Thread by @GeorgetownCPT

1/ 🚨NEW REPORT 🚨
We’re excited to release our new investigation into ICE surveillance: americandragnet.org.

What did we find in two years of research on thousands of records? ICE surveillance is much broader than people realize–it’s an #AmericanDragnet.

2/ ICE has used face recognition to scan the driver’s license photos of *1 in 3* adults.

Even in states that encouraged undocumented drivers to apply for licenses.

3/ ICE can access the driver’s license data of *3 of 4* adults.

ICE has combed entire states’ DMV databases – in secret, and without warrants.

4/ ICE can use electricity, water, gas, and internet records to locate 3 out of 4 adults.

ICE went to a data broker to buy these records in bulk – the names & addresses of 218 million people.

5/ ICE has poured millions of dollars into building its dragnet. We combed through 13 years of procurement records. Since 2008, ICE’s annual surveillance spending grew fivefold – from $70 million to $400 million per year.

6/ ICE surveillance procurement happens in secret. Across 13 years of spending, we found DHS-ICE routinely failed to describe their awards accurately. Egregious examples include mislabeling awards for government databases as “Office Furniture” and "Medical: Health Services.”

7/ Groups like @privacyint have sounded the alarm on ICE spending on wiretapping tools. ICE has kept quiet about multi-million dollar purchases. We estimate ICE has spent $389 million on building its interception capabilities.
privacyinternational.org/news-analysis/…

@privacyint 8/ ICE has circumvented existing laws that attempt to rein the agency in.

Our FOIA research suggests that when lawmakers in Washington and Oregon tried to protect immigrants’ data, ICE just secretly found new ways to get to it.

@privacyint 9/ ICE has also shrouded major surveillance initiatives with an alarming degree of secrecy.

Our research indicates that it took Congress *over a decade* to learn that ICE was using face recognition to search through entire states’ populations of drivers.

10/ ICE has created a surveillance infrastructure that enables it to pull detailed dossiers on nearly anyone, seemingly at any time.

Anyone can be located by ICE simply by applying for driver’s licenses; driving on the roads; or signing up for heat, water, and electricity.

11/ To date, there has never been a full congressional hearing on ICE surveillance.

Our findings warrant immediate action.

12/ This report is a product of the tireless and critical investigative research undertaken by @NinaLWang, @Allisonmcdon, @dbateyko, Harrison Rudolph, and Emily Tucker.

13/ This report would not be possible without everyone @GeorgetownCPT and our amazing student research assistants, practicum students, and summer fellows.

14/We’re also thankful for organizations like @Casaforall @immdefense, @justfutureslaw, @legalaidjustice, @mijente, and dozens of others, whose powerful research and advocacy have led the way.

15/ Thank you to our amazing design firm @GetRootid for the website and graphics and to @SpitfireSays for communications support.

16/ We are grateful for the funders who made this work possible. The Center is supported by @FordFoundation, @kresgefdn, @OpenSociety, @MacFound, @LuminateGroup, @SHSFunds, the Media Democracy Fund, and @GeorgetownLaw.

@FordFoundation @kresgefdn @OpenSociety @macfound @luminategroup @SHSFunds @GeorgetownLaw 17/ Join us in fighting for the privacy rights of all people, including immigrants, and calling on lawmakers to end ICE’s #AmericanDragnet

Apologies @Allisonmcdon and correcting to @allismcdon.