Civil rights organizations have filed a federal lawsuit demanding details about whether U.S. immigration agencies are using Israeli-made spyware to surveil immigrants, activists, and journalists. The complaint, filed Oct. 30 by Just Futures Law and the Center for Constitutional Rights, seeks records from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) related to contracts with Israeli tech companies Cellebrite and Paragon Solutions.
According to the lawsuit, ICE currently holds $11 million in contracts with Cellebrite, which provides data extraction tools capable of accessing locked smartphones. ICE and CBP have partnered with the company since at least 2008. The agencies also signed a separate contract with Paragon Solutions in 2024 for its Graphite spyware—software capable of hacking encrypted messaging apps. The Biden administration suspended the Paragon deal last year over national security concerns, but President Donald Trump reversed that decision in August.
Advocates argue these tools could enable intrusive monitoring of immigrant communities and protest organizers. ICE responded that it uses technology “appropriately” and “with respect for civil liberties,” while CBP declined comment. Members of Congress have demanded more information, calling the agencies’ secrecy “deeply alarming.”
The lawsuit seeks to compel the government to release all relevant documents, with plaintiffs saying the public has a right to know “to what extent federal agencies deploy invasive spyware within U.S. borders.”
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