ICE Deploys Controversial “Stingray” Device, Raising Privacy Concerns
According to declassified documents, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) employed the so-called Stingray device—technology that mimics the function of a cellular base station. When a phone connects to this “false” transmitter, it inadvertently reveals its location. The issue, however, is that not only the intended target but also ordinary subscribers within range can have their data intercepted.
The operation unfolded in Orem, Utah, where authorities were pursuing a man ordered to leave the United States in 2023. Investigators allege he had escaped from a Venezuelan prison, where he was serving a sentence for murder, and was suspected of ties to local gangs. Initially, officials sought court approval to track his coordinates via his phone number, but the information proved too imprecise—covering a radius of roughly thirty city blocks. ICE then requested a warrant to deploy the cell-site simulator in order to pinpoint his exact location. Documents confirm that authorization was granted in late August, though it remains unclear whether the fugitive was ultimately found.
The case demonstrates that ICE continues to rely on controversial technologies, despite persistent criticism from human rights organizations dating back to the previous administration. In 2025, reports surfaced of “network anomalies” during a protest against immigration raids in Washington State, which experts suggested may have indicated the deployment of a Stingray.
Financial records further reveal an expanding arsenal. In May, ICE purchased mobile signal interception systems worth nearly one million dollars. The contract, signed in 2024 under the current administration, provides for the use of specialized vehicles equipped for covert surveillance. Additionally, the agency maintains an open agreement with Harris Corporation, the original developer of the Stingray, valued at up to $4.4 million. Under this deal, ICE receives equipment specifically designed to locate individual mobile devices.
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