HOUSTON, Texas -- The U.S. is deploying the latest artificial intelligence and biometric technology, such as NEC's facial recognition system, in its ongoing immigration crackdown in a way that critics say blurs the line on privacy rights.
In its annual disclosure this January on AI use, the Department of Homeland Security said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement employs an AI app called Mobile Fortify for "confirming individuals' identities in the field."
An ICE agent takes a photo of a person via smartphone, then runs it through Mobile Fortify's biometric authentication system to determine whether the subject is authorized to reside in the U.S. The app can also read fingerprints and documents, and the AI compares photos across U.S. government databases.
Mobile Fortify uses NEC biometric authentication technology, according to DHS. An NEC spokesperson declined to comment.
NEC Corporation of America's website describes DHS' Office of Biometric Identity Management as "one of the largest face databases in the world" and says the office uses NEC technology.
NEC fingerprint authentication technology supports "ICE's mission of smart immigration enforcement, preventing terrorism and combating the illegal movement of people and trade," the site reads.
Some fear that the expanded use of facial recognition systems could lead to a surveillance society. DHS officials told The New York Times that the organization is monitoring not only undocumented immigrants but also protesters who are U.S. citizens.
Catherine Crump, co-director of the Center for Law & Technology at the University of California, Berkeley, says that there are no reporting requirements regarding the U.S. government's handling and use of biometric data and that there is a lack of clear regulations regarding facial recognition technology.
On Feb. 5, Democratic senators introduced a bill to ban the use of facial recognition technology by ICE as well as U.S. Customs and Border Protection, an agency under DHS. "Big Brother has no place in a democracy, and we will not allow these Orwellian tools to take root here," Sen. Edward Markey said in a news release.
DHS has launched an internal investigation in response to concerns about its surveillance activities. On Feb. 5, the DHS Office of Inspector General said it is looking at the collection, storage and management of biometric data and personal information by DHS and its components.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law in July 2025, allocated a large amount of funding to ICE. Funds for fiscal 2026, which ends in September 2026, total $95.7 billion -- more than eight times the $11.2 billion for fiscal 2024.
DHS is taking advantage of the significant infusion by striking deals with defense contractors and AI companies. American defense startup Anduril Industries and Israeli peer Elbit Systems are providing AI-equipped surveillance towers for installation along the southern U.S. border with Mexico. Motorola Solutions will collaborate on AI systems for reading license plates.
American data analysis firm Palantir Technologies has developed software for ICE dubbed Elite. The tool uses data collected from federal agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services, to predict areas with high concentrations of potential deportation targets and display them on a map, online publication 404 Media has reported.
Following the shooting deaths of U.S. citizens by immigration and border officers, the Trump administration and the companies providing services to DHS and ICE are coming under scrutiny.
French information technology consulting group Capgemini announced in February that it would sell a U.S. unit under fire back home for supplying DHS with a tracing service to supports removal operations.
On Feb. 5, New York City Comptroller Scott Levine wrote to Palantir about the reputational and financial risks of its association with DHS. Levine asked the company for a third-party assessment of its human rights risks since the city's pension funds hold Palantir stock. The pension funds held roughly $460 million of the company's shares via such passive investments as index funds as of Dec. 31, Bloomberg News has reported.