The Expanding Surveillance State: How ICE is Tracking Americans and How to Fight Back
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is dramatically expanding its surveillance capabilities across the United States, extending far beyond border control and impacting the lives of both documented and undocumented individuals. Reports of ICE targeting, surveilling, harassing, assaulting, detaining, and even torturing people are on the rise . This isn’t limited to those without legal status; ICE is increasingly targeting individuals with work permits, asylum seekers, permanent residents, naturalized citizens, and even citizens by birth . Fueled by hundreds of millions of dollars in surveillance technology , ICE’s reach is becoming pervasive. Though, a growing community of activists and hackers are developing tools and strategies to counter this surveillance and protect vulnerable communities.
The Scope of ICE Surveillance
ICE’s surveillance network is vast and growing. A key component of this expansion is the proliferation of Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR) and other camera technologies, particularly through the company Flock. Many municipalities have contracted with Flock to track vehicle movements, ostensibly for law enforcement purposes. However, ICE frequently gains access to this data , effectively creating a nationwide network of surveillance. This data isn’t just used for tracking vehicles; it can be combined with other data sources to build detailed profiles of individuals and communities.
Beyond ALPRs, ICE is employing a range of surveillance technologies, including cell-site simulators (also known as Stingrays) and sophisticated data analytics tools. These tools allow ICE to monitor social media activity,track financial transactions,and identify individuals based on their associations. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has been at the forefront of documenting these practices and advocating for greater clarity and accountability.
Tools for Counter-Surveillance
Despite the overwhelming power of ICE’s surveillance apparatus, individuals and communities are not powerless. A growing number of open-source tools and projects are emerging to help people protect their privacy and resist surveillance. Here’s a look at some of the most promising initiatives:
Hardware-Based Detection
- OUI-SPY: This affordable, open-source hardware device, built on an ESP-32 chip, can detect nearby Flock cameras, overhead drones, and other Bluetooth devices. With programs like “Flock You” and “Sky-Spy,” it provides real-time alerts about surveillance technology in your vicinity .
- BLE Detect: A function within the OUI-SPY project, BLE Detect identifies various Bluetooth signals, including those emitted by Axon body cameras and even Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses, which are capable of secretly recording audio and video .
Software and Mapping Projects
- Wigle: Primarily a Wi-Fi mapping application, Wigle can also be configured to alert users when specific Bluetooth or Wi-Fi identifiers associated with surveillance technologies are detected .
- deflock.me & alpr.watch: These crowdsourced maps allow users to identify and report the location of ALPR cameras, helping to visualize the extent of surveillance in their communities and . These projects build on the work of the Atlas of surveillance.
- ICE List Wiki: A extensive,collaboratively edited wiki containing information on companies contracting with ICE,documented incidents,and ICE vehicle details .
Circumventing Surveillance
- License Plate Obfuscation: YouTuber Benn Jorda
