ICE Advances with AI: New Technologies to Track Migrants

• ICE uses artificial intelligence to track migrants
• App scans faces and irises
• Digital monitoring of migrants

Under President Donald Trump’s administration, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) has intensified the development of technological tools to identify and track undocumented individuals across the country.

These measures include the use of facial recognition, iris analysis, and social media monitoring powered by artificial intelligence.

One of ICE’s main innovations is a mobile application that allows officers to point their phones at a person’s face and instantly determine their immigration status.

ICE to use artificial intelligence for migrant tracking

State surveillance shakes our communities during ICE’s terror — it is crucial for our neighbors to be aware of the tech that is watching all of us.

Between face scanning and AI social media watch teams, the surveillance apparatus is growing 🔗 https://t.co/vJaQrXjGPF

— Immigrant Legal Resource Center (@the_ILRC) November 11, 2025

According to an NPR report, this immigration technology tool can also scan a person’s iris, expanding the range of biometric identification capabilities.

SEE ALSO: What to Do if ICE Detains You as a Naturalized Citizen: Complete Guide to Protect Your Rights in the United States

The website that developed the technology, called Mobile Fortify, states that officials will have access to vast amounts of location data.

The software compares faces and fingerprints in real time, using information stored in the databases of the Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

A document from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) indicates that the app searches for matches in records created during the entry and exit of individuals to and from the country.

The data includes photographs, names, birthdates, alien numbers, citizenship, and immigration status.

If a match is detected with a target list, ICE receives limited biographical data; otherwise, no additional information is provided.

According to the agencies, all collected information is stored for a period of 15 years, and individuals cannot refuse to be photographed during immigration procedures.

Social media monitoring with artificial intelligence

In addition to facial recognition, ICE has incorporated digital surveillance as part of its control strategies.

Through a $5.7 million contract, the agency obtained a license to use monitoring software developed by Zignal Labs, a platform specializing in large-scale social media observation powered by artificial intelligence.

According to Lever News, the five-year contract allows the government to analyze billions of online posts.

The application, which has also been used by foreign armed forces, uses machine learning to identify behavior patterns and potential threats.

The public report on Zignal Labs indicates that the platform analyzes more than 8 billion posts per day, providing real-time information to its institutional clients.

Its main function is to detect risks and enable rapid responses by authorities.

New surveillance strategies and constant analysis

In the near future, ICE may expand its operational capacity by hiring teams to work continuously, seven days a week.

These teams would analyze social media accounts such as TikTok and Facebook, collecting information and compiling reports on specific users.

Through these actions, ICE aims to strengthen its surveillance capabilities on multiple levels — from physical tracking through mobile devices to digital monitoring across social platforms.

Both strategies reinforce a control model supported by artificial intelligence, with the stated goal of accelerating identification processes and responses to alleged threats to border security.