ICE and CBP are using NEC's Mobile Fortify facial recognition app to identify migrants for deportation, despite knowing the technology cannot reliably verify identities. The agencies deployed the app without completing required Privacy Impact Assessments, violating federal guidelines that mandate these reviews precede deployment of privacy-impacting technologies.

Internal documents reveal DHS dismantled centralized privacy reviews and removed department-wide facial recognition limits before approving the app. The Trump administration has directed immigration officers to arrest 3,000 people daily, creating pressure to deploy surveillance tools regardless of legal requirements. Officers are using the app not only on targeted individuals but also on US citizens and people observing or protesting enforcement activities.

The app's limitations are well-documented - it performs worst in the exact scenarios where it's most frequently used. DHS officials have declined to detail the methods and tools agents employ, despite repeated requests from oversight officials and privacy watchdogs. The Supreme Court has made it nearly impossible to sue federal officers, giving immigration agents legal immunity for potential misuse of the technology.