Previously, the agency had limited facial recognition technology to ports of entry and investigations of child sexual exploitation. These groups argue that facial recognition technology is excessively intrusive and may deter lawful protest. [7]Beyond biometric surveillance, ICE can access commercial location data through its September 2025 subscription to Penlink, a commercial data-analysis platform. [10] Critics maintain that allowing government agencies to loophole Carpenter by purchasing location data on the market would render the decision effectively meaningless. [5] Joseph Cox, You Can’t Refuse to Be Scanned by ICE’s Facial Recognition App, DHS Document Says, 404 Media (Oct. 31, 2025), https://www.404media.co/you-cant-refuse-to-be-scanned-by-ices-facial-recognition-app-dhs-document-says/.

Source: New York Times February 24, 2026 01:06 UTC