The Trump administration's immigration crackdown has put more federal immigration officers in public view and equipped them with new facial recognition technology. One of these tools is Mobile Fortify, an app that lets agents collect photos and biometric data like fingerprints on the spot—and people have no chance to refuse. With Mobile Fortify, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers can photograph anyone they encounter and run the image through Department of Homeland Security (DHS) databases, including Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) Traveler Verification Service, which stores photos of people entering the United States. Mobile Fortify performs an instant match and returns identifying details—such as name, nationality, and any deportation orders—while the photo remains in government files for 15 years, even for U.S. citizens.
While the quiet expansion of the surveillance state is troubling enough, a February DHS document recently obtained by 404 Media through a Freedom of Information Act request reveals that federal immigration agents don't allow individuals to consent before collecting this sensitive data. "ICE does not provide the opportunity for individuals to decline or consent to the collection and use of biometric data," the document states.
