The technology visible in the photographs was Mobile Fortify. The app was built on technology that had been created for Customs and Border Protection, the current and former Homeland Security officials said. A department spokeswoman said Mobile Fortify was a "lawful law enforcement tool" and "lawfully used nationwide in accordance with all applicable legal authorities." In a 2024 agency report, the Homeland Security Department said it used a facial recognition tool from Clearview Al for child exploitation investigations. But in a $3.75 million contract with the company in September, the agency said the tool would also be used to investigate attacks on law enforcement. A Clearview AI spokeswoman said the focus of its contract with the department was supporting investigations into child exploitation and cybercrimes. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/30/technology/tech-ice-facial-recognition-palantir.html Accessed: 2 Feb 2026 at 1226 PST

ICE is continuing to seek more technology. Last week, the agency published a request for information for ways to better acquire and integrate so-called big data and advertising tech into its operations, saying it was "working with increasing volumes of criminal, civil and regulatory administrative documentation from numerous internal and external sources." The questionnaire asked vendors to describe the types of data they could provide on "people, businesses, devices, locations, transactions, public records." It also asked vendors how their systems could help "identify subjects, entities or locations of interest" and whether people could be searched by identifiers including "name, phone, device, account, location." https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/30/technology/tech-ice-facial-recognition-palantir.html Accessed: 2 Feb 2026 at 1226 PST

Justin Sherman, a distinguished fellow at Georgetown Law's Center on Privacy and Technology, said the request showed ICE was "doubling down" on buying sensitive data. Ms. Cleland, the Richfield resident, said that three days after the encounter with the ICE agent, she received an email from the Department of Homeland Security saying her Global Entry and Transportation Security Administration travel privileges had been revoked. No explanation was provided. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/30/technology/tech-ice-facial-recognition-palantir.html Accessed: 2 Feb 2026 at 1226 PST

Ms. Cleland said she had swung from anger to fear. "I don't know how far-reaching ICE can be," she said. "I'm struggling to figure out what I can do, without putting myself at greater risk or putting other people at risk." Last week, Ms. Cleland signed a declaration joining a lawsuit against the Homeland Security Department in U.S. District Court in Minnesota. The lawsuit challenges ICE's treatment of observers. In her declaration, Ms. Cleland asked why her traveler status had been revoked. "I am a totally average American, and I cannot abide by what is happening right now," she said. Daniel Wood and Kashmir Hill contributed reporting. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/30/technology/tech-ice-facial-recognition-palantir.html Accessed: 2 Feb 2026 at 1226 PST