ICE Now Using Facial Recognition On Their Phones
The new tool, called Mobile Fortify, uses the CBP system which ordinarily takes photos of people when they enter or exit the US, according to internal ICE emails viewed by 404 Media.
Welcome to Black Mirror, episode: America in 2025.
According to leaked emails obtained by 404 Media, ICE is now using a facial recognition app called Mobile Fortify because what’s better than real-time surveillance in the palm of your hand?
Mobile Fortify is basically a cop version of Shazam, but for people’s faces. ICE agents can now just whip out their phones, snap a quick pic of someone and run it through their facial recognition system to figure out who they are.
Yes, out in the field.
Yes, on the spot.
It’s not exactly giving “Land of the Free”.
The two MAJOR issues here are:
Due Process? Never Heard of Her.
There’s no public record of oversight, no court approval, no known policy limiting when and how this app can be used. It’s literally "snap a photo and see if you can build a case on the sidewalk." This is street-level surveillance with zero guardrails. No warrants. No probable cause required. Just vibes. And that’s a massive red flag for civil liberties.Accuracy. Or, really, the lack of it.
Facial recognition tech has a long, messy history of not working well, especially when identifying people of colour, women, and anyone who isn’t the default “tech-friendly face” (read: white men). Studies have consistently shown that these systems produce false matches that can, and have, led to wrongful arrests.
It’s one thing for law enforcement to use facial recognition with layers of checks, balances, and accountability. It’s another thing entirely to let agents casually whip out a phone and run biometric scans like they’re scrolling Instagram.
The slippery slope isn’t hypothetical anymore. It’s operational.
So yeah, welcome to Black Mirror, episode: America in 2025.
You’re already on camera. Now you’re probably on a list.