Compliance Management, Network Security, Privacy

ACLU files FOIA request to see how ICE uses cell phone trackers

Through a Freedom of Information Act request filed Friday, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is seeking to find out how Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are using cell phone trackers known as Stingrays.

“We're troubled to see evidence of ICE using invasive surveillance equipment for immigration enforcement purposes, especially given this administration's hyper-aggressive approach in this area,” ACLU attorney Nathan Freed Wessler said in a release. “It's crucial that the government release this information so the public can understand how immigration authorities are using Stingrays and what limits they're placing on this technology.”

The Detroit News had reported earlier in the day that a search warrant was issued to ICE agents, authorizing them to use one of the devices to find a deportable immigrant. The civil rights organization said it's the first time it's uncovered evidence that ICE is using the technology.

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