ICE Rapidly Expands Surveillance of Your Social Media and Expands Surveillance State
ICE signs $5.7M contract for AI system analyzing 8 billion daily social posts, sparking civil liberties concerns over expanded surveillance.
By Aaron Parnas•October 28, 2025•8 min read
Immigration
Good morning everyone. Today’s story is critical: ICE is dramatically expanding its surveillance of social media, constructing a powerful digital dragnet that civil liberties advocates warn is eroding Americans’ fundamental freedoms. At the same time, Trump is replacing ICE leaders with CBP officials, deepening the militarization of immigration enforcement and tightening government control over dissent.
By reporting this, I know ICE is watching my accounts—probably this very newsletter. But I will not be silenced. While major platforms suppress stories like this, I’ll keep exposing the truth. Stand with independent journalism and help me break through the noise. Subscribe today to keep this work alive.
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With that, here’s the news:
ICE is ramping up surveillance of your social media accounts, and especially the social media accounts of those who oppose ICE or the Trump Administration’s immigration policy.
In recent days, ICE has signed a $5.7 million, five-year contract with Carahsoft Technology to use Zignal Labs, an AI-powered surveillance platform capable of analyzing over eight billion social media posts daily to detect “threats” in real time. The software, also used by the Pentagon, Israeli military, and Department of Homeland Security, marks ICE’s latest step in expanding its digital surveillance network—joining other AI tools like ShadowDragon and Babel X—to gather intelligence and direct immigration enforcement operations, often targeting immigrants and activists based on online activity.
Civil liberties groups and labor unions warn the system poses severe privacy and free speech risks, describing it as a “viewpoint-driven surveillance program.” Critics from the ACLU and Electronic Frontier Foundation argue that using opaque AI systems to monitor speech online allows ICE to police dissent under the guise of threat detection, exacerbating the chilling effect on political expression and expanding government surveillance into everyday digital spaces.
Due to the ongoing government shutdown, ICE has stopped allowing Democratic lawmakers on-demand access to detention facilities, arguing that the funding laws requiring such visits have expired. The move, part of a broader legal dispute over congressional oversight, has sparked outrage among Democrats, who accuse the Trump administration of using the shutdown to block inspections while continuing aggressive immigration enforcement under alternative funding provisions.
The Trump administration plans to replace several ICE field directors with Border Patrol officials to accelerate mass deportations after falling short of arrest targets, signaling a shift toward more aggressive enforcement tactics. The move, overseen by Trump aides Corey Lewandowski and Greg Bovino, follows frustration from the White House and Stephen Miller over ICE’s pace and mirrors recent controversial Border Patrol operations in major U.S. cities involving helicopters, tear gas, and large-scale raids.
Republicans in California have largely abandoned their campaign against Proposition 50, a Democratic-backed ballot measure to redraw the state’s congressional districts, after funding and momentum collapsed just a week before the vote. With GOP donors pulling out and polls showing 62% support for the measure, Democrats led by Gov. Gavin Newsom have massively outspent the opposition, leaving Republican strategists blaming poor leadership and ineffective tactics for an expected defeat.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued Johnson & Johnson, alleging it failed to warn consumers that taking Tylenol during pregnancy could increase autism risk, following federal guidance discouraging acetaminophen use for expectant mothers—a claim major medical groups dispute as unsupported by science.
A federal judge rebuked Attorney General Pam Bondi and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem for making “troubling” public statements about Kilmar Abrego Garcia, ruling they violated court rules by commenting on his guilt and character while his smuggling case is pending. Judge Waverly Crenshaw stopped short of issuing a gag order but ordered DOJ and DHS to warn all employees against similar remarks, as Abrego pursues claims of vindictive prosecution tied to his controversial deportation and return to the U.S.
Donald Trump held a rally-style event aboard the USS George Washington in Japan, linking his trade agenda to keeping U.S. troops out of foreign wars and announcing a $10 billion Toyota investment in new U.S. factories. Addressing thousands of American and Japanese service members, Trump touted “peace through strength,” promised to require steam-powered catapults on future carriers, and took a jab at Joe Biden while reaffirming defense and economic ties with Japan.
