ICE and CBP Surveillance Tech Spending Hits Record $513 Million in 2026
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jun 24
ICE and CBP Surveillance Tech Spending Hits Record $513 Million in 2026
1 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 24
Summary
$513 million in 2026 contracts with 11 surveillance-tech firms marks a new high for ICE and CBP, after awards more than doubled to just over $310 million in 2025, according to a new report.
Palantir and Anduril drove much of the recent jump, the report said, as immigration agencies expanded spending on AI analytics, border towers, drones, sensors, facial recognition, phone-hacking tools and social media scraping.
DHS is also shaping the market upstream through startup funding programs, including a Silicon Valley prototyping initiative offering up to $2 million and an SBIR program that has distributed $845 million to 500 companies since 2004.
The study's authors said the surge gives already well-funded immigration agencies broader power to track migrants and potentially protesters, raising oversight and civil-rights concerns that DHS did not address before publication.
Are private tech firms now shaping America's immigration enforcement policies?
How can we ensure surveillance tech for the border is not used on all citizens?
Record $70 Billion Funding Fuels Unprecedented Growth in U.S. Federal Surveillance and Border Enforcement, 2026
Overview
As of mid-2026, federal agencies like ICE and CBP are experiencing a major expansion in surveillance capabilities, fueled by a proposed $70 billion in funding over three years and access to large, flexible budgets. This financial strength supports ongoing investments in advanced technologies, such as data analytics platforms that combine vast amounts of information and facial recognition tools like Mobile Fortify, which has been used extensively in the field. These efforts are part of a broader push by the Department of Homeland Security to enhance surveillance infrastructure, often in partnership with private companies, resulting in comprehensive data collection and increased monitoring power.