ICE poised to deploy Israeli spyware amid immigration crackdown

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has reactivated a $2 million contract with Israeli spyware company Paragon, giving the agency access to sophisticated phone-hacking technology as concerns mount over expanded surveillance powers amid the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign.

How it happened: The Trump administration lifted a stop work order last Saturday that had previously blocked ICE’s contract for Paragon’s spyware, procurement records show. The deal was originally signed last September under the Biden administration but was frozen due to compliance concerns over a 2023 executive order restricting government use of foreign spyware. A public notice dated Aug. 29 confirmed the contract modification “to lift the stop work order.”

About Paragon: Paragon’s Graphite spyware can hack any mobile phone and access encrypted applications like Signal and WhatsApp, essentially giving users complete control over target devices. The company, co-founded by former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and former Unit 8200 commander Ehud Schneorson, was embroiled in scandal earlier this year when its technology was found targeting 90 people across two dozen countries, including Italian journalists and human rights activists critical of Italy’s Libya policies.

The company was acquired in 2024 by U.S. private equity firm AE Industrial Partners for up to $900 million and merged with cybersecurity firm REDLattice, which has some ex-CIA officials as directors. Following the revelation, Paragon terminated its contract with Italy’s intelligence services.

Why this matters: Digital rights advocates warn that the contract renewal signals a concerning shift toward expanded surveillance capabilities amid the administration’s immigration crackdown. “ICE is already shredding due process and ruining lives,” Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) noted, expressing alarm over potential misuse against “Americans and anyone who Donald Trump labels as an enemy.”

Donncha Ó Cearbhaill, head of Amnesty International’s Security Lab, warned of risks including “unlawful and arbitrary arrests, investigations, visa revocations and deportations” as the Trump administration targets 3,000 daily arrests with a $170 billion immigration enforcement budget.