Massachusetts updates SNAP benefits website to blame Trump after he violated Hatch Act and blamed Democrats.
Vermont Governor Phil Scott said his state and others may sue the Trump administration for refusing to use $5 billion in contingency funds to continue SNAP benefits during the ongoing government shutdown. With November payments halted for 42 million Americans, Scott warned the lapse will harm tens of thousands of residents and signaled bipartisan support for a multistate lawsuit to force federal action.
Hurricane Melissa, a record-breaking Category 5 storm with winds of 175 mph, is nearing Jamaica with warnings of catastrophic winds, flooding, and storm surge, having already caused seven deaths across the Caribbean and expected to batter Cuba, the Bahamas, and the Turks and Caicos next.
Senator Elizabeth Warren has asked U.S. regulators to investigate former Barclays and JP Morgan executive Jes Staley for allegedly helping Jeffrey Epstein avoid scrutiny and maintain access to the banking system while processing over $1 billion in transactions. She urged the Fed, OCC, and FDIC to confirm by mid-November that probes are underway, warning that findings could lead to fines or a U.S. banking ban for Staley and others tied to Epstein.
Emmy-winning Atlanta journalist Mario Guevara was deported to El Salvador after 100 days in ICE custody, saying he believes he was targeted for his reporting and warning other immigrant journalists that Trump officials “don’t care about journalists” and see the media as an enemy. Guevara, who had lived legally in the U.S. for two decades with a work permit and citizen children, said his arrest while covering an anti-Trump protest and subsequent deportation destroyed his “American dream.”
Amazon confirmed it will lay off 14,000 corporate employees as part of a broader cost-cutting effort to reverse its pandemic-era hiring surge and streamline operations, with executives citing artificial intelligence as a key driver of workplace restructuring. The layoffs, affecting divisions such as HR, devices, and operations, come amid CEO Andy Jassy’s push to reduce bureaucracy and anticipate AI-driven efficiencies, marking the company’s largest job reduction since the pandemic.
Elon Musk has launched Grokipedia, an AI-powered online encyclopedia positioned as a conservative alternative to Wikipedia, with entries “fact-checked” by his chatbot Grok and often echoing right-wing narratives such as downplaying Trump’s role in the January 6 attack. Critics and journalists have accused the site of spreading misinformation, while Musk, who said the project was inspired by Trump adviser David Sacks, claimed it was “super important for civilization.”
Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Ben Cohen accused Unilever of silencing the brand’s activism by blocking a Gaza peace flavor, calling it corporate “butt kissing” of Donald Trump and censorship of free speech. He launched a campaign to buy back the brand and pledged to make his own pro-Palestinian flavor, while Unilever said it was simply not the right time to develop the product.
House Republicans have ended their investigation into Joe Biden’s alleged mental decline, claiming aides concealed his condition and exercised authority on his behalf but producing no definitive evidence. The Oversight Committee, led by Rep. James Comer, urged the DOJ to review Biden’s executive orders and investigate his former physician and aides, though Democrats dismissed the probe as baseless political retribution amid the ongoing government shutdown.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi pledged a “golden age” in ties with the U.S. during Donald Trump’s visit to Tokyo, signing a rare earths agreement to secure mineral supply chains and vowing to strengthen Japan’s defense. Takaichi, Japan’s first female leader, said she would nominate Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize as both leaders praised their alliance and reaffirmed cooperation on trade, security, and regional stability.
President Donald Trump has appealed his New York hush money conviction, arguing that the trial judge was biased and that prosecutors unlawfully used evidence tied to his presidential duties, citing the Supreme Court’s ruling on immunity. Despite facing no punishment and winning reelection, Trump seeks to overturn the 34-count felony verdict that made him a convicted felon, with his lawyers claiming the case should never have gone to trial.
