U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has a liaison office at the military's Special Operations Command (SOCOM) with access to advanced surveillance technology, leaked files show.
asserted
files → have → technology
The files also reveal ICE liaisons at Africa Command (AFRICOM) and Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) with access to the same tech, and an ICE contractor associated with U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) in the Middle East.
asserted
files → reveal → East
On Wednesday, a hacker group calling itself the Department of Peace released a massive collection of U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) personnel files, including ICE and other domestic security agencies.
asserted
group → call → ICE
"They have our information, so it's only fair that we have theirs," the hackers wrote in a note attached to the database, which was posted online to Distributed Denial of Secrets, a platform for data leaks.
asserted
which → have → leaks
DHS told The Washington Post that it was "aware of a potential breach" and "working to address the situation swiftly and effectively."
asserted
it → tell → situation
A website hosting a searchable version of the leak, ICEpick, was taken down after the DHS sent a letter demanding that the domain name host "stop serving the personal contact and location data of individuals who did not consent."
asserted
who → host → individuals
The files include an ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) unit chief who appears to oversee the agency's military liaisons.
asserted
who → include → liaisons
His subordinates include a "Combatant Command Program Manager" at SOCOM headquarters in Tampa, Florida; an "HSI Liaison to USAFRICOM" in Stuttgart, Germany; and a "Senior Liaison to U.S. Southern Command" in Doral, Florida.
asserted
subordinates → include → Doral
All of the officials named in the files are listed as users of "Penlink," "Falcon," and "RavenGo."
asserted
All → name → Penlink
The contractor PenLink offers officials the ability to track individual cell phone users or collect data on everyone in a certain location, according to documents obtained by 404media.
uncertain
PenLink → offer → 404media
FALCON, created by the contractor Palantir, allows officials to combine records from governmental and commercial databases, The Guardian reports.
asserted
Guardian → create → databases
The DHS eventually phased out FALCON in favor of an in-house system, RAVEN.
asserted
DHS → phase → system
The unit chief is additionally listed in a group called "LCR_Users."
asserted
chief → list → group
The acronym may refer to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence at Liberty Crossing, McLean, Virginia.
uncertain
acronym → refer → Crossing
Two employees are listed in the DHS files with "ODNI" in their title and "Liberty Crossing" as their location.
asserted
employees → list → location
The first Trump administration reportedly looked into merging ICE into the federal intelligence community, but never officially did so.
uncertain
administration → look → community
The files also include an HSI contractor listed as "CENTCOM analyst" at the National Targeting Center in Sterling, Virginia.
asserted
files → include → Sterling
Unlike the other liaisons, this contractor does not have access to ICE's own surveillance software.
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contractor → have → software
The National Targeting Center is a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) unit that surveils international travel and selects passengers for questioning.
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that → surveil → questioning
CENTCOM oversees all U.S. military forces in the Middle East.
asserted
CENTCOM → oversee → East
Although it has been mentioned in public, ICE's relationship with the military is shrouded in mystery.
asserted
relationship → mention → mystery
Of course, the best-documented relationship is with SOUTHCOM, responsible for U.S. forces in Latin America.
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relationship → document → America
Official press releases also mentioned HSI's participation in an AFRICOM maritime security training exercise in 2021.
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releases → mention → 2021
The connections to SOCOM and CENTCOM have not been publicly reported.
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connections → report → SOCOM
ICE did not respond to Reason's request for comment.
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ICE → respond → comment
The DHS has an in-house intelligence office that is separate from HSI and publicly cooperates with the U.S. military, as well as other intelligence agencies.
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that → have → military
But HSI's "global footprint" and ability to straddle the line between law enforcement and intelligence "make it uniquely capable of disrupting and dismantling the sophisticated groups and networks that we now face," HSI Executive Assistant Director Katrina W. Berger testified to Congress in 2024.
asserted
Berger → straddle → 2024
HSI is supposed to handle serious organized crimes involving the border rather than day-to-day deportations.
asserted
HSI → suppose → deportations
However, the Trump administration has turned the directorate into an all-purpose domestic spying and enforcement arm.
asserted
administration → turn → arm
HSI is now running a massive surveillance operation against left-wing protesters, WIRED recently revealed.
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WIRED → run → protesters
Agents have reportedly been pulled away from investigating human trafficking and drug cartels to deal with immigration enforcement.
uncertain
Agents → pull → enforcement
HSI was involved in arresting former CNN journalist Don Lemon for showing up at an anti-ICE protest at a church, and led the raid against Rep. Ilhan Omar (D–Minn.) reportedly aimed at showing that her U.S. citizenship is invalid.
uncertain
citizenship → involve → Omar
Last month, ICE announced upcoming contracts for a $100 million, fast-tracked expansion of its domestic surveillance capabilities, with contractors asked "to identify and assess relationships among individuals, organizations, locations, events, activities, data points, and other entities."
asserted
contractors → announce → individuals
Former military intelligence analyst Michael Wriston called the intensified ICE surveillance a case of "imperial boomerang" in an interview with The American Prospect.
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Wriston → call → Prospect
"These are the kinds of things that happened in Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Syria, for years.
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that → happen → years
Now that methodology is being brought into the ICE space."
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methodology → bring → space
The Aporia
