U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is fast-tracking a $100 million domestic surveillance program, ERO ONE, that would place 142 intelligence agents in more than two dozen cities and the District of Columbia. Contracting and surveillance experts say the program would significantly expand the agency's ability to reach into private lives.
The program, described in documents posted on federal procurement websites, would have agents analyze classified and unclassified information to identify trends, patterns, relationships, threats, and intelligence gaps. A forecasting document indicates the solicitation will likely be released December 10, with an award expected around February.
Jay Stanley, senior policy analyst with the American Civil Liberties Union's Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project, called it "dangerously like the construction of an internal spying agency" and said, "It's a nightmare in the making." Critics warn the tool could be used against undocumented immigrants, political opponents, and others. Former military intelligence analyst Michael Wriston said that "no one is safe" under the program.
A key concern is the program's "network, link and relationship" analysis, which would research a target's household members, family, friends, acquaintances, and even carpool partners. Contractors would prepare link charts, network diagrams, and timelines for ICE. Wriston, who founded ICE watchdog group Project Salt Box, said the methodology mirrors military intelligence work used in Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, and Syria.
Source: Hacker News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing