ICE Plans to Add a Social Media Surveillance Team to Hunt for Leads on Wanted Individuals

The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reportedly has plans to build a new surveillance team that would explore and monitor the world of social media to hunt for all kinds of information online.

This new dedicated team would focus on social networking websites to get more information as revealed in the latest document acquired from the federal agency. The plan is for ICE's new team to go and scour for any kind of information, including individuals part of its Most Wanted list, on various social media platforms like Facebook, X, and more.

ICE Plans to Add a Social Media Surveillance Team

A new document that was spotted by WIRED has reportedly confirmed that ICE has a new plan to establish a surveillance team that will specifically monitor social media platforms in its quest to get more intel. The team would be comprised of full-time staff members who would monitor various social media platforms for its information needs.

This 24/7 team would be tasked to monitor the platforms for the entire calendar year, making them a non-stop surveillance team that is on the hunt at every second of every day.

According to Engadget's report, ICE has already put in a request for information based on public records, which details its preliminary scope of work. The request also revealed that the work would make use of platforms like Facebook, Instagram, X, Reddit, and YouTube to develop leads on cases and search for individuals.

This multiyear surveillance initiative would have two main offices where private analysts would work from, which will be located in both coasts of the US.

For the East Coast, ICE's Williston, Vermont National Criminal Analysis and Targeting Center would host the said surveillance team, requiring at least three employees to be on duty at all times. On the other hand, ICE's Santa Ana, California-based Pacific Enforcement Response Center would be its facility to host its new team on the West Coast.

ICE to Hunt For Leads, Wanted Individuals Online

The main focus of the ICE surveillance team on social media would be to hunt for case leads online. First, ICE plans to assign at least 12 full-time staff members to monitor social media at its Vermont facility, while they plan to hire 16 contractors to report to their Santa Ana office.

The staff and contractors would work on different types of cases under this plan. There would be cases labeled as "urgent" and referring to the agency's Top 10 Most Wanted list, where analysts would have to work on a limited 30-minute time frame to search for leads.

On the other hand, the work would also assign them to different cases that range from low-priority individuals with convictions or misdemeanors within an eigh-hour time frame.

Recently, there has been a massive movement from different parts of the country to fight back against the move of the US government under President Donald Trump to hunt for illegal aliens residing in the country.

Because of this, apps like the "ICEBlock" have gained significant attention online as they help identify recent sightings of ICE agents patrolling the area, especially in Los Angeles County.