5.5 million contract with Barbaricum, a Washington, D.C.-based security and intelligence firm, a contract set to expire in March, according to The Independent.
The request for proposals and objectives were published in November, following Donald Trump’s election victory. Trump has pledged to implement a mass deportation program, sparking nationwide protests.
The agency set the deadline for responses to January 6, 2025—two weeks before Trump takes office. So far, it remains unclear whether an official new contract has been awarded.
Government surveillance of online speech is not new. In 2020, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had already initiated a request for proposals to enhance social media monitoring for potential threats.
The establishment of a new monitoring contract, coinciding with the implementation of more restrictive immigration policies, raises significant concerns. During Trump’s administration, numerous raids and enforcement actions were carried out nationwide, including in traditionally protected spaces such as schools, medical centers, and religious institutions.
As these drastic measures escalate, protests have intensified across the country. The proposed monitoring system could allow authorities to expand their oversight of those opposing Trump’s immigration policies and to conduct a more detailed analysis of opinions expressed online about ICE.
According to The Independent, ICE is also seeking a contractor capable of identifying digital vulnerabilities that could expose its officials to cyberattacks. This initiative aligns with the Trump administration’s broader strategy of pressuring local and state authorities that resist its immigration policies—by threatening to cut federal funding or initiate legal action.
With the current contract nearing expiration and the awarding of a new one still uncertain, the question remains as to how far ICE’s surveillance of online dissent will extend.