ICE Plans 24/7 Social Media Surveillance in Controversial Expansion of Enforcement Powers

In a move critics say raises serious privacy and civil liberties concerns, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is planning a sweeping expansion of its social media surveillance operations. According to documents obtained by WIRED, the agency is seeking nearly 30 private contractors to monitor posts, photos, and public messages across platforms including Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube — around the clock.

The operation is framed as an effort to identify potential enforcement targets more efficiently, but privacy advocates warn that it could easily become a tool for mass monitoring and intimidation.

The Surveillance Plan

ICE intends to operate the program from two centers: the National Criminal Analysis and Targeting Center in Vermont and the Pacific Enforcement Response Center in Southern California. Vermont would house about a dozen analysts, while the California site would operate continuously with 16 staffers on 24/7 shifts.

Contractors would track public posts, cross-reference them with commercial databases, and flag information for ICE agents — including vehicle registrations, utility records, and other public data. In urgent cases, researchers are expected to deliver results within 30 minutes. Less critical leads would have up to one hour.

The agency insists this is a necessary modernization of immigration enforcement. “Traditional methods have limited success without leveraging open-source social media and online content,” ICE documents state.

Concerns and Criticism

Civil liberties groups have slammed the program as a potential surveillance overreach, particularly given its reliance on monitoring ordinary social media activity. “When negative sentiment toward ICE or online criticism could be flagged for enforcement purposes, you’re treading into chilling free speech territory,” said a spokesperson for the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

Critics also note that despite proposed safeguards — such as restrictions against fake profiles and improper data storage — past experience suggests oversight may be minimal. The aggregation of data from multiple sources could produce highly detailed profiles of ordinary people, immigrants, journalists, and activists, often without their knowledge.

“This isn’t just about efficiency,” said privacy advocate Laura Sanchez. “It’s a major escalation in how the government can watch and judge people online, and it risks punishing lawful speech or community advocacy.”

The Bigger Picture

While ICE frames the program as a tool to track suspects more effectively, experts warn that the line between investigative research and invasive social surveillance is dangerously thin. The use of commercial databases and potential AI tools to monitor everyday social media activity could fundamentally change how immigrants, and indeed any member of the public, experiences digital privacy in the United States.

Lawmakers and civil rights groups are calling for transparent oversight, clear limits on data collection, and legal safeguards to prevent abuse. Critics argue that without such protections, the program could undermine public trust and chill online expression.

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ICE’s planned 24/7 social media monitoring program is a striking example of the tension between law enforcement and civil liberties in the digital age. While the agency stresses operational efficiency, experts caution that the initiative risks sweeping ordinary people into a high-tech surveillance net — raising questions about accountability, proportionality, and the protection of fundamental rights.