Listeners:
Top listeners:
-
play_arrow
ICE Deploys Facial-Recognition Technology to Accelerate Immigration Arrests Under Trump
by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief
WASHINGTON (Worthy News) – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has dramatically expanded the use of mobile facial-recognition technology during President Donald Trump’s second term, allowing agents to identify suspected illegal immigrants within seconds and accelerating enforcement operations, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.
The technology, known as Mobile Fortify, enables ICE officers to photograph a suspect with a smartphone and instantly verify identity and immigration status through multiple government databases. Until recently, such checks required time-consuming reviews across separate systems and often led to temporary detentions of individuals later found to be legally present or even U.S. citizens.
Officials say the new tool has made arrests faster and more accurate, reducing mistakes while enhancing public safety. With a $75 billion funding boost from Congress this summer, ICE has become the most heavily funded federal law-enforcement agency and is using the resources to advance President Trump’s pledge to carry out large-scale removals of criminal and illegal immigrants.
“President Trump’s core promise to the American people was to remove criminal and public-safety threats in large numbers,” said Chad Wolf, now chairman of homeland security and immigration at the America First Policy Institute. “These technologies provide federal law enforcement tools to make that challenge more manageable.”
The Department of Homeland Security, ICE’s parent agency, confirmed that Mobile Fortify is a lawful enforcement tool developed during the Trump administration to support accurate identity and immigration-status verification. DHS officials say the app returns only confirmed matches, filtering out uncertain results, and has already been used more than 100,000 times nationwide.
During a July operation in Florida observed by a Journal reporter, ICE officers used the app to identify two Guatemalan men stopped by a state trooper. One had previously been encountered by Border Patrol and issued a notice to appear in immigration court, officers said.
The app can access criminal and immigration databases containing records of prior border encounters and arrests. DHS disputes claims that it scrapes social media or open-source data, saying its use is governed by strict legal and privacy oversight.
Civil-liberties groups have raised alarms, arguing the technology enables widespread surveillance without consent. “It can be used to point at people in the street or in cars and scan their facial prints,” said American Civil Liberties Union policy counsel Kate Voigt.
Supporters of the program counter that the technology helps law enforcement focus on known offenders while minimizing wrongful detentions. They also note that facial-recognition tools were already used by the federal government under the Biden administration, including at airports and border crossings, despite earlier technical issues that were later corrected.
Mobile Fortify was initially developed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and limited to agents near the southern border. DHS lawyers had previously resisted broader use, citing legal risks. That position changed after Trump returned to office, clearing the way for nationwide deployment.
Administration officials argue the expanded use reflects a broader shift back to enforcement-first immigration policy, prioritizing border security, public safety, and the rule of law.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
Israeli President Isaac Herzog has met victims’ families and survivors of Australia’s worst-ever terrorist and antisemitic attack that killed more than a dozen people, amid mounting tensions between the two nations.
Efforts to dismantle Hamas’ military infrastructure in Gaza are moving forward according to plan, despite tensions surrounding the ceasefire, a senior official involved in U.S. President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace initiative told Ynet in an exclusive report Wednesday.
As diplomatic talks continue between Washington and Tehran, new reports from inside Iran describe intensifying repression and widespread fear among ordinary citizens.
U.S. President Donald Trump met privately with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House for nearly three hours Wednesday, with both leaders confirming that negotiations with Iran remain ongoing but no final agreement has been reached.
The Pentagon has instructed a second aircraft carrier strike group to prepare for potential deployment to the Middle East as the United States increases military readiness in response to rising tensions with Iran, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Authorities in the U.S. state of Arizona detained a suspect Tuesday in connection with the reported abduction of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of American television host Savannah Guthrie, as the high-profile investigation entered its ninth day.
Nine people were killed Tuesday in a mass shooting in the western Canadian province of British Columbia, and at least 27 others were injured, authorities confirmed late Tuesday, marking one of the deadliest attacks in Canada in recent years.
WHO WE ARE
The Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs encapsulate the beauty, wisdom, and eternal truths found in the Bible, creating an immersive experience that resonates with believers and seekers alike.
CONTACT
- +1 908 280-4246
- Essex County, USA
- info@tnjrfm.com