Federal Immigration Systems Face Major Cybersecurity Risks as Surveillance Expands
Washington, Saturday, 28 February 2026.
ICE’s massive surveillance infrastructure, processing data on three-quarters of American adults, creates what experts call an ‘aggregation hazard’ where a single cyberattack could compromise the entire system. The agency’s $75 billion funding boost has enabled contracts with companies like Palantir, Cellebrite, and Clearview AI, creating centralized data hubs that track Americans through phones, faces, and utility records. Recent security audits revealed critical vulnerabilities in ICE mobile applications, while the agency operates without proper privacy assessments—some delayed nearly 20 years. This digital dragnet coincides with major breaches at data vendors like LexisNexis, raising urgent questions about protecting sensitive information on millions of Americans from foreign adversaries and cybercriminals.
The Scale of ICE’s Data Collection Operation
The scope of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s data collection has reached unprecedented levels, with a 2022 report revealing that the agency collected data from most people in the United States [1]. This massive operation includes scanning driver’s license photos of one in three American adults and locating three in four adults through utility records [1]. The agency’s surveillance capabilities expanded dramatically in 2025 and early 2026 when ICE’s enforcement operations reached what analysts describe as “critical mass” due to increased federal funding [1].
Centralized Data Hub Creates Security Vulnerabilities
At the center of ICE’s surveillance infrastructure lies Palantir’s ImmigrationOS, a system designed to aggregate disparate data sources including license plates, utility records, and biometric scans into a centralized hub [1]. This consolidation approach has created what cybersecurity experts term an “aggregation hazard,” where a single successful cyberattack could lead to total system compromise [1]. The agency has significantly expanded its technological arsenal through major contracts, including an $11 million agreement with Cellebrite for phone surveillance capabilities, a $5 million contract with Pen Link for location and social media monitoring tools, and a $10 million contract with Clearview AI for biometric surveillance [1].
Security Failures and Delayed Oversight
Multiple audits have exposed critical security vulnerabilities within ICE’s digital infrastructure. A 2025 Department of Homeland Security Inspector General audit identified “critical and high-risk security vulnerabilities” in ICE’s mobile applications [1]. The security concerns are compounded by systemic oversight failures, with ICE waiting nearly 20 years to release a Privacy Impact Assessment for its “Alternatives to Detention” program [1]. As of May 2024, DHS components were failing to meet the 100% security authorization goal, with five High Value Assets operating without current Authority to Operate certifications [1]. The situation deteriorated further when Executive Order 14161, signed in early 2025, led ICE to adopt a policy of “Categorical Exclusions,” effectively sidelining the Privacy Impact Assessment process [1].
Third-Party Vendor Risks and Recent Breaches
ICE’s reliance on third-party vendors has outsourced critical security perimeters to private companies that operate without the same security mandates as federal agencies [1]. This dependency became particularly concerning when LexisNexis, a major data provider to ICE through a contract worth more than $17 million signed in February 2021, confirmed a breach in May 2025 affecting over 364,000 individuals [1]. The breach occurred against a backdrop of escalating cyber threats, including the 2024 Salt Typhoon campaign—a Chinese state-sponsored infiltration of U.S. telecommunications infrastructure [1]. These incidents highlight the vulnerability of sensitive data on military families, federal contractors, and intelligence personnel that ICE collects through its extensive surveillance network [1]. The Center for Strategic and International Studies, a bipartisan nonprofit policy research organization analyzing global issues, has called for Congress and oversight bodies to prioritize cybersecurity protections for immigration systems and require private vendors selling data to the federal government to meet NIST high baseline security standards [1][2